EuroHealthNet delivers input for the European Commission’s proposal for a Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income schemes in the EU

EuroHealthNet has responded to a call for input on the European Commission’s plans to propose a Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income schemes. Read our full input (.pdf) here.

With a long-term commitment to promoting health equity, EuroHealthNet recognises the significant impact of the financial and income arrangements on people’s health and wellbeing. Social protection programmes, including minimum income schemes, have been long linked with better health not just for those benefiting, but for the whole population. EuroHealthNet commends the European Commission’s efforts to target the root causes of poverty, inequality and social exclusion via an integrated active inclusion approach and a set of policies designed to ensure that no one falls below a set income level.

This must include actions such as the provision of minimum income benefits and activation measures, with a particular focus on enabling, needs-based social services, including health. Since such proposals cannot be effective and impactful when applied in isolation, they must form a part of an EU-wide and national level contextualised structural and systemic approach to poverty and economic vulnerability reduction. Other income-related social protection and welfare measures must be put in place to support people across their life-course.

Read our full input, with specific recommendations, here (.pdf)