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Country Luxembourg

National EMIN Conference Report Guaranteed minimum income as a Tool to fight

Poverty ?

Nathalie Georges & Robert Urbé – Caritas Luxembourg

Date: Wednesday, 1 October 2014 Tender N° VT/2011/100 Pilot project – Social solidarity for social integration

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1. Conference Program1

At first, Christine Mayer the Economic Chief of the European Commission’s Representation in

Luxembourg, made an introduction about fighting poverty in the UE and underlined the importance and

relevance of such a European Minimum Income Network.

Anne Van Lancker, EMIN policy coordinator, described the EMIN project in detail and presented the EU

roadmap towards progressive realization of adequate and accessible Minimum Income Schemes.

Jonathan Devillers, Expert by experience of the Belgian Anti-Poverty Network (BAPN), then presented the

situation of the minimum income in Belgium.

After this international perspective, Marianne Loutsch pointed out occupational trajectories of the

guaranteed minimum income (RMG) beneficiaries in Luxemburg. She has highlighted 8 different profiles

with a common denominator: to live with the Minimum Income in Luxembourg.

Nathalie Georges shared a Caritas in-house analysis about the Luxembourg system of the guaranteed

minimum income and its possible perverse effects towards people concerned by the law and its

application. Some proposals to improve the situation were made by NGOs.

To conclude the presentations, Anne Franziskus, Research Officer in the national statistical institute of

Luxembourg (STATEC), presented the concept of Reference Budgets. The challenge is to define, as far as

Luxembourg is concerned, a list of goods and services, together with their costs, that a family of a specified

size and composition would need to live at a designated level of well-being.

After each presentation, the assistance had the possibility to ask questions and to launch debates. Some

interventions were very relevant and promised will need further in depth research. At the end of this

conference, the need of working further together (NGOs, social workers, Ministries…) was made perfectly

clear.

For further details, please download the presentations (french versions only):

Anne Van Lancker (EMIN): Feuille de route européenne vers la réalisation progressive de systèmes de revenu minimum accessibles et décents

Jonathan Devillers (BAPN): Les seuils en Belgique pour un revenu minimum adéquat et accessible

Marianne Loutsch(IGSS) : Les trajectoires professionnelles des bénéficiaires du dispositif RMG

Nathalie Georges (Caritas) : Revenu minimum garanti au Luxembourg : Analyse et propositions

1 See appendix (only in French)

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Anne Franziskus (Statec) : Un budget de référence pour le Luxembourg : quel minimum pour un niveau de vie décent ?

2. Participants

The conference was held on the 1st October 2014 in Luxembourg City and welcomed 95 participants.

All the participants had different backgrounds:

NGOs and other social associations or organizations 34

Public social offices (regional or local) 21

Ministries 14

Research Institutions 8

Hospitals and Health Centers 7

National Employment Agency 3

Schools 3

UE/EMIN 3

Others 2

3. Some conclusions

Some statements have been made following the presentations, questions/answers and debates:

The RMG law and its dispositions are not a sufficient tool to fight poverty and social exclusion.

However, the situation might be worse. The law has to be reformed and needs some

amendments.

Housing is the largest item of expenditures and needs to be treated apart from the minimum

income.

Luxemburg has to develop a reference budget and to promote the approach “low cost but

acceptable”.

Collaboration between varieties of partners is an absolute precondition to achieve the building of

a broad efficient system to fight poverty and social exclusion in Luxembourg.

4. Dissemination and communication

Several media reported on the event:

The « Woxx »: http://www.woxx.lu/id_article/7660

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Paperjam: http://paperjam.lu/news/rmg-caritas-reclame-un-peu-plus-de-flexibilite

RTL Radio

To listen or read: http://www.rtl.lu/letzebuerg/571533.html

A video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiPJ6PbdwD0

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Several pictures:

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5. Appendix : The Program of the Conference