madam president i participate in this debate as the employment committee rapporteur on the future of social services of general interest
this oral question seeks to establish from the commission what proposals it has to address a serious problem in relation to the delivery of social housing for citizens
i regret that the commissioner did not indicate any such proposals rather than seek to justify the existing system
there is a persistent refusal by the commission to come to terms with the need to create legal clarity and flexibility for member sates with regard not only to the delivery of existing public services and particularly social services but also to meeting new social needs
we must be able not only to provide citizens with a safety net in times of need but also to provide a robust social framework which serves all citizens
health housing and education are services which should obviously be provided on a universal basis and not simply at the whim of the market
that the market is incapable of delivering universality on the basis of equality and equal quality in these areas is self-evident
these are all services which reach beyond the profit motive and deliver social value which cannot be accounted for by a profit-and-loss balance sheet
they are also as it happens needed to create a solid basis for a modern economy
the present legal inadequacy with regard to what governments at both national and local level may do in the delivery of services identified as essential to the well-being of society cannot be allowed to continue much longer
