Closing event of EU-China Social Protection Reform Project held in Beijing

20.09.2019
Beijing

The Closing Event of the EU-China Social Protection Reform Project, a project financed by the European Union to the tune of  €6.7 million with co-financing from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, is taking place in Beijing on 20th September 2019 afternoon.

The project, which started in November 2014, had the overall objective of furthering social equity and inclusiveness of economic development throughout Chinese society, with the involvement of the following Chinese authorities: National Development Reform Commission (NDRC); Ministry of Finance (MoF); Ministry of Civil Affairs (MoCA).

A grant contract for implementing the action was awarded to a European consortium of public authorities specialized in the social protection field, led by the Italian Social Security Institution (INPS) and comprised of: Federal Public Service Social Security - Belgium, Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy - Poland, Ministry of Labour and Social Justice - Romania, Ministry of Employment and Social Security – Spain, Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas – Spain, Expertise France – France, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs - Czech Republic, SISPI Italia Previdenza S.p.A. - Italy.

The activities were arranged in three components aiming to achieve the following goals:

  • Component 1: Consolidating institutional capacity for social protection policy development and reform in collaboration with the NDRC;
  • Component 2: Enhancing the institutional capacity for financial management and supervision of the social security system in collaboration with the MoF;
  • Component 3: Improving the legal framework and policy enforcement for social assistance in collaboration with the MoCA.

During these 5 years, more than 150 European and Chinese experts were involved in training sessions, study visits, and workshops in Europe and China to share EU best practices and to deepen their applicability to the current Chinese scenario. Almost 300 papers were produced by experts with the goal of improving the Chinese welfare system.

This high-level event, preceded by an institutional dinner organized by the Italian Embassy to China, will see the participation of important Chinese and European stakeholders. The ceremony will open with a speech by the Ambassador of the European Union to China, Mr. Nicolas Chapuis. On behalf of the Project Leader, Ms. Gabriella Di Michele, Director General of Italian Social Security Institution (INPS) will take the floor. Next, Mr. Kazimierz Kuberski, Deputy Minister of the Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and Mr. Peter Samyn, President of the Board of Directors of the Belgian Federal Public Service of Social Security will speak on behalf of the consortium members.

From the Chinese authorities side there will be speeches from Ms. Chen Hongying, Division Director, Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce (MoFCOM); Ms. Tang Ling, Division Director, Department of Employment, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC); Mr. Fu Jinling, Director General, Department of Social Security, Ministry of Finance (MoF); and Mr. Liu Xitang, Director General, Department of Social Assistance, Ministry of Civil Affairs (MoCA).

All the speeches will highlight the project's significant success and the achievement of important results, which include  the development of a high-level policy dialogue between the EU Member States and the Chinese beneficiaries, as well as the production of a set of recommendations for each component of the Project.