scholarly journals Do EU Member States Care About their Diasporas’ Access to Social Protection? A Comparison of Consular and Diaspora Policies across EU27

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Jean-Michel Lafleur ◽  
Daniela Vintila
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Regional Integration ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Economic Hardship ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Research Gap

Abstract Despite the growing literature on sending states’ engagement with their populations abroad, little is known so far about their role in helping the diaspora deal with social risks. As argued in this chapter, this is mainly because past studies on sending states’ policies and institutions for the diaspora have failed to systematically focus on social protection, while also ignoring that regional integration dynamics often constrain domestic responses to the welfare needs of nationals residing abroad. This volume aims to fill this research gap by comparatively examining the type of diaspora infrastructure through which EU Member States address the vulnerabilities faced by populations abroad in five core areas of social protection: health care, pensions, family, unemployment, and economic hardship. Drawing on data from two original surveys with national experts, we operationalize the concepts of descriptive infrastructure for non-residents (i.e. the presence of diaspora-related institutions) and substantive infrastructure (i.e. policies that provide and facilitate access to welfare for nationals abroad) in order to propose a new typology of states’ engagement with their diaspora in the area of social protection.

scholarly journals Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Spanish Citizens Abroad

2020 ◽  
pp. 457-472
Author(s):  
Pau Palop-García
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Civil War ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Economic Hardship ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Policy Strategy ◽  
The Social ◽  
The 1950S

Abstract This chapter outlines the social protection policies that Spain has adopted to target Spanish nationals abroad. First, it describes the diaspora infrastructure and the key engagement policies developed in the last years by Spain. Subsequently, the chapter focuses on five social protection policies: unemployment, health care, pensions, family-related benefits, and economic hardship. The findings reveal that Spain has adopted a diaspora strategy that targets different emigrant groups such as exiles of the Civil War and early Francoism and their descendants, Spaniards that emigrated to other European countries during the 1950s and 1960s, and new emigrants that left the country due to the consequences of the financial crisis of 2008. Findings also show that, although Spain has developed a wide array of services to target its diverse diaspora, it still lacks a comprehensive scheme of social protection abroad. Moreover, the results suggest that Spain has adopted a subsidiary social policy strategy abroad that is triggered when the social protection offered by states of reception is lacking.

scholarly journals The Resilience of EU Member States to the Financial and Economic Crisis

2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-598
Author(s):  
Lucia Alessi ◽  
Peter Benczur ◽  
Francesca Campolongo ◽  
Jessica Cariboni ◽  
Anna Rita Manca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Member States ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Country Characteristics

AbstractBased on the JRC conceptual framework for resilience (Manca et al. in Building a Scientific Narrative Towards a More Resilient EU Society, JRC Science for Policy Report, JRC28548, 2017), this study presents an empirical analysis of the resilience of EU Member States to the recent financial and economic crisis. We address two main research questions: (1) Which countries had a resilient outcome, in terms of both shock absorption during the crisis and recovery in its aftermath? (2) Are there pre-determined country characteristics that help to explain resilient performance? To address these questions, we first select 34 key indicators of economic performance and societal well-being, going well beyond the merely economic growth perspective. Resilience is then measured by the properties of the joint dynamic response of these variables to the crisis shock at different time horizons. Our results demonstrate substantial differences between countries in each of the resilience capacities considered. Regression analysis also reveals that certain predetermined characteristics—such as government expenditures on social protection, political stability or a favourable business environment—are strongly associated with resilient outcomes. Our methodology and findings offer lessons for monitoring resilience and for entry points for effective policy interventions in the future.

Scratching the heart of the artichoke? How international institutions and the European Union constrain the state monopoly of force

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Herschinger ◽  
Markus Jachtenfuchs ◽  
Christiane Kraft-Kasack
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
International Institutions ◽  
The State ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Physical Force ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European Court ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Over Time

In recent years, a growing literature has argued that European Union (EU) member states have undergone a profound transformation caused by international institutions and by the EU, in particular. However, the state core – the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force, embodied by the police – seemed to remain intact. The literature has argued that in this area, international institutions are weak, and cooperation has remained informal and intergovernmental. We take issue with these claims and evaluate the strength of international institutions in two core areas of policing (terrorism and drugs) over time. We find that in terms of decision-making, precision, and adjudication, international institutions have become considerably stronger over time. Even when international institutions remain intergovernmental they strongly regulate how EU member states exercise their monopoly of force. Member states are even further constrained because adjudication is delegated to the European Court of Justice. Thus, even the state core is undergoing a significant transformation.

scholarly journals IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS OF SOCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT

2020 ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
Radmila Pidlypna
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
The Social

Introduction. Accelerated pace of development of society contributes to the accelerated generation of social risks, modern society is characterized by constant technological, natural, economic, environmental, socio-cultural changes. Therefore, minimizing social risks and leveling their consequences is of paramount importance. Methods. Diagnosis of the state of the social risk management system combined the principles of systemic, structural-functional and targeted analysis, which provided a comprehensive assessment of the whole and individual components. Results. The analysis of expenditures on the social sphere showed their stable absolute growth despite the dynamic reduction of their share in the budget. Social risks are largely due to the non-transparency of the mechanism for regulating the supply and demand of labor in the domestic labor market. A significant share of macroeconomic social risks is related to the problems of social infrastructure, which is financed from the budget. Problems with access to health care, the opacity of the pharmaceutical market, the degradation of the health care network, chronic underfunding, and the lack of health insurance also generate social risks. The task of state policy should be to prevent and prevent social risks, identify social conflicts that lead to destructive consequences. Systematization of social risks allows to methodologically substantiate the mechanisms of social risk management, to modernize the models of social protection of the population, to develop effective tools for ensuring public management of social risks. Discussion. The impossibility of reducing funding for social needs without deteriorating the quality of life and social protection of the population requires further search for alternative sources of funding for socio-cultural expenditures, rationalization in the budget structure to effectively combat the development of social risks. Keywords: social policy, social risks, social transfers, household expenditures, labor market, health care.

