Latest social policy developments in Europe: new series of Flash Reports
A new series of Flash Reports on key social policy developments in Europe has recently been published.
These reports provide regular, short, accurate and up-to-date information on policy debates and new initiatives in the social field across Europe.
13 flash reports are now readily available and mention several initiatives in the countries examined, such as the "Back to Work Family Dividend" in Ireland due to come into effect in April 2015. This measure allows single parents and long-term job seeker families with children to retain their child-related social welfare payments for up to two years upon ending their claim and entering the labour market.
Another example is a new federal law in Germany which provides employees with the right to care leave or reduced working hours and a guaranteed right to return to full-time work. The loss of income is compensated by a benefit amounting to 90% of the last net monthly salary.
Meanwhile in Croatia, a one-off scheme to write-off the debts of up to 60,000 of its poorest citizens has been introduced. To qualify for the programme, the beneficiaries must have had their bank account blocked for at least a year but should not have a total debt of more than a equivalent to € 4,577.
The Flash Reports now available provide information on the following initiatives:
- Austria - Implementation of the reform of invalidity pensions has started
- NEW - Croatia - Government’s “Fresh Start” agreement for indebted citizens
- Croatia - Law on Social Welfare (1 January 2014) introduces new Guaranteed Minimum Social Assistance Benefit
- NEW - Cyprus - The new healthcare system in the process of implementation
- Denmark - General practitioners attached to elderly care institutions
- NEW - Finland - Back to the future: Social investments in children pay
- Finland - Increasing the effective retirement age: the 2017 pension reform
- France - Ageing and dependency
- NEW - Germany - Better reconciliation of family, care and work
- NEW - Greece - The new Greek Government’s social policy priorities
- NEW - Ireland - Back to Work Family Dividend
- NEW - Luxembourg - Pilot project “Housing First”
- Portugal - Increase of the minimum wage in Portugal in a context of continued austerity
- NEW - Switzerland - Redefinition of social assistance benefit levels
- United Kingdom - The fast implementation of devolved responsibility for social security
The Flash Reports are produced by the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) which was established in 2014 to provide the European Commission with independent information, analysis and expertise on social policies in 35 European countries.