Council recommendation on access to social protection

Karen Farrugia Manager II (Research) International Affairs Unit

The previous article provided an overview of the social security provisions agreed between the EU and UK following Brexit. This article will focus on new legislative provisions aimed at tackling atypical work through the Council recommendation on access to social protection.

As part of the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed was adopted in November 2019, following a proposal by the Commission made in March 2018. The Impact Assessment produced by the Commission to support the proposal of the

Recommendation includes the mapping of access to the main social protection schemes, analysis of impact and effect of extending access and country case studies.

The rules that govern entitlement to social protection have been traditionally tailored to workers in full-time, permanent employment for a recognised employer. As a result, the self-employed or people in non-standard employment relationship can find themselves without adequate social protection coverage.

The objective is to support people in nonstandard forms of employment and selfemployment who, due to their employment status, are not sufficiently covered by social security schemes and thus are exposed to higher economic uncertainty. increase transparency regarding social security systems and rights.

The Council Recommendation aims to encourage EU countries to: allow non-standard workers and the selfemployed to adhere to social security schemes (closing formal coverage gaps). take measures allowing them to build up and take up adequate social benefits as members of a scheme (effective and adequate coverage) and facilitating the transfer of social security benefits between schemes.

The Recommendation covers social security schemes for unemployment, sickness and healthcare, maternity or paternity, accidents at work and occupational diseases, disability and old age.

Within the framework of the Social

Protection Committee, the Commission supports Member States and stakeholders in achieving the objectives of the recommendation through dialogue and mutual learning activities, but also by improving statistics and proposing a monitoring framework.

The Commission will report to the Council on the implementation of the Recommendation by the end of 2022.

National plans

Member States were recommended to implement the principles of the Recommendation and to submit a plan setting out the corresponding measures to be taken at national level by 15 May 2021. In this regard, Malta also submitted its national plan which can be accessed through the link below: https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet? docId=24851&langId=en

Investiment ta’ €176,000 fi ftehim soċjali fuq tliet snin

Jiggarantixxi s-servizz f’residenzi għall-adoloxxenti

Il-Ministeru għall-Politika Soċjali u d-Drittijiet tat-Tfal kompla jikkonferma u jġedded numru ta’ ftehimiet soċjali ma’ għaqdiet mhux governattivi li jaħdmu b’mod kontinwu biex jagħtu s-sapport meħtieġ lil persuni vulnerabbli.

Il-Ministru Michael Falzon faħħar din l-inizjattiva u tenna li s-soċjetà kollha għandha sehem importanti biex tgħin lil dawn iż-żgħażagħ jintegraw u jgħixu f’ambjent li joffrilhom is-sapport neċessarju. L-investiment, li jkopri tliet snin, jammonta għal madwar €176,000.

“Dawn il-ftehimiet nidħlu għalihom għaliex verament nemmnu f’soċjetà li fiha kulħadd jista’ jimxi ’l quddiem u jista’ jibdel il-ħolm tiegħu f’realtà. Ħdimna ħafna biex nagħtu l-aqwa ambjent lil kull tifel u tifla u dawn iż-żgħażagħ għandhom ikollhom l-istess opportunitajiet”.

Fost dawn il-ftehimiet, ġie ssiġillat il-ftehim mas-Salesjani ta’ Don Bosco li jiggarantixxi servizz fir-Residenza Alberto Marvelli f’Raħal Ġdid u fir-Residenza Carlo Gastini, fil-Belt Valletta. Fihom joqogħdu adoloxxenti li permezz tas-servizz offrut jitgħallmu jgħixu b’mod indipendenti wara li għal raġunijiet differenti jkunu għexu f’residenza tat-tfal jew f’ambjent alternattiv.