Book Review: The Social Security Systems for Self-Employed People in the Applicant EU Countries of Central and Eastern Europe
| Date | 01 September 2003 |
| Published date | 01 September 2003 |
| DOI | 10.1177/138826270300500308 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
272 Intersentia
Paul Schoukens,
The Social Security Systems for Self-Employed
People in the Applicant EU Countries of Central and Eastern
Europe
, (Social Europe Series, Vol. 5), Antwerp, Intersentia, 2002,
xviii + 239 pp., ISBN 90-5095-267-4
In this book Paul Schoukens deals with social security for self-employed
persons. As he points out, self-employed entrepreneurship was, and still is,
one of the key elements in the transformation from a planned to a free-
market economy. This raises an important question about social protection
for self-employed persons and their families. This issue concerns not only
the EU member states, but also the new candidate states. As there is little
information about social protection systems for self-employed persons,
especially in CEEC countries, this survey is timely. The book shows that there
is no ‘wild East’ as far as social security is concerned. There is only a period
of transition and reformation. Such reforms have also occurred in the EU
Member states.
The main part of the book consists of 10 country reports. These cover
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Romania, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia, the states which have started
negotiations regarding entry to the EU.
Each country report is divided into five parts as follows: I Concept: in this
part the concept of self-employed people is handled; II Structure of the
system: this part deals with the structure of the social security system in the
country concerned and also the problems of the position of the self-
employed in that system and discusses the personal scope and territorial
scope of the system. III Administration and financing: the third part deals
with issues concerning the administration of the social security system in
general and particularly where they concern the position of self-employed
people. It also discusses differences in methods of finance. IV The benefits:
The fourth part of the report discusses different risks and benefits and forms
the main part of the chapter. Most attention is paid to the pension system,
especially to old age and survival pensions. Other types of benefits are dealt
with quite briefly by pointing out their main characteristics as they relate to
self-employed people. There is no special section for social assistance, as
there are usually no special conditions for self-employed persons in these
schemes. V Comparison with the social security system for wage-earners. The
last part deals with the main differences between social security provisions
for the self-employed and for wage earners. Two problems are discussed
here: the way the system is financed and the benefits that are payable.
The country reports describe the situation as it is prescribed in law. There is
no overview of the historical development of social security provisions or of
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