CONFPROFESSIONI AND ITS PARTNERS CONCLUDED THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT

The first phase of the project Mutuus has come to an end. This phase, conceived as a preparatory stage, aimed at studying social protection schemes delivered by European social partners and addressed to the self-employed. This study should set a basis for future actions, by creating the knowledge framework in the area of social protection for the professional self-employed (PSE) and reaching a joint opinion. This work has been led by the coordinator, the Italian Confederation of Liberal Professionals, which in the first place drafted a feasibility study on the extension of social protection to the self-employed. The feasibility study focuses on target population and types of benefits to be included and comprises two parts: a study on the extension of social security schemes and an analysis on social protection schemes for professional self-employed delivered by social partners. Then, representatives of all partners advanced the implementation of the project in the form of the so-called Committee on the extension of social protection to the PSE, which – in the course of four remote meetings – reviewed the feasibility study and finally achieved a joint opinion, which defines the need for social protection at national level and existing social protection schemes, and their coverage gaps. The reference for all actions was the Council Recommendation on access to social protection for all workers and the self-employed, which among others recalled the commitment of social partners to continue contributing to a Europe that delivers for its workers and enterprises. In the next phase, seminars will be organised in the countries involved in the project.