This week the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a hearing on Minimum Income Protection (MIP) and poverty indicators. MIP is a system which ensures that people who have no other source of income receive adequate resources to live, currently determined to be about 60% of the median national income. The hearing was a discussion of recent policy developments concerning MIP (including Active Inclusion policies and the Social Investment Package), minimum income as a social protection measure, and the possibilities within the current EU framework for improvement of the system. One of the primary criticisms of the system as it stands is that there is no pan-European methodology agreed upon for determining poverty as well as benefit levels. Rectifying this, presenters believed, would bring about constructive policy discussions as well as ensure that people who need support are getting it. This is an important conversation at the policy level because Minimum Income Protection is the final level of support for users – it is what people receive when they have no other system to fall back on. One panelist described it as “scraping the bottom of the barrel” in terms of protection systems. It is therefore crucial that the system for measuring poverty indicators and ensuring adequate support is a highly-functioning and effective one; Europe cannot afford either morally or economically to allow people to fall through the cracks at this stage.
Eurodiaconia was pleased to see that not only stakeholders at the political level were invited to this hearing, but also that our partner NGO EAPN was invited to give input. This input interjected a much needed perspective on the value of people, and reminded policy makers that this is important so that all people have the chance to live their lives in dignity, which is one of the cornerstones of social Europe.
Presentations from the hearing are available here.