Debate on the Minimum income schemes in the EU, during the EP plenary session (12-15/09/2016) in Strasbourg. Statements by Thomas H&Auml;NDEL (GUE/NGL, DE), Thomas MANN (EPP, DE), Sergio GUTI&Eacute;RREZ PRIETO (S&amp;D, ES), Arne GERICKE (ECR, DE), Enrique CALVET CHAMBOM (ALDE, ES), Tania GONZ&Aacute;LEZ PE&Ntilde;AS (GUE/NGL, ES), Jo&euml;lle M&Eacute;LIN (ENF, FR), Marianne THYSSEN, Member of the EC in charge of Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility.

CALVET CHAMBON, Enrique (ALDE, ES)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

THYSSEN, Marianne (EPP, BE, EC)

HÄNDEL, Thomas (GUE/NGL, DE)

minimum income schemes in the EU (T)

GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS, Tania (GUE/NGL, ES)

GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Sergio (S&D, ES)

MÉLIN, Joëlle (ID, FR)

GERICKE, Arne (ECR, DE)

MANN, Thomas (EPP, DE)

Minimum income schemes in the EU: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (German), Thomas H&#196;NDEL (GUE/NGL, DE), How the Commission does defines appropriate income and how is it characterised? Secondly, when will the Commission assess minimum income schemes in the EU and promote benchmarking and exchange of best practices?

SOUNDBITE (English), Marianne THYSSEN, Member of the EC in charge of Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, On the assessment of minimum income schemes in the EU and promoting benchmarking, best practices and providing administrative support to Member States and the measures taken regarding minimum income as a follow-up to the 2008 recommendations on active inclusion, I can tell you the following. First of all, the EC monitors and assess Member States progress in implementing the 2008 recommendations including in the area of minimum income within the European Semester. In 2016 six Member States received country specific recommendations (CRSs) on improving the adequacy and coverage of minimum income or social assistance.

SOUNDBITE (German), Thomas MANN (EPP, DE), There is no surprise that we are sceptical about the idea that the EC should come up with an EU standardised definition. Any basic income needs to be take into account a large number of factors. Let&rsquo;s leave it into the national level, and above all to the social partners. Give them the necessary room for manoeuvre to take into account the needs of the neediest citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Sergio GUTI&#201;RREZ PRIETO (S&amp;D, ES), We been under the effects of the economic crisis for over eight years now. Europe needs to find solutions for a 120 million people at risk of social exclusion. In Spain, for instance, 720 families have no income at all, they have no public support or anything at all.

SOUNDBITE (German), Arne GERICKE (ECR, DE), The reasons for a European minimum income is that the number of people threaten by poverty and social exclusion should be cut by 20 million. Why do not you take into account the role of families, parents and large families with children?

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Enrique CALVET CHAMBOM (ALDE, ES), The European Commission has to start implementing something very important. That means looking at systems, asses its impact, look at how it can be adapted to each country through benchmarking. This got to efficiently fight inequality, you got to come up with initiatives, Commissioner. You got to deliver on economic funding needs of countries that are facing serious difficulties in economic terms. We want the Commission to be proactive because we want to take this back to the European citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Tania GONZ&#193;LEZ PE&#209;AS (GUE/NGL, ES), It is possible, it is about prioritising. Spain has lost a lot money bailing-out the banks, a sufficient amount to pay a minimum income for eight million people. We need a social contract that put forwards people, not the banks. People should be more important than the banks, and other priorities that austerity policies has set till now.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jo&#235;lle M&#201;LIN (ENF, FR), Poverty and exclusion are weighing heavy on growth and on the future of social protection which obviously is an absolute problem in terms of the ongoing need for social security systems. Secondly, because we are entering a new age of digital economy, robotics and losing lots of employment. Commissioner, when are you finally free entrepreneurs to do their work and free a whole loads of people who want to embark on that adventure?

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Marianne THYSSEN, Member of the EC in charge of Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, We all know that EU has no direct competence to act in a legislative perspective. But we can make use of the tools that we do dispose over and to encourage the Member States to do right thing to take the steps that are possible. In this regard I will also point out that following broad consultations with European stakeholders on the European social pillar, the EP has been very active in that, and I am very grateful to the Parliament for that.