Social Inclusion

The EU Social Agenda is based on EU 2020 growth Strategy, initiated in 2010 with the aim of the EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The Social Inclusion Process comprises a set of tools that can help Member States to improve their policies on reducing poverty and reducing social exclusion.

European Union social policy aims to:

  • promote employment,
  • improve living and working conditions,
  • ensure an appropriate level of social protection,
  • facilitate dialogue with social partners,
  • develop human resources so as to ensure a high and sustainable employment level, and
  • adopt measures to combat exclusion.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina short-term priorities include:

  • to modernise the social protection system, particularly for families with children, pensioners and persons with disabilities. The object is to uphold a basic level of rights for citizens throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina;
  • to ensure access to health protection through provision of basic health services for all citizens;
  • to improve budget planning for all agencies responsible for social cohesion, ensuring minimum income for vulnerable citizens;
  • to coordinate and upgrade child protection throughout the country;
  • to established efficient and harmonised labour policies and unemployment relief; and
  • to ensure that returnees are able to reintegrate and access social services to which they are entitled.

Between 1996 and 2004, around 30, 000 housing units were renovated with the EU financial resources, ca 4, 500 jobs were created, and ca 1, 128 technical infrastructure projects were implemented in the amount of ca 0.5 Billion EUR.

Currently, the EU support in this area focuses on capacity building of responsible institutions, improving the living conditions for the most vulnerable including children, women, and people with disabilities, as well as financing the Roma Action Plan targeting housing, employment, education, and health.



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