SOCIAL OPEN METHOD OF CO-ORDINATION
from Carmel Mallia

This is a process in which Member States agree to co-ordinate their policies through exchanges and mutual learning. It is applied in policy areas where the EU has limited competences according to the EU Treaties but where Member States feel that there is an added value in working together at EU level.

The new streamlined OMC on Social Inclusion and Social Protection is aimed at helping member states achieve the overarching objectives and agreed to extend OMC in the field of Health and Health Care. The aim was twofold: to create a stronger process and to integrate it better with the EU growth and jobs objectives (the so-called – revised Lisbon Strategy.

The streamlined OMC covers three specific strands:
Eradication of poverty and social exclusion
Adequate and Sustainable pensions
Accessible, high quality and sustainable health and long term care.

The OMC is a tool by which Member States agree on specific objectives and targets that they want to achieve for each policy strand.
Each year they report briefly to the Commission about how they moved forward in their objectives. Then, once every three years they are asked to send more substantive reports to the Commission on all 3 strands. Every year a Joint Report on Social Protection and social inclusion is issued.

According to OMC process, civil society organisations, such as older people’s Organisations, are supposed to be consulted by their ministry in every phase of the process, that is, from the development of the national policies, to the monitoring of their implementation. Representative older people’s organisations should also be consulted by their government when they are drafting the report that is sent to the European Commission. Well, this is the theory. Unfortunately the reality is quite different in almost all Member States. Reports are drafted by civil servants with no consultation with civil society.

ACTIVE AGEING STRATEGIES TO STRENGHTEN SOCIAL INCLUSION.
The Commission has made recommendations to member states on how marginalized people can be re-integrated into the labour market in order to meet the Lisbon target of eradicating poverty. It proposes a long range of active inclusion policies which ain at enabling marginalized persons to build skills, raise their potential, integrate into labour market and therefore raise their level of income.

The Commission calls for a renewed commitment to social justice to proposing a new holistic approach to tackling poverty and promoting inclusion of people who are furthest from labour market. In order to ensure that disadvantaged people are integrated in the job market on a long term basis a more strategic approach is needed. First they should be supported with sufficient resources and individualized employment to help them participate in society and become more employable. Once in employment, job retention should be promoted to avoid a succession of periods of alternating work and unemployment.

The new strategy of ‘active inclusion’ is a key element of the European Social Model and the Commission is proposing to deepen social policy co-operation at EU level by adopting a set of common principles.

ISSUES OF SOCIAL INCLUSION THAT NEEDS ATTENTION

INCOME SECURITY
According to recent statistics, in Malta, in the 65+ cohort, the percentage of those at risk of poverty went up by 5% (from 16% to 21%) between 2006 and 2008.
The reasons are low income from pensions; drastic fall in interest rates, introduction of the euro, inflation, purchase of services (professional, mechanical, maintenance etc.); medicine, energy rates and so on. The purchasing power of old people is being eroded on a regular basis.

The National Minimum Wage is Euros 142.39 per week. The National Minimum Pension at full rate for a married couple is 114 per week and 95 per week for a single person. Added to this income the pensioner is entitled also to an added bonus of 162 Euros per annum which is paid four weekly and the Yearly Bonus of 270 Euros paid in June and December of each year. As a priority our parliamentarians as well our representatives in the European Parliament should work both local and European level to form standards and mechanisms to establish a decent Minimum Income say (either 60% of the median income or 60% of the average income). This measure will be a safety net against the risk of poverty problem and guarantee a decent quality of life for everybody.

EMPLOYMENT
Create opportunities for old people to remain in employment as long as possible. Do away with mandatory retirement attached to age factor only. In the future retirement should be flexible and on a voluntary basis.

LIFE LONG LEARNING
In view of flexibility on the place of work and jobs mobility provides opportunities and training for the 50+ so that it is easier for the worker to remain in employment.

CAREERS
There is an urgent need for professional carers. For the state it is economical to keep old people in their home as long as possible. Members of the family who take care of relatives should be compensated especially if they leave their place of work.

LONLINESS AND ABUSE
When old people are lonely they feel depressed for various reasons. In these circumstances they are more vulnerable for exploitation and abuse. There should be a collective effort between, the state, through Local Councils, the Parish Priest and voluntary Organizations to create a mechanism to make contacts by telephone, visits and other form of support to make them feel that they are still a part of our society.

HEALTH
There is a need to stop discrimination of old people in this area, especially when they need medical or orthopaedic interventions. Those who afford can go to Private Hospitals. The rest have to wait for long periods (3 to 4 Years) to be operated on in the state Hospital.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Thousands of old people cannot participate in these activities due to financial constraints There should be special and affordable prices to encourage these people to attend.

TRAVELLING - INSURANCE - BANKS.
Due to age factor old people face discrimination when they travel abroad For example a 75 year old person cannot hire a car. It is difficult to get a personal insurance from Insurance Companies. When it comes to loans from Banks old people face problems. All these measures exclude old people from society.

INFORMATION TECH
It is important to create an awareness campaign and teach I.T. to old people. They can feel more inclusive in society from their own home. Through the computer they can manage their affairs in many areas. However, they should be informed and made aware of fraudulent activities carried out by irresponsible intruders. Companies dealing with software should be encouraged to design their product in a manner that will avoid complications and be as much as possible user friendly.

AGE – THE EUROPEAN OLDER PEOPLE’S PLATFORM - BRUSSELS
(www.age-platform.org email info@age-platform.org)

With the participation and contribution of its member organizations (including the National Association of Pensioners and The National Council for the Elderly – MALTA) AGE presented a research on the involvement of older people’s in the Social O.M.C. in the areas of Social Protection and Social Inclusion. This document is about the streamlining of OMC. The three strands are Social Inc., Health and Long Term Care and Pensions.

There is information about AGE member organizations of older people and their mission as Service Providers, Research Group and as a volunteer Associations. Their main activities are in the area of providing information, political lobby, cultural and very important as service providers. The Organizations work in policy areas such as Social Inc., Pensions, Health and Long term Care. From the research it resulted that contacts with ministries is minimal (one to two per year). Worst still it is a fact that contacts with Employers’ Organizations and Trade Unions are negligible. There is also a problem about contacts with Social and Economic Committees. Furthermore it has been established that organizations are mostly consulted on social Inclusion issues, sometimes on pensions but never consulted for health and long term care issues.

From the above picture it clearly transpired that there is a need, without further delay, to improve, to strengthen the networking system and there should be more cooperation between organizations of older people. There is a lack of independent studies and transparency. Government statistics/findings are being criticised for not being analysed in the most objective way and not being always and fully available to the public.