an article by Sarah Marchal and Natascha van Mechelen (University of Antwerp, Belgium) published in Social Policy & Administration Volume 51 Issue 1 (January 2017)
Abstract
This article assesses the current variation in activation strategies directed towards able-bodied persons of working age relying on a minimum income guarantee in 19 EU member states.
First, we argue that the active inclusion notion developed by the European Commission in its Recommendation on the active inclusion of persons excluded from the labour market provides a useful tool to categorize current activation strategies towards minimum income protection (MIP) recipients.
Consequently, we assess the empirical viability of active inclusion strategies in a fuzzy set ideal type analysis of purpose-collected institutional data. We find that there are only few countries where the activation discourse has remained a dead letter. Most countries implement policy measures that aim to discourage benefit dependency among MIP recipients.
Nevertheless, behind the realities of activation strategies towards MIP recipients seldom lies the notion of active inclusion as defined by the European Commission. Particularly, many countries focus predominantly on incentives to increase labour market participation rates of MIP recipients, rather than enabling measures.
Full text (PDF)
Friday, 3 March 2017
What has the European Disability Strategy achieved so far?
Today [2 February 2017] the European Commission presents[ed] its Progress Report on the implementation of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020. The Strategy is the main instrument to support the EU's implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
There has been progress in all the eight areas of the Strategy:
Continue reading
There are lots of links to various aspects of the Strategy.
- accessibility
- participation
- equality
- employment
- education and training
- social protection
- health
- external action
Continue reading
There are lots of links to various aspects of the Strategy.
Charitable organisations, the Great Recession and the Age of Austerity: Longitudinal Evidence for England and Wales
an article by David Clifford (University of Southampton, UK) published in Journal of Social Policy
Volume 46 Issue 1 (January 2017)
Abstract
There has been extensive concern about the effect of recession and of subsequent public spending austerity on the voluntary sector – but a lack of comprehensive sector-wide data to examine this empirically. We construct a unique longitudinal dataset, which follows through time the population of charitable organisations in England and Wales since 1999, and assess the impact of recession and austerity by placing organisations’ recent annual income within the context of longer-term trends.
The results reveal the scale of the impact on charities’ incomes for the first time: since 2008 median real annual growth in income has been negative for six consecutive years, leading to sizeable cumulative real income decline over the period. Mid-sized charities, and those in more deprived local areas, have been most significantly affected, consistent with concerns about a ‘hollowing out’ of the charitable sector and about the uneven impact of austerity.
However, there has also been considerable variation in the fortunes of charities working in different fields of activity. The analysis in this paper helps to widen our perspective on the implications of the Great Recession and of public spending austerity for social policy.
Full text (PDF)
Abstract
There has been extensive concern about the effect of recession and of subsequent public spending austerity on the voluntary sector – but a lack of comprehensive sector-wide data to examine this empirically. We construct a unique longitudinal dataset, which follows through time the population of charitable organisations in England and Wales since 1999, and assess the impact of recession and austerity by placing organisations’ recent annual income within the context of longer-term trends.
The results reveal the scale of the impact on charities’ incomes for the first time: since 2008 median real annual growth in income has been negative for six consecutive years, leading to sizeable cumulative real income decline over the period. Mid-sized charities, and those in more deprived local areas, have been most significantly affected, consistent with concerns about a ‘hollowing out’ of the charitable sector and about the uneven impact of austerity.
However, there has also been considerable variation in the fortunes of charities working in different fields of activity. The analysis in this paper helps to widen our perspective on the implications of the Great Recession and of public spending austerity for social policy.
Full text (PDF)
Thursday, 2 March 2017
On the way to 2020: data for vocational education and training policies
Country statistical overviews – 2016 update
European policy-making in vocational education and training (VET) needs to be supported by sound evidence. In this report, Cedefop has selected 36 indicators to quantify key aspects of VET and lifelong learning. The selection is based on their policy relevance and their importance in achieving the Europe 2020 objectives.
The report accounts for challenges and opportunities arising from recent developments in the international statistical infrastructure and includes updated comparable data from the European statistical system.
This publication should be regarded as a tool to help policy-makers better understand and assess VET developments in each country. While these indicators do not claim to assess national systems or policies, they could be used to reflect on countries’ situations and progress towards the strategic objectives set for Europe.
The indicators present statistical overviews from all European Union Member States, along with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
Downloads
PDF On the way to 2020: data for vocational education and training policies
DOI: 10.2801/414017 TI-BC-17-001-EN-N ISBN: 978-92-896-2411-4 15/02/2017 16.12 MB
Epub On the way to 2020: data for vocational education and training policies
DOI: 10.2801/959840 TI-BC-17-001-EN-E ISBN: 978-92-896-2410-7 15/02/2017 10.67 MB
Annex Masterfile indicators EN 15/02/2017 515.53 KB
European policy-making in vocational education and training (VET) needs to be supported by sound evidence. In this report, Cedefop has selected 36 indicators to quantify key aspects of VET and lifelong learning. The selection is based on their policy relevance and their importance in achieving the Europe 2020 objectives.
The report accounts for challenges and opportunities arising from recent developments in the international statistical infrastructure and includes updated comparable data from the European statistical system.
This publication should be regarded as a tool to help policy-makers better understand and assess VET developments in each country. While these indicators do not claim to assess national systems or policies, they could be used to reflect on countries’ situations and progress towards the strategic objectives set for Europe.
