Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Proposal for the Joint Report on social protection and social inclusion 2008

The European Commission adopted on 30th January 2008 the proposal for a Joint Report on social protection and social inclusion This fourth Report examines more in depth a set of themes identified in the previous year's edition:

Child poverty

Health inequalities, access to health care and evolving long-term care needs

Longer working lives and privately managed pensions.

The report also outlines envisaged improvements of the working methods of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on social protection and social inclusion which should further reinforce the efficiency of the process.

The Social Protection Committee discussed the proposal for Joint Report at its meeting on 5 February 2008 and transmitted it to the EPSCO Council on 29 February 2008 for adoption. It was then submitted to the Spring European Council to inform Heads of State and Government on the progress in the area of social protection and social inclusion.

European Commission: DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities: Social Protection Social Inclusion: Process: Joint Reports http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/joint_reports_en.htm

European Commission: DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities: News, 25.2.08: Reforms are paying off, but don't forget the most vulnerable – EU report http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/news/news_en.cfm?id=367

European Commission: SEC(2008)91: Accompanying document to COM(2008)42 final http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52008SC0091:EN:HTML

EUR-Lex: COM(2008)042: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2008:042:FIN

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