Income inequality in the EU: how do member states contribute?

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 450-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Papatheodorou ◽  
Dimitris Pavlopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Member States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Income Disparities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Macroeconomic Indicators ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Total Inequality ◽  
The Eu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structure of overall inequality in the EU-15 by investigating the extent to which total inequality is attributed to inequality between or within the individual countries. Also, the paper examines whether the contribution of between-country and within-country components changed in the period between 1996 to 2008, before the outbreak of the economic crisis. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies a decomposition analysis by population subgroup utilizing micro-data from the ECHP and EU-SILC surveys. A number of inequality indices are employed to capture the different aspects of inequality and test the robustness of the results. Findings – The analysis shows that the between-countries differences account only for a small part of overall inequality in the EU-15. Furthermore, the contribution of the between county component to total inequality has shrunk dramatically during the examined period. The overall EU inequality has been affected disproportionally by income disparities at the various parts of the income distribution in different countries. Practical implications – Policies aiming to reduce inequality within each country would be far more effective in reducing overall inequality in the EU than policies targeting to reduce only disparities between member states. Originality/value – The findings question the effectiveness of EU policy priorities to decrease inequality that have mainly focused on reducing cross-country and/or regions differences regarding certain macroeconomic indicators such as per-capita income (or GDP). The evidence suggests that the social protection system provides a useful tool in explaining the differences in inequality between countries and their contribution to overall EU inequality.

scholarly journals Sailing the seven seas

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-216
Author(s):  
Gijsbert Vonk
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Individual Member ◽  
Member States ◽  
Bilateral Agreements ◽  
Global Standards ◽  
The Social ◽  
Security Relations ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Eu

The purpose of this final contribution is to offer a broad schematic overview of ‘mechanisms’ that can be used to strengthen the social security protection of persons moving in and out of the EU. Seven mechanisms have been selected for discussion: national unilateral standards, EU unilateral standards, bilateral agreements, EU coordination of bilateral agreements, EU third country agreements, multilateral co-operation and global standards. The existence of this plethora of mechanisms, each with its own merits and shortcomings, casts a shadow over the possibility of a uniform EU regime for external social security relations. Any attempt to introduce such an approach can immediately be contradicted by alternative approaches and mechanisms which can be used both by the EU and by the individual Member States. It is suggested that more coherence in external EU social security coordination can perhaps be found in a conceptual way, by layering the seven mechanisms in a logical manner.

Social Investment as a Policy Platform

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Vandenbroucke
Keyword(s):  
Social World ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Education Spending ◽  
Overlapping Consensus ◽  
Member States ◽  
Policy Perspective ◽  
The Social ◽  
Broad Consensus ◽  
The Eu

This contribution argues for a truly reciprocal social investment pact for Europe: member states should be committed to policies that respond to the need for social investment; simultaneously, member states’ efforts in this direction—notably efforts by those in a difficult budgetary context—should be supported in a tangible way. Social investment is a policy perspective that should be based on a broad consensus between people who may entertain certain disagreements regarding the level of their empirical and/or normative understanding of the social world. For that reason, the expression of an ‘overlapping consensus’ is used for delineating social investment advocacy. Data on education spending show that we are far removed from a social investment perspective at the European Union (EU) level. This underscores the fact that social investment advocates need to clearly consider the role the EU has to play in social investment progress.

Socioeconomic effects of pension spending: evidence from Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-617
Author(s):  
Fernando Bermejo ◽  
Eladio Febrero ◽  
Andre Fernandes Tomon Avelino
Keyword(s):  
Peer Review ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Total Output ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Structural Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide broader understanding of the significant role that the pension system has in the Spanish economy by estimating the sectoral production, employment and income sustained by pensioners' consumption.Design/methodology/approachBased on input–output tables by the World Input–Output Database and consumption data from the Household Budget Survey by the Spanish Statistical Office, a demoeconomic model is applied to quantify the direct impacts, indirect impacts from interindustry links and induced impacts from income–consumption connections over a nine-year period (2006–2014). Then, the factors driving the evolution of total output, employment and value added during such period have been examined by using structural decomposition analysis.FindingsThe growing participation of consumption by pensioner households in final demand had proven crucial during the 2008 crisis to alleviate the negative trend in production and employment derived from the collapse in consumption suffered by the rest of households.Practical implicationsDetermining the underlying factors driving changes in both employment and income during the 2008 crisis can be of interest in political decision-making on the sustainability of the Spanish pension system.Social implicationsThe results of estimating both the employment and income supported by pensioners' consumption reveal the significant stabilizing effect of the public spending on pensions, particularly during the 2008 crisis.Originality/valueThe current Spanish approach of attaining the pension system sustainability by merely reducing social protection costs ignores the adverse consequences of a lower pensioners' demand. This paper addresses an alternative view in which pension spending is not considered a burden on economic growth but rather a means of improving the level of production and employment.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2019-0047

