Researching Social Services of General Interest: An Analytical Framework Derived from Underlying Policy Systems

Abstract

<jats:p>This paper discusses Social Services of General Interest, a political term of the European Union, which lies at the heart of the European Model of Society and Cohesion concepts. How and why is the organization and provision of services across Europe rooted in, and shaped by, the prevailing national constitutional components of social welfare and spatial planning systems? A high degree of interrelation between these two systems is confirmed and Social Services of General Interest are detected and conceptualized as a substantiation of components of both systems. In a concluding step, an analytical framework is introduced which enables us to research Social Services of General Interest from different angles for the purpose of deploying promising policy solutions.</jats:p>

Territorial cohesion under pressure? Welfare policy and planning responses in Austrian and Swedish Peripheries

“…This study is located in the policy realms of: (1) social models and welfare states; and (2) territorial cohesion and spatial planning. These two components are discussed separately in subsection 2.1 and later integrated, using services of general interest as a common substantiation (Humer, ). We finally arrive at a synthetic context, where we employ the ‘culturized planning model’ (Knieling & Othengrafen, , ) to help explain the comparative perspectives of changing policy and planning principles and aims.…”

“…Nadin and Stead () find a high degree of correspondence in European states between their various types of social models and spatial planning systems. Along this line, Humer () identifies services of general interest (SGI) as forming a common substantiation by way of the connecting policy stages of the strategic organization of SGI, the sectoral relative importance of SGI, and operational provision of SGI. In European law, the term Services of General Interest (SGI) comprises Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI) and Social Services of General Interest (SSGI).…”

“…Generally speaking, SGEI constitute, for example, infrastructure, transport, roads and network services (European Commission, ) that are subject to EU competition rules. SSGI follow the logic of the five welfare pillars – social benefits, education, health and care, housing, and labour market services (Humer, ). Unlike SGEI however, SSGI currently has no legally binding definition across Europe, in that it has no treaty basis and the member states cannot agree on its boundaries (Bauby, ).…”

Integrating regional development and planning into “spatial planning” in Finland: The untapped potential of the Kainuu experiment

“…However, if all issues are dealt with at the regional scale, as was the case in the Kainuu experiment, it becomes unclear why a strict separation must be enforced, especially since the provision of services in a sparsely populated area is without doubt an issue with a strong spatial dimension (see e.g. Humer 2014;MDI 2015). Although this is acknowledged in the region, the experiment has not brought about any willingness to make strategic choices related to the structure of the region (MDI 2015).…”

Questioning territorial cohesion: (Un)equal access to services of general interest

“…The crucial importance of SGI is documented by their prominent position within the debates on territorial cohesion (see e.g. Camagni ; ESPON , ; Humer ). Although SGI is not an official policy term, an appropriate combination of market and public services has “been at the core of the European integration process since its inception and remains the subject of a vigorous debate particularly in the EU‐related legal and political science circles” (ESPON , p. 8).…”