Enhancing Social Protection for Professional Self-Employed: Insights on the Role of Social Partners
The SP4SE (Social Protection for Self-Employed) project investigates social protection frameworks for self-employed individuals across EU Member States, particularly focusing on Professional Self-Employed (PSE)workers. It builds upon the European Pillar of Social Rights (2017) and the 2019 Council Recommendation on access to social protection, emphasising the role of social partners in shaping effective systems. The study highlights the fragmented and unequal protection for PSEs across the EU, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed systemic vulnerabilities.
The second phase of the project analyses seven diverse EU countries—Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, and Romania—to assess the real-world conditions of PSE workers and the role of representative organizations. Through interviews with experts, policymakers, and professional association leaders, the study explores how social partners contribute to protection governance, representation, and policy development.
A key finding is that well-organised professions, such as traditional liberal fields, benefit from structured social protection through professional funds or associations. In contrast, non-traditional or solo self-employed workers often lack representation, suffer limited access to benefits, and remain excluded from formal systems.
The report argues that empowering social partners is essential for developing equitable and effective social protection schemes. Public institutions at both national and EU levels must support structured dialogue with these actors. Ultimately, the project aims to promote harmonised, inclusive policies that improve the living and working conditions of all self-employed workers and ensure intergenerational renewal in essential professions across Europe.
Working Groups Report
The SP4SE project partners, led by Confprofessioni, have finalised the working group report, a document that summarises the key recommendations emerging from the discussion and analysis activities conducted during the project. The work focused on the social protection needs of self-employed workers and professionals, a topic that has become central in light of the critical issues that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. The recommendations are divided into three priority thematic areas: Support during health emergencies, with proposals for administrative simplification, payment moratoria, income support and mental health protection; Supplementary healthcare, focusing on accessibility, flexible insurance models, mental well-being and social dialogue; Income support, with the aim of ensuring protection mechanisms in the event of business suspension or significant reduction in income, including professional development programmes. The working groups saw the active participation of representatives of social partners and stakeholders from the professional world, who shared experiences and concrete proposals based on the evidence gathered during the project. The report identifies good practices at the national level and proposes transferable models to promote a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient social protection system, in line with Principle 12 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The document represents an important step forward in strengthening social dialogue and developing policies that are more responsive to the needs of self-employed professionals. Read the report.
Social Protection of Professional Self-Employed: A Survey on National Frameworks in the 27 EU Member States
The traditional model of full-time employment is increasingly being replaced by professional self-employment (PSE), encompassing independent, often intellectual, workers including freelancers, seasonal, and on-demand workers. These workers face diverse conditions influenced by factors such as age, gender, and region, and are impacted by digital gig platforms and entrepreneurial ventures. Despite their economic importance, PSEs often lack adequate social protection, facing barriers such as non-compulsory coverage and restrictive eligibility criteria. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of these workers, prompting temporary boosts in support but exposing long-standing gaps. Many countries show uneven regulation, especially for newer forms of self-employment that remain outside traditional insurance systems. The EU promotes freedom of establishment for the self-employed, yet social protection systems remain fragmented and misaligned across Member States. The 2019 Council Recommendation urged harmonised standards to ensure better access to social protection. The report emphasises the need for comparative analysis of national systems, enhanced data collection, and the vital role of social partners (e.g. unions, associations) in developing inclusive systems. Moving forward, fostering dialogue, cooperation, and mutual learning among EU stakeholders is essential to crafting equitable policies that reflect the evolving realities of the European labour market and ensure fair treatment for self-employed workers. This report presents the findings on a survey on national frameworks in the 27 EU Member States. Malta is featured in this report since MFPA is one of the partners in this project which is led by Confprofessioni and co-funded by the European Union. Read the report here.
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This project has been funded by the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS).