Between entrepreneurs and workers: Cleavages and compromises in rationales and policy solutions regarding ‘dependent contractors’

2021 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2110303
Author(s):  
Louis Florin ◽  
François Pichault
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Narratives ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
Narrative Policy Framework ◽  
Policy Solutions ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Labour Regulation

The emergence of dependent contractors challenges the existing institutions regarding social protection and labour regulation. This article aims at identifying the political narratives that explain the emergence of New Forms of Employment (NFE) and dependent contracting along with the policy solutions proposed by the social partners at the EU and international level. By analysing policy documents from the social partners through the lens of a qualitative version of the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), the authors indentify two distinct narratives – ‘devaluation of work’ and ‘entrepreneurship and flexibility’. The authors show how these rationales lead to various policy solutions and identify oppositions and possible compromise.

Practice of the member states of the European Union in the field of anti-corruption regulation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmytro S. Melnyk ◽  
Oleg A. Parfylo ◽  
Oleksii V. Butenko ◽  
Olena V. Tykhonova ◽  
Volodymyr O. Zarosylo
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Member States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Legal Method ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
The Eu

Purpose The experience of most European Union (EU) Member States has demonstrated effective anti-corruption practices, making the EU one of the leaders in this field, which can be used as an example to learn from in the field of anti-corruption. The purpose of this study is to analyze and identify the main features of anti-corruption legislation and strategies to prevent corruption at the national and supranational levels of the EU. Design/methodology/approach The following methods were used in the work: discourse and content analysis, method of system analysis, method of induction and deduction, historical-legal method, formal-legal method, comparative-legal method and others. Using the historical and legal method, the evolution of the formation of anti-corruption regulation at the supranational level was revealed. The comparative law method helped to compare the practices of the Member States of the EU in the field of anti-corruption regulation. The formal-legal method is used for generalization, classification and systematization of research results, as well as for the correct presentation of these results. Findings The main results, prospects for further research and the value of the material. The paper offers a critical review of key EU legal instruments on corruption, from the first initiatives taken in the mid-1990s to recent years. Originality/value In addition, the article analyzes the relevant anti-corruption legislation in the EU member states that are in the top 10 countries with the lowest level of corruption, namely: Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.

scholarly journals Migration and Access to Welfare Benefits in the EU: The Interplay between Residence and Nationality

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Daniela Vintila ◽  
Jean-Michel Lafleur
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
Welfare Benefits ◽  
Migration History ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Societal Dynamics ◽  
Social Protection Systems ◽  
The Eu

Abstract Increasing mobility to and from European Union (EU) countries has started to challenge the principles of territoriality and national citizenship through which European democracies traditionally conditioned access to social benefits. Existing typologies of immigrant social protection regimes do not seem to adequately capture (nor explain) the diverse repertoire of policy configurations through which European welfare regimes adapt to migration-driven societal dynamics. This introductory chapter provides a critical reflection on the link between migration and access to welfare in the EU. In doing so, it aims to propose a comprehensive analytical framework that allows for a systematic comparison of the inclusiveness of social protection systems towards mobile individuals. We argue that states’ responsiveness towards the social protection needs of their immigrant and emigrant populations has to be examined through a combination of factors, including the characteristics of these populations, the migration history of these countries, as well as the main features of their welfare state.

scholarly journals The economics the correlation issues in EU-28

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 77-82
Author(s):  
Yaser Mueeth A. Alkahtani ◽  
Zoltán László Szabó ◽  
Gan Quan
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Purchase Power Parity ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Power Parity ◽  
Member States ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Bartlett’S Test ◽  
Statistical Program ◽  
The Eu