scholarly journals Healthcare in the light of the concept of welfare state regimes – comparative analysis of EU member states

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Kawiorska
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Welfare State ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Welfare State Regimes ◽  
The Empirical Analysis

This  paper  addresses  issues  related to health care in the context of the debate about the typology of welfare state regimes and comparative studies conducted in reference to the debate. Particular attention has been paid to the phenomenon of decommodification as one of the key dimensions that define welfare regimes identified in the literature associated with this debate. The study presents a health decommodification index, on the basis of which an attempt has been made to assess the decommodification potential of health care, taking into account the situation in the 28 EU Member States in 2012. The identification of a widely understood accessibility of publicly funded health care as a basic measure for assessing the decommodifying features of health programs is an important result of the empirical analysis. The study has also confirmed the views expressed in the literature about the existence of practical obstacles standing in the way of developing a universal typology of welfare states.

scholarly journals Significant improvement in cancer management in Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Jelenc ◽  
T Albreht
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Cancer Control ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Patient Pathways ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Eu Candidate Countries

Abstract Background Cancer management represents one of the most complex disease management segments in health care. Quality National Cancer Control Programmes (NCCPs) play the key role in cancer management in responding to population needs by preventing, detecting and treating cancer only through adequate planning. An effective NCCP represents benefits for patients, citizens, health care providers, health systems and governments. Europe is still characterised by inequalities in cancer control both between and within countries. In response to this challenge, a generic list of evidence-based tools for efficient stewardship and measure of effects of the cancer control will be prepared. Methods A survey on the current state of NCCPs in EU Member States, EEA countries and EU candidate countries and on the presence of some key elements, which NCCPs should include, was conducted in 2018 in the frame of the Joint Action (JA) Innovative Partnership for Action Against Cancer (iPAAC). The completed surveys were analysed; the answers were compared with the report prepared on the basis of the survey carried out in 2011 in the frame of JA EPAAC. Results In total, 33 out of 34 EU Member States, some EEA countries and EU candidate countries completed the survey, the response rate was 97%. Thirty-one out of 33 countries reported that they have a NCCP or another relevant cancer document. Belgium does not have a NCCP, Croatia and Serbia prepared draft versions. The inclusion of patient pathways, quality indicators as well as PROMS in NCCPs is not satisfactory. Only 10 countries included PROMS in their NCCP. Conclusions On the basis of the preliminary results of the survey we conluded that the situation regarding NCCPs in Europe improved in comparison with the situation in 2011. EU countries have mostly adopted a NCCP, plan or strategy as a single or several documents. We aim at developing practical instructions for the successful governance and steering of cancer care in all EU Member States. Key messages The development of NCCPs represents added value for cancer patients in all EU Member States. The inclusion of patient pathways, quality indicators as well as patient reported outcome measures (PROMS) in NCCPs/cancer documents is not satisfactory.

Welfare reforms and socio-economic trends in the 10 new EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolanta Aidukaite
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Welfare Regime ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
New Eu Member States ◽  
Better Than ◽  
The Eu

The paper reviews recent socio-economic changes in the 10 new EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe and the earlier and latest debates on the emergence of the post-communist welfare state regime. It asks two questions: are the new EU member states more similar to each other in their social problems encountered than to the rest of the EU world? Do they exhibit enough common socio-economic and institutional features to group them into the distinct/unified post-communist welfare regime that deviates from any well-known welfare state typology? The findings of this paper indicate that despite some slight variation within, the new EU countries exhibit lower indicators compared to the EU-15 as it comes to the minimum wage and social protection expenditure. The degree of material deprivation and the shadow economy is on average also higher if compared to the EU-15 or the EU-27. However, then it comes to at-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers or Gini index, some Eastern European outliers especially the Check Republic, but also Slovenia, Slovakia and Hungary perform the same or even better than the old capitalist democracies. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, however, show many similarities in their social indicators and performances and this group of countries never perform better than the EU-15 or the EU-27 averages. Nevertheless, the literature reviews on welfare state development in the CEE region reveal a number of important institutional features in support of identifying the distinct/unified post-communist welfare regime. Most resilient of it are: an insurance-based programs that played a major part in the social protection system; high take-up of social security; relatively low social security benefits; increasing signs of liberalization of social policy; and the experience of the Soviet/Communist type of welfare state, which implies still deeply embedded signs of solidarity and universalism.

scholarly journals Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Cypriot Citizens Abroad

2020 ◽  
pp. 107-122
Author(s):  
Angeliki Konstantinidou
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Economic Hardship ◽  
Political Context ◽  
Niche Area ◽  
Diaspora Engagement

Abstract The diaspora policies that Cyprus has implemented have been largely overlooked in the literature and in empirical studies. While several pieces of work have explored Cypriots abroad, there are no systematic studies that delve into the diaspora policies that the Cypriot government has put forward for non-resident nationals. Hence, this chapter aims to discuss the diaspora engagement policies that Cyprus implements at the economic, political, and socio-cultural levels, as well as to explain the Cypriot diaspora engagement based on the particular historical and political context of the country and the characteristics of its diaspora. In addition, the chapter sheds light on the niche area of social protection policies towards the Cypriot diaspora, with a particular focus on the policy areas of unemployment, health care, pensions, family-related benefits, and economic hardship.

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