Social protections in Europe are too generous. Discuss Essay - 1

Social protections in Europe are too generous. Discuss - Essay Example ed in a context characterized by high economic growth, low employment, strong national states, and limited international competition faced by domestic firms. These social protection systems also generated high levels of expenditure, which weighed heavily on public budgets. High levels of public expenditures on social protection had their roots in decisions made to create and extend public programmes in the field of education, health, old age and other areas. Basically overall level of social expenditures in motivating reforms is the way in which these expenditures are distributed among the population (Lynch, 2001). The forces of globalization and technological progress also affect social protection. While both of these factors have improved economic efficiency and living standards, they have also increased cost- competitions among firms, and generated pressures to reduce the cost of social protection. The various national systems of social protection are deeply rooted in the member s tates of the European union. Social convergence with the EU has since long been an important goal. In accordance with the European council Decision establishing the social protection committee, it acts as a forum for exchange regarding policy developments in respect of achievement of four objectives endorsed by the council to enhance policy cooperation in the area of social protection, namely: to make work pay and provide secure income; to make pension safe and pension systems sustainable; to promote social inclusion; to ensure high quality and sustainable health care. Series of mandates have been handed down by the European Council Progress has not been achieved at the same rate across the different policy branches. Progress has been strongest in the domain of social inclusion with the submission of national action plans by the member states in June 2001. A similar stage should have been reached in respect of national pension strategy reports in which the social protection committe e