In this case study the analyses focus on the some correlation compares among EU-28 member states. Also the analyses focus on the wide side overview for the EU-28 member states using eight variances of three principal components for EU-28. The economic growing rate of EU-28 member states concerning some economic issues as GDP growing rate, employment, unemployment accompanying with social protection and government debt, price fluctuating, purchase power parity of consumers and also probably lifelong learning. The eight numbers according to each variance give the average value of KMO, which shows in the first line of T able T. KMO and Bartlett's Test, namely 0.628. In this case all of other variances expect RisPov2014 have strong correlations with themselves. The LLeam2014 has the strongest correlations by value of 0.767 (76%), also the GovDebt2014 has strong one, by 0.744 (74%), HICPan2014 has 0.731 (73%), the GDPcap2014 has value of 0.706 (70.6%). This SPSS statistical program can help to make clear overview for the correlations and differences among EU-28 member states from different issues and approaches, as variances. Also it is important, when the researchers choose these variances; they should know that the correlations among variances based on the principle components. These last one can select variances into different components, which mostly can explain the role and importance of each variance.

scholarly journals Reliance on long-term care as a “new” social risk in national and EU law

2020 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 87-101
Author(s):  
Grega Strban ◽  
Sara Bagari
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
Term Care ◽  
The Social ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
The Eu

There have always been people who cannot take care of their daily needs and are reliant on care. However, due to higher life expectancy and low birth rates, changes in lifestyle and increased mobility, reliance on long-term care is becoming a general risk in life. Therefore, it must be provided with social protection. In this respect, the criteria for shaping the (new) social risk of reliance on long-term care are also fulfilled. Although different benefits are already provided within different parts of the social security system, the paper discusses that the best option is to define reliance on long-term care as an independent social risk. Furthermore, we must ensure that providing long-term care will not turn out to be a double social risk. The issue has to be addressed at the national and at the EU level.

scholarly journals Brexit and the Reshaping of British Electoral Politics

2019 ◽  
pp. 163-187
Author(s):  
Edward Fieldhouse ◽  
Jane Green ◽  
Geoffrey Evans ◽  
Jonathan Mellon ◽  
Christopher Prosser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Electoral Politics ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
The Social ◽  
Party Support ◽  
Demographic Patterns ◽  
First Time ◽  
Fundamental Shift ◽  
The Eu

In this chapter we show how the vote to leave the EU in 2017 brought about a return to two-party politics and a fundamental shift in the social and geographical alignment of party support. Electoral competition between the two main parties previously dominated by concerns relating to redistribution, taxation, and an emphasis on the free market versus social protection now also focused almost equally on the EU, immigration, and liberal–authoritarian values. For the first time in modern history, economic left–right competition between Labour and the Conservatives was accompanied by a commensurate emphasis on a second cultural, or social, dimension of politics. This was also reflected in changes in the demographic patterns of party support, especially age and education.

scholarly journals How the global economy reflected the year of the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 129 ◽  
pp. 01014
Author(s):  
Vladislav Kaputa ◽  
Frederik Kvočák ◽  
Miroslava Triznová ◽  
Andrej Tomić ◽  
Hana Maťová
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Data Comparison ◽  
The Social ◽  
Macroeconomic Indicators ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Reduced Mobility ◽  
The Impact

Research background: The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 had a significant impact on all aspects of life, from the point of view of the individual by forcing social isolation, moving work and study to the home, enormous pressure on the social and health system, but also by forcing closures of services and direct contact with customers. These, as well as other factors, have also had an impact on the performance of economies around the world. Purpose of the article: The paper aims to evaluate the development of the world's major economies in terms of macroeconomic indicators and foreign trade in the pandemic period and previous periods. The social and environmental aspects of the impact of the pandemic on selected economies are also reflected. Methods: Analysis of the main macroeconomic data, comparison and synthesis of findings. Findings & Value added: The interdependence of economies and interconnectedness of markets on transport routes associated with reduced mobility, forced isolation of people and death of economic activity had a significant impact on all the observed indicators, where a significant decline in GDP could be observed in all countries except China. This country was the only one that managed to keep GDP growth in positive numbers. Unemployment development was not equal in the observed economies due to different labour market environment. On the contrary, the environment has benefited in some way.

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