The indicators present statistical overviews from all European Union Member States, along with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
Downloads
PDF On the way to 2020: data for vocational education and training policies
DOI: 10.2801/414017 TI-BC-17-001-EN-N ISBN: 978-92-896-2411-4 15/02/2017 16.12 MB
Epub On the way to 2020: data for vocational education and training policies
DOI: 10.2801/959840 TI-BC-17-001-EN-E ISBN: 978-92-896-2410-7 15/02/2017 10.67 MB
Annex Masterfile indicators EN 15/02/2017 515.53 KB
Filling the Gap of the Dublin System: A Soft Cosmopolitan Approach
an article by Marco Cellini (Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli,Roma) published in Journal of Contemporary European Research Volume 13 Issue 1 (2017)
Abstract
This paper analyses the European legislation on asylum, the so-called ‘Dublin System’, finding three main issues affecting it
a) the allocation of refugees between member states;
b) the differences between member states in the treatment of asylum seekers and asylum applications; and
c) the differences in the rights granted to the refugee status across member states.
In addition, it examines the European Agenda on Migration that represents the official response of the EU to the present crisis.
In the last section, it presents some proposal aimed to improve the European managing of refugees and asylum seekers. Following a moderated cosmopolitan approach, I propose the establishment of a limited citizenship for refugees that might be thought as a temporary citizenship conditioned to the possession of the refugee status.
At this particular citizenship, one may apply different rights, but to face the issues encountered, it may be sufficient to connect to it only the freedom of movement and residence throughout the EU. I argue that such a policy would have a number of advantages and could at least partially solve the issues currently present in the European asylum policy.
Full text (PDF)
Abstract
This paper analyses the European legislation on asylum, the so-called ‘Dublin System’, finding three main issues affecting it
a) the allocation of refugees between member states;
b) the differences between member states in the treatment of asylum seekers and asylum applications; and
c) the differences in the rights granted to the refugee status across member states.
In addition, it examines the European Agenda on Migration that represents the official response of the EU to the present crisis.
In the last section, it presents some proposal aimed to improve the European managing of refugees and asylum seekers. Following a moderated cosmopolitan approach, I propose the establishment of a limited citizenship for refugees that might be thought as a temporary citizenship conditioned to the possession of the refugee status.
At this particular citizenship, one may apply different rights, but to face the issues encountered, it may be sufficient to connect to it only the freedom of movement and residence throughout the EU. I argue that such a policy would have a number of advantages and could at least partially solve the issues currently present in the European asylum policy.
Full text (PDF)
Wednesday, 1 March 2017
Empowering the People: Public Responses to Welfare Policy Change
an article by Anna Bendz (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) published in Social Policy & Administration: an international journal of policy and practice Volume 51 Issue 1 (January 2017)
Abstract
How and when does welfare policy contribute to shape public opinion?
This article departs from the policy feedback research tradition and seeks to contribute to the understanding of how policy influences public opinion (public responsiveness). The argument here suggests that personal experiences in terms of empowerment condition the dynamics between policy and opinion.
The empirical case concerns the implementation of a consumer's choice model in Swedish primary health care, which resulted an intended increase in private health care centres. In this case, empowerment is assumed to be enhanced by increased exit options and freedom of choice. The specific question in the analysis is whether citizens who have empowering experiences, as a consequence of the reform, are more likely to be positive towards further privatization of welfare services.
The results show few effects in general, but there seems to be a correlation between the experience of exiting and more positive attitudes towards privatization.
Full text (PDF 19pp)
Abstract
How and when does welfare policy contribute to shape public opinion?
This article departs from the policy feedback research tradition and seeks to contribute to the understanding of how policy influences public opinion (public responsiveness). The argument here suggests that personal experiences in terms of empowerment condition the dynamics between policy and opinion.
The empirical case concerns the implementation of a consumer's choice model in Swedish primary health care, which resulted an intended increase in private health care centres. In this case, empowerment is assumed to be enhanced by increased exit options and freedom of choice. The specific question in the analysis is whether citizens who have empowering experiences, as a consequence of the reform, are more likely to be positive towards further privatization of welfare services.
The results show few effects in general, but there seems to be a correlation between the experience of exiting and more positive attitudes towards privatization.
Full text (PDF 19pp)
Minimum income schemes in Europe: is there a trade-off with activation policies?
an article by Roberto Iacono (Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway) published in IZA Journal of European Labor Studies Volume 6 (2017) Article 1
Abstract
This paper makes two contributions to the literature.
First, by employing a macro-level institutional dataset on benefit levels for social assistance (SA) and minimum income protection (MIP) in 22 European countries in the period 1990–2013, I show that the adequacy of income support for low-income inactive individuals in European welfare states has been steadily decreasing since 1994.
Second, the paper revisits empirically the hypothesis of a trade-off between the adequacy of out-of-work benefits and the public expenditure on active labor market policies (ALMPs).
The empirical results of the fixed effects model show that the trade-off does not appear to be significant in any of the tested specifications. The results are robust to the introduction of a set of conventional controls related to the labor market.
JEL Classification: H53, H55, I38
Full text (PDF)
Abstract
This paper makes two contributions to the literature.
First, by employing a macro-level institutional dataset on benefit levels for social assistance (SA) and minimum income protection (MIP) in 22 European countries in the period 1990–2013, I show that the adequacy of income support for low-income inactive individuals in European welfare states has been steadily decreasing since 1994.
Second, the paper revisits empirically the hypothesis of a trade-off between the adequacy of out-of-work benefits and the public expenditure on active labor market policies (ALMPs).
The empirical results of the fixed effects model show that the trade-off does not appear to be significant in any of the tested specifications. The results are robust to the introduction of a set of conventional controls related to the labor market.
JEL Classification: H53, H55, I38
Full text (PDF)
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