Social economy: policy taking right direction but still need for clarification
SERV is pleased with the priority for creation of as much jobs as possible for vulnerable persons with poor job prospects in the policy note Social Economy. SERV formulates some essential areas of concern in the chapter on the strategic and operational objectives. Most important for SERV is the need for clarification in the implementing of the regulation on tailor made work in case of collective integration and in the local ser-vices economy.
Environment: SERV supports the headlines of the policy note
SERV agrees with the headlines of the policy note Environment and welcomes the op-tion for one global policy note Environment instead of 3 separate pillars Environment, Nature and Spatial Planning. SERV is positive about the many excellent intentions ex-pressed in the policy note. SERV remarks that the chapter on environmental policy is much more developed compared to the one on spatial planning. SERV regrets that climate and its link to energy and mobility is underdeveloped.
Poverty reduction: SERV asks for a broad and concrete implementation of the policy tackling poverty
Social partners point at the horizontal characteristics of the poverty reduction policy assigning to each minister the responsibility to set objectives and develop initiatives in his/her policy field to tackle poverty..
The policy note is setting the broad framework whereas the concrete implementation is formulated in VAPA , the Flemish action plan for combating poverty. SERV requests putting VAPA on the agenda of VESOC, the tripartite Flemish social dialogue commit-tee. Meanwhile SERV actively supports the idea of a systematic benchmark of policy measures and its impact on people living in poverty.
Policy notes of the Flemish minister for Economy, Work and Innovation (EWI): SERV wants to engage proactively and asks for clarification on the budget
SERV formulates 10 reflections on the content of the policy note “Work?? concerning temporary work experience, the system of Learning and Working, activating, service vouchers and economic migration. On top of the concrete proposals social partners also comment on the policy process itself. SERV expresses the importance of commit-ting social partners in setting up and implementing the Flemish employment policy. This should be done by reinforcing the tripartite social dialogue in VESOC. Hence SERV claims a concrete multiannual program for VESOC and frequent monitoring and evaluation of the policy initiatives. SERV is missing plain information on budgets, ca-pacity, procedures, time paths and the consistency and cooperation with other policy fields.
According to SERV the proposed strategic and operational policy objectives on Econ-omy and Innovation need clear and precise budget framing. Social partners agree with the streamlining of the governance , the intermediate structures and the broad choices of support instruments. SERV finally wants to emphasize the importance of capacity development in the public sector, the further development of an active cluster policy, the PMV instruments, local social dialogue and preventive policy for enterprises.
Welfare, health care and family (WHF): SERV claims attention for legal security, evaluation and optimization of the Flemish Social Protection and childcare
SERV urges the minister and the department of Welfare, Healthcare and Family to se-cure the continuity of the actual services and benefits until the new policy measures are fully in force. SERV is worried an asks taking into account the impact on the users, families and institutions when drafting new governmental measures. SERV welcomes the plan of the Flemish government to stay in contact and dialogue with the relevant stakeholders. Social partners want to contribute in a constructive way to the further development of the Flemish social protection, the child care and the system of child allowances. The dialogue can take place in the appropriate institutions but social part-ners are evenly prepared to offer their services though others channels.
Energy: SERV pleads for complementing and reorienting policy choices
SERV welcomes the fact that many of its recommendations from a previous advice (July 2014) are integrated in the new policy note and approves many of the strategic and operational objectives of the government. However there are more important and urgent challenges as suggested by the minister in the policy note. Social partners therefore are pleading for a reorientation of some of the political options. For example in the energy savings in buildings, renewable energies and the energy infrastructure. SERV draws the attention to the energy cost for families, particularly for families in en-ergy poverty as well as to enterprises having to cope with international competition. SERV claims also a supplementary objective in the field of “governance?? of the energy policy making it possible to connect with other policy fields such as housing, spatial planning, economy, poverty…
Finance and budget: SERV welcomes performance budget
SERV supports the options of the Flemish government to implement the performance budgeting. Social partners however ask not to limit this budget choice to the orientation but also to take into account the final objectives as well as the moment in which these will be attained. This process should not taking longer as necessary.
Concerning the fiscal challenges SERV agrees that the “housing bonus?? should be adapted. The adjustments for new contracts is too drastic and will induce shock ef-fects. The housing bonus must be used in a intelligent way to better anticipate the qual-itative and quantitative needs related to the housing and living in the future and to guarantee the affordability of private houses.
Finally social partners appreciate the adjustment of the regulation concerning unoccu-pied industrial buildings.
Education: SERV doubts serious budget cuts
SERV is pleased with the ministers’ plans to organize dialogue with social partners and other stakeholders on some of the important education files. However SERV is con-cerned about the many challenges for the educational system in Flanders and fears that serious budget cuts could hinder effective approaches. Also SERV is convinced that learning trajectories need more attention as well as the reform of the secondary schools and the implementation of the dual system of Learning and Working. The adult education should be tackled in a long term perspective. The development of the Flem-ish Qualification Structure with the setting of professional and educational qualifications is of great importance. Finally realizing equal educational opportunities stays one of the important tasks for the Flemish schools and training centers and merits full political comprehension.