Its funding supports EU policies in three areas: employment, especially to fight youth unemployment (min. 20 %); social protection, social inclusion and the reduction and prevention of poverty (min. 50 %); and working conditions (min. 10 %).

18. Calls for the promotion of social integration and inclusion, in order to guarantee effective protection of fundamental human rights, and clear commitments to draw up EU and national policies to combat poverty and social exclusion; considers it necessary to ensure better access, on a universal basis, which is free from physical and communication barriers, to the labour market, public health services, education (from pre-school education to completion of undergraduate studies), vocational education and training, public housing, energy provision and social protection; takes the view that jobs should be high-quality and barrier-free wi ...[+++]th rights; believes that wages must be decent and that pensions must include a basic old-age allowance which ensures that people who have worked all their lives enjoy a dignified retirement; states that minimum income schemes for everyone must guarantee freedom from poverty and ensure social, cultural and political inclusion in keeping with national practices, collective bargaining and national legislation; notes, further, that in the long term the more the Member States invest in these various policies the less need there will be for a system based on a minimum household income; points out that such measures should be adopted in strict compliance with the principle of subsidiarity and with different practices, collective bargaining and national law in the Member States; takes the view that only in this way can each individual's right to participate in social, political and cultural life be guaranteed;

The Union should oblige Member States to set a social minimum.

Something about which I, together with some other fellow MEPs, have remonstrated, is that the Netherlands has added to this list of non-exportable rights a benefit intended for one-income families, in an attempt to prevent the family from falling below the social minimum, namely a benefit of EUR 200 a month.

(b) Law concerning the provision of supplements up to the relevant social minimum to recipients of benefits under the Unemployment Benefits Act, the Sickness Benefits Act, the Invalidity Insurance (Self-employed Persons) Act, the Invalidity Insurance (Young Disabled Persons) Act, the Invalidity Insurance Act and the Military Personnel Invalidity Insurance Act (Toeslagenwet, 6 November 1986).

(b) Law concerning the provision of supplements up to the relevant social minimum to recipients of benefits under the Unemployment Benefits Act, the Sickness Benefits Act, the Invalidity Insurance (Self-employed Persons) Act, the Invalidity Insurance (Young Disabled Persons) Act, the Invalidity Insurance Act and the Military Personnel Invalidity Insurance Act (Toeslagenwet, 6 November 1986).