10 eucssspecial TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011 CHINA DAILY LOCAL MOVES A joint program of the European Union The project has helped Hunan improve and China concerned with social security its pension application procedures and modernization has had some beneficial develop a secure pension information sys- results and has provided good experience tem that allows it to increase e�ciency. in reforming China’s system. The project has also helped promote The EU-China Social Security Project care for the elderly, and thanks to the (EUCSS) has been conducted in Beijing experts’ help, the province has developed and five provinces, as follows: specific application requirements for pension funds, which is useful in avoiding fraudulent claims. Launch ceremony for Jilin pilot project. Jilin EUCSS team during their overseas visit. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY This northeastern province had about Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Yin Weimin meeting with the EU Ambassador to China Markus Ederer in Beijing. one-third of the EUCSS projects, mainly Shandong focused on building systemic capacity, The province’s EUCSS o�ce provided province-level management of pension training materials on managing a social funds, pensions designed for rural people security system and on care for senior who have lost their land, medical informa- citizens. tion systems, medical insurance, and work It organized training programs to better Five-year joint project injury recovery. explain pensions, medical care, and unem- During the second stage of EUCSS, ployment insurance. It also held seminars between 2008 and 2011, there were more that focused on limiting work injuries and than 60 training lessons, seminars, per- occupational disease prevention, in Jinan, formance evaluations and lectures, with the capital of Shandong. approaching the finish around 5,200 participants. EUCSS experts provided suggestions on There were more than 40 experts and Qingdao’s rural pension system. scholars taking part in these events, about half of them from the EU. They helped the authorities compile at least six books on social security policies with an air of success and regulations and operation procedures. NUMBERS OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS 20,000 participants in IN CAPACITY BUILDING EVENTS administrative capacity, 6,000 6,000 5,000 European o�cial visits a Gansu province policy exchange programs 5,000 o�ce to gain further information. Gansu By LIU YUTONG tion to social careering of the 4,000 EU expert talks with Beijing city social The provincial EUCSS project dealt with pensioners. 3,000 3,000 security o�cials. improving social security operations, man- With the closing ceremony ere were 360 social secu- 3,000 aging medical insurance, and post-injury and information dissemina- rity policy makers and experts 2,000 Beijing rehabilitation. tion workshop on July 5, the from EU countries participat- 2,000 The city has had close cooperation with Authorities have arranged 11 training programs for 3,061 people, nearly all the EU-China Social Security ing in EU-China Round Table 1,000 the EUCSS team and its experts and they Project (EUCSS) is about to series, covering such policy 1,000 drew up a temporary regulation on apply- sta� involved in the province’s social secu- wrap up all its activities before issues as aging population and ing for social security. rity work. With the help of EUCSS experts, the end of July this year. social security legislation. 0 Afterwards European experts were the province’s social security system was 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 substantially improved, especially in its file As a focused project on social asked to do a thorough study on fraudu- management and old people’s pensions in security and a high priority in Policy advice Source: EU-China Social Security Project ZHOUYANG / CHINA DAILY lent social security claims and the experts gave suggestions and insights into improv- rural areas. both China and EU member Excellent research results They also helped increased exchange countries, it has become a have been achieved in the ground of dynamic economic of social insurance adminis- ing the regulation. Revised regulations were implemented with other regions, with some of Gansu’s great example of EU-China areas of pension benefiting change, the EUCSS project tration standards and proce- in September 2010. social security sta� visiting other prov- cooperation. both urban and rural residents, has supported the Chinese dures, more and more social The city government improved policies inces or even going abroad to learn from Launched in 2006 by the and health, unemployment government in its endeavor insurance participants as and regulations on pensions, medical others’ experiences. European Union and the and work injury insurance to establish a sustainable social well as employers will benefit insurance, and unemployment insur- Chinese government with 40 schemes. security system. from the extension of social ance and compiled manual that clarified million euros ($57.2 million) e project has held a series “Now, our Social Security insurance coverage and the social security details, with the help of EU in joint funding, the EUCSS of Social Insurance Legisla- Dialogue has to become more improvement of social insur- experts. has supported China’s social tion Consultation seminars than just a dialogue, as social ance procedures. The experts have given lectures to security legislation and capac- to advice Chinese legislators, security is an important and people involved in social security work to ity building initiatives as well as regulators and administra- strategic component of the New bridge improve their understanding and profes- policy dialogue between China tors on Social Insurance Law, prosperity of both the EU and e EUCSS has also served sional skills. and EU member countries. the development of health China in a globalized world. as a platform linking EU and Minister of Human insurance manual, analysis “We are now close to enter- Chinese social insurance Resources and Social Security of training needs, best social ing a new era and must turn administrators for the shar- Local o�cial talking with the elderly. Yin Weimin said: “e China- insurance practice package, the page and move towards a ing of both experiences and EU program played a positive standard procedures of social different and more ambitious lessons. Sichuan role in the cultivation of talent insurance service. partnership, with higher com- Dialogue has become a key The EUCSS o�ce has been here since with a global vision, in the EUCSS has also organized mitments, but above all: with feature of the project for the 2008, and has emphasized the care of understanding and learning workshops to support the Min- higher stakes.” improvement of social secu- retirees and social security access in rural areas. of EU experience and in the istry of Human Resources and rity system in China and EU Chinese and European experts discuss ways One seminar specially designed for retir- promotion of China’s security Social Security in its prepared- Capacity building member countries in a global- to improve operations. system construction.” ness for the implementation of e project has been fruit- ized world. ees in the city of Zigong, in March 2010, There are 20,000 Chinese the new Social Insurance Law, ful in transferring available During the project, the Hunan attracted representatives of 21 cities and participants taking part in which took effect on July 1. international know-how and European Commission and the The EUCSS has explained standard- counties. And four other meetings were a series of social insurance “Our project is a great exam- expertise to improve qual- Ministry of Human Resources ized operation procedures and the care of held in the cities of Luzhou, Guanghan, Nanchong and Dazhou, from July 2010 to capacity building activities, ple of EU-China cooperation,” ity and performance of the and Social Security decided to elderly people. June 2011 to spread the use of a retiree- ranging from urban employ- said EU Ambassador to China founded projects at national keep this initiative and entered The local EUCSS o�ce organized 18 seminars, performance appraisals and designed service package. ees pension insurance to rural Markus Ederer. and provincial levels. into an agreement. These e�orts help to standardize ser- residents pension insurance, “It has been highly sig- With the development of The dialogue on human training programs, during the second phase of the project, with more than 1,900 vices for retirees and improve the lives of from health insurance to work nificant in the overall strategic social insurance administrative resources and social security locals. injury insurance, from social partnership between the EU procedures, the strengthening has become institutionalized participants. insurance service standardiza- and China. Against the back- of social care, the introduction on annual basis. Making an e�ort to overhaul the social security system Editor’s note: As the five-year wide pool it would be much As the new rural scheme across a wide range of topics guarantees accessible, adequate China-EU Social Security easier to balance strengths develops and becomes attrac- in the field of social security, and affordable social security Reform Cooperation Project and weaknesses. In provincial tive to farmers, the govern- including medical and old age benefits to all Chinese citizens. (EUCSS) plays an active role in level pools you can balance ment may consider making insurance, work injury and As such, the EUCSS project advancing the country’s reforms differences between richer participation compulsory. unemployment insurance has contributed to both policy in social security system, Mat- and poorer municipalities. as well as social care (e.g. for development — particularly thias Reusing, second secretary, Raised pooling levels would How many training pro- elderly people) and fund man- the new Social Insurance Law Co-operation Section of the EU also facilitate the treatment of grams has the EUCSS project agement.