COFACE staged a seminar on 26 March 2010 to discuss the role of social protection systems in preventing and tacking poverty and social exclusion of families, including a discussion of the main challenges to the future of these systems in Europe. (Report)

The seminar ‘The role of social protection in the fight against poverty and social exclusion: which safety net for families?’ was a good opportunity for representatives of COFACE member organisations, European Social NGOs, European institutions and other stakeholders to discuss this vital issue in the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Opening speeches by Gabrielle Clotuche from ETUC and Bea Cantillon from the University of Antwerp, showed the fundamental importance of social protection spending in preventing and combating poverty and social exclusion. They also highlighted the importance of a convergence policy in narrowing the persistent gaps between Member States. The participants then split up into two workshops.

The one on social protection and the fight against family poverty was informed by invited expert Fintan Farrell, Director of the European Anti Poverty Network. The discussions highlighted the need for more adequate minimum income schemes and to work for more egalitarian and redistributive societies. The importance of universal family policies with more targeted flanking measures was also emphasised.

The second workshop, on issues for the future of social protection systems in the EU, had the European Women's Lobby’s social Policy officer, Mary Collins, as its invited expert. There was extensive discussion of the individualisation of rights, as well as options for securing sustainable financing of social protection systems, such as taxation of financial transactions.

The seminar concluded with a roundtable of EU policymakers, the need to mainstream solidarity across all relevant policy spheres (social protection, but also fiscal, economic, employment and other policies) was stressed.

To sum up the day’s discussions in a slogan: Social protection systems are a vital safety net to be strengthened.