What should the EU's headline priorities be for the next five years?
The European Social Insurance Platform (ESIP), presented in June 2023 already, a detailed Memorandum with recommendations for action for the new European legislature 2024-2029. The Memorandum is the result of lengthy deliberations amongst our Members aspiring to have recommendations which are actionable and guided by the operational needs of ESIP's institutions which strive to serve the interests and meet the needs of millions of insured.
ESIP represents 46 national statutory social insurance organisations in 18 EU Member States and Switzerland, active in all social security branches and delivering social security benefits to over 385 million European citizens. ESIP and its members aim to preserve high-profile social security for Europe, reinforce solidarity-based social insurance systems and maintain European social protection.
With this Memorandum, statutory social security institutions outline concrete actions to be undertaken by EU decision-makers and Parliamentarians in order to meet the needs of the millions of insured citizens across Europe. ESIP reiterates once again the importance of mainstreaming social protection as a strong and resilient component of European societies and as a way to safeguard solidarity. It serves as a reminder of the critical need to increase collaboration among social security institutions, as we can no longer encourage workers to work anywhere in the EU without ensuring their legal social protection. Learning the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, priority should be given to guaranteeing affordable and high-quality healthcare for all EU patients, while simultaneously focusing on prevention in all aspects of life including in the workplace.
The Memorandum addresses the challenges that the new EU legislature will face. The responses to such challenges are identified by ESIP and its constituency, stemming from the unparalleled expertise and experience that social security institutions have. Fighting climate change is and should remain a primary priority for the EU, as it is for our Members. Our institutions' on-the-ground experience has shown how critical it is to keep people's needs while addressing climate policies at the highest levels. ESIP’s Members additionally underline the importance of quicker, fit-for-purpose digitalization. Long-term planning is required to ensure the system's viability and sustainability in the face of changing demographic contexts. Finally, sustainable financing of the welfare state is critical for ensuring strong social protection for all.
Download here the Memorandum adopted by the ESIP General Assembly in June 2023.