5 new Flash Reports prepared by the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) are now available and provide information on recent social policy developments in Greece, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Poland and Sweden.

• As of January 2019, a new means-tested rent subsidy has been in force in Greece, targeted at households living in rented primary residences. It is set at €70 per month for a single-person household, increased by €35 for each additional household member. Although this policy measure can help low-income households to meet their housing costs, its effectiveness may be hindered by the fact that it is not part of a national housing strategy.
• The Kosovan* Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is drafting a new law on early childhood education and care to improve access through community-based kindergartens and a system of means-tested fees in public kindergartens. The development of a new curriculum for pre-school education should help attain quality standards in new kindergartens.
• Several months of debate on the level of the minimum wage in Montenegro have resulted in its increase as of 1 July 2019. It is now set at €222 a month, which represents a 15% increase. This change will affect average wages as well as pensions and social benefits.
• In 2018, the Polish government launched a pilot project to promote the provision of community-based care services for older and dependent people by means of a programme targeted at people aged 75 or above. In 2019, it launched a complementary programme for people with disabilities under the age of 75. Although their impact has been moderate so far, these programmes are important steps towards improving access to care services for the dependent population.
• In 2016, a Swedish government inquiry recommended to limit profits for private companies operating in the tax-funded welfare sector. In January 2019, a four-party agreement stated that the proposed profit cap should not be implemented. The issue of profit in the Swedish welfare sector seems now, after years of heated discussions, to have been resolved.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence