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1. Governance

2. Cross-sectorial cooperation

Governance

In Poland, issues related to the area of social exclusion remain the domain of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy (Ministerstwo Rodziny i Polityki Społecznej). As mentioned in Section 4.1 (General context), Polish legislation does not generally distinguish between issues of social exclusion according to the age criterion, so issues related to youth exclusion are dispersed across various departments of the ministry. Its flagship social project, “Family 500+” (Rodzina 500+) (described in Section 4.6 Access to Quality Services), is implemented by the Department of Family Benefits, which also handles other activities aimed at the family (such as the Large Family Card (Karta Dużej Rodziny), including youth aged 13 to 18. Other departments of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy which are responsible for those issued include the Labour Market Department (overseeing the “Youth Guarantee” Initiative (Gwarancje dla Młodzieży) dedicated to supporting young people in the labour market – described in Section 4.7), and, indirectly, the Department of Social Assistance and Integration, the Department of Social Economy,, and the Department for ESF Implementation. The Ministry has no department focusing on youth issues (although the age criterion, as a way of organising issues, is present in relation to the oldest generation, as evidenced by the existence of the Department of Senior Policy). With regards to counteracting social exclusion, bureaus of plenipotentiaries for disabled rights (Pełnomocnik Rządu do Spraw Osób Niepełnosprawnych) and for equal treatment (Pełnomocnik Rządu do Spraw Równego Traktowania) exist within the ministry.

To a certain specific extent, youth matters are also handled by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (e.g. it manages the “Youth Employment Initiative” and provides funds for its implementation, monitors ESF spending under the “Youth Guarantee” Initiative and spending under the “Youth Employment Initiative”), and also by the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism in their respective areas.

Cross-sectorial cooperation

Public policies developed by individual departments of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy are subject to internal consultations (within the ministry), inter-ministerial consultations and (to some extent) are debated by the Council for Social Dialogue (Rada Dialogu Społecznego) – a body set up in 2015 to replace the Tripartite Commission for Economic and Social Affairs. The Council for Social Dialogue is the venue of dialogue between the government, employers’ organisations and trade unions. It passes judgement on legislative bills which fall within the statutory activity of the Council, and it may propose legislative bills itself. The Council for Social Dialogue is responsible for the tasks set out in the five different statutory acts, regarding remuneration in the public service sector, minimum remuneration for work, social security, pensions and disability benefits from the Social Insurance Fund, and family benefits. The main areas of action (and, therefore, of consultations) of the Council for Social Dialogue are issues of the labour market, employment and selected areas of social security and social exclusion, but, again, without a separate focus on youth issues. The regional counterparts of the Council for Social Dialogue are the Provincial Councils for Social Dialogue (Wojewódzkie Rady Dialogu Społecznego).