EISS Conference 2004
| DOI | 10.1177/138826270300500405 |
| Published date | 01 December 2003 |
| Date | 01 December 2003 |
| Subject Matter | EISS News |
EISS Conference 2004
Federalism and Subsidiarity in Social Security
Rome, 23-26 September 2004
The EISS 2004 conference will deal with some important aspects of the
organisation of responsibility for social protection. First there is the question
of the level of government (European, State, Regional or Local Authority) at
which social security should be organised and how the various levels should
be linked to each other. This raises issues of federalism and vertical
subsidiarity. Second there is the issue of horizontal subsidiarity. Should
responsibility for protection against social risks be left to individuals and
families, or should it be dealt with by social organisations, like trade unions,
and what role should commercial and non-profit insurance schemes play in
this context?
It is important to pay attention to the fact that subsidiarity has become one
of the key tests for EU competence in the social field. What are the precise
implications of the EU subsidiarity principle for social security? At the
national level, many countries have moved towards devolving more powers
and tasks in the social security field to lower-tier authorities. Can any
patterns be distinguished in these trends? The theory of ‘fiscal federalism’
has received some attention in recent years, especially from economists.
Others have developed the concept of ‘social federalism’. What can social
policy or economics tell us about the efficiency and solidarity perspectives
involved in social security organisation at various levels? What about the
apparently contradictory concept of economies of scale? These questions
can also be addressed to ‘horizontal subsidiarity’.
For more detailed information, please contact: Prof. Edoardo Ales,
University of Cassino, Italy; e-mail: sabi.edo@flashnet.it
EISS NE WS
European Journal of Social Security, Volume 5 (2003), No. 4 339
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