Brussels, 16/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Social protection is a key element of development policy in that it is a lever for equity, social inclusion and dialogue with social partners, the EU Council states. Unanimous Council conclusions adopted on 15 October approve the main guidelines that are to steer EU cooperation in this field, as spelled out by the European Commission in its communication of 20 August on social protection in EU development cooperation (see EUROPE 10674), recommending that the EU resort to budgetary support, sector-specific approaches and technical assistance for supporting social protection in poor countries concerned.
The Council invites the Commission to reflect on the best possible way to integrate social protection in the programme for development beyond 2015 and to ensure that social protection is included in strategic dialogues conducted with partner countries, including those that will cease to benefit from EU development cooperation. EU support should follow a differentiated approach to take needs, priorities and capacities of partner countries into account in order to contribute to the development of national social protection programmes and policies to the benefit of all. The conception and the implementation of social protection policies in the fragile states, in post-conflict situations and in cases of recurring natural disasters, should be given special attention, the Council states.
A powerful signal. Oxfam International immediately hailed the powerful signal addressed by the Council with a view to promoting social protection and universal access to essential services such as health and education in development cooperation policy. Catherine Olier, an Oxfam expert for EU development policy, commented that, if the EU takes support for fiscal reform seriously in development countries, it should be a priority in the next 2014-2020 budget under negotiation.
The above NGO calls on the European Commission and on member states to support reform in favour of progressive, fair tax systems in developing countries, which will allow social protection to be funded by national budgets and allow it to become a long-term reality. Oxfam underlines in this respect that budgetary support is the best kind of aid for supporting social protection systems as it allows long-term financing, with the required predictability of recurrent costs such as the salaries of teachers or doctors. (AN/transl.jl)