Council approves Social Protection Committee conclusions on social protection policies

On 15 October, the Ministers responsible for Employment and Social Affairs approved the conclusions of the Social Protection Committee report on the development of social protection policies in the EU between January 2012 and June 2013.

This report reviews the intensity of EU countries' efforts and maps out structural reforms. The main message of the report is that while the economic crisis continues to put pressure on social protection systems, EU priorities in this field must shift from tackling its consequences towards building resilient social protection systems.

The report acknowledges the extraordinary commitment to reforms of countries implementing adjustment programmes. Many of the implemented policy measures strengthened the social protection systems of these countries while others failed to halt the rise of poverty and in particular child poverty.

For more information:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/139022.pdf