Social inclusion

The OSE is a partner in a new Horizon Europe-funded research project (2022-2025) looking at ‘Welfare systems and Labour market policies for economic and social resilience in Europe’ (‘WeLaR’). The project is coordinated by the Research Institute for Work and Society (HIVA, KU Leuven) and brings together research institutes from six European Union countries: Austria (ZSI-WIIW), Belgium (OSE), Germany (ZEW), Italy (UNIPG), Luxembourg (LISER), Poland (ALDGATE-IBS) – as well as Serbia (EKOF).

The OSE was awarded a new contract with the Belgian Federal Public Service Social Security with a view to writing the ‘European and International Digest’ for the quarterly Revue Belge de Sécurité Sociale (RBSS/BTSZ). The Digest will continue to provide a regular overview of international developments (EU, OECD, ILO etc.) that have a direct or indirect impact on social protection and social inclusion policies and debates. As of 2019, this Digest includes information on environmental decisions taken by these institutions with a direct impact on public health and welfare.

The OSE is the lead partner of this Commission-funded project. The partnership is made up of ten institutions. These include universities (the University of Macerata, Uppsala University and University of Turku); trade union-related research institutes (the European Social Observatory, the Hans Boeckler Foundation’s Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), and the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research (ISTUR); independent research centres (the Centre for Studies for Social Intervention (CESIS), the Bulgarian Academy of Science and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Since 2014, the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) has been supporting the European Commission with independent information, analysis and expertise on social policies to foster the development of evidence-based social policy initiatives at European level. In particular, the ESPN supports the Commission in monitoring progress towards the EU’s social protection and social inclusion objectives as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Semester.

The study on “How to implement key elements of the European Pillar of Social Rights: what is needed to guarantee a positive social impact” will provide the Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) with recommendations on effective implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Particular attention is given to the ways in which social partners and civil society could play an important role in consultation and participation, in particular through the EESC. The study focuses on three priority areas: fair working conditions, collective bargaining and wages.

The OSE was awarded a new contract with the Belgian Federal Public Service Social Security with a view to writing the ‘International Digest’ for the quarterly Belgian Review for Social Security (RBSS/BTSZ). The digest will continue to provide a regular overview of international developments (EU, OECD, ILO etc.) that have a direct or indirect impact on social protection and social inclusion policies and debates. The RBSS/BTSZ is available online, in French and Dutch.

OSE researcher involved: Cécile Barbier

The European Social Policy Network (ESPN) was established in July 2014 on the initiative of the European Commission to provide high quality and timely independent information, advice, analysis and expertise on social policy issues in the European Union and neighbouring countries. In particular, the ESPN will support the Commission in monitoring progress towards the EU’s social protection and social inclusion objectives as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Social Open Method of Coordination and the Social Investment Package.

As part of the preparation of an Opinion on guaranteed minimum income at European level, the Workers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) contracted the OSE to conduct a study entitled “Towards a European Minimum Income”. The main objective of this research is to explore the feasibility of introducing a European instrument relating to non-contributory minimum income schemes for able-bodied persons of working age.