Social security systems and demographic developments in agriculture in the CEE candidate countries

The assessment report "Social security systems and demographic developments in agriculture in the CEE candidate countries" by the Network of Independent Experts in the CEE Candidate Countries and the Institute for Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO) has been published today. It provides an overview of the agricultural social security systems and their impact on agrarian structural change. The report shows that social security arrangements for agricultural workers in the Accession and Candidate Countries are generally integrated into the overall social security system, with the existence of specific schemes for agriculture. However, a large number of farmers are not covered adequately, which is also a reflection of the general level of social security that is still under transformation in these countries. The low levels of social security in some countries accentuate the significance of the subsistence agriculture to importantly contribute to the livelihood of unemployed and pensioners. Most experts contributing to the report share the view that current social security arrangements have little impact on demographic developments or structural change in the market oriented agricultural sectors in those countries. Encouragement to farmers to take up early retirement through incentives in the social security system might be an alternative, provided it led to an accelerated restructuring of the sector. As in current Member States reforms of the social security systems are under way with a view to stabilising the finances of the social security system and reducing the size of the state budget contribution. The full text of the report is available on the internet at : http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/reports/ccsocialsec/index_en.htm