Access to social protection
A EC proposal for a Council Recommendation based on a FGB study on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed
As part of the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed. The proposal was drafted on the ground of analytical work, among the materials produced for a better understanding and policy development there is the FGB study Access to social protection for all forms of employment.
The objective is to support people in non-standard forms of employment and self-employment who, due to their employment status, are not sufficiently covered by social security schemes and thus are exposed to higher economic uncertainty.
Through a proposal for a Council Recommendation, the Commission aims to encourage EU countries to:
- allow non-standard workers and the self-employed to adhere to social security schemes (closing formal coverage gaps).
- take measures allowing them to build up and take up adequate social benefits as members of a scheme (adequate effective coverage) and facilitating the transfer of social security benefits between schemes.
- increase transparency regarding social security systems and rights.
The proposal covers social security schemes for unemployment, sickness and healthcare, maternity or paternity, accidents at work and occupational diseases, disability and old age.
