Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family takes on new responsibilities

Following a recent government decision, a new Public Social Policies Directorate has been created in the Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family (MMSSF). This decision has also given MMSSF responsibility for equal opportunities between women and men. On 1 January 2007, the units responsible for programme implementation within the National Employment Agency became intermediary regional bodies for the Sectoral Operational Programme on human resources development, which is governed by MMSSF.

Ministry’s new tasks

Following the new regulation on the procedure for drafting, monitoring and evaluating public policies at central level, a decision taken by the government in December 2006 established a Public Social Policies Directorate within the Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family (Ministerul Muncii, Solidaritatii Sociale si Familiei, MMSSF). This decision transfers new responsibilities to MMSSF in terms of regulating public social policy.

At the same time, MMSSF assumes new responsibilities based on the provisions of the law on equal opportunities for women and men with a view to eliminating all forms of gender-based discrimination in the areas of labour, education, healthcare, culture and information.

Moreover, as of 1 January 2007, the units reporting to the National Employment Agency (Agentia Nationala pentru Ocuparea Fortei de Munca, ANOFM), which has responsibility for implementing regional programmes, have become intermediary regional bodies for the Sectoral Operational Programme on human resources development. As a result of the new regulations, these units are now legal public entities reporting to MMSSF and are financed by the state budget.

According to the new regulations, MMSSF is responsible for carrying out a number of tasks in cooperation with specialised ministries and bodies of the central public administration, namely to:

• identify and draw up public social policies;

• determine the social impact of ongoing public policies;

• initiate draft legislation as well as national action plans to support equal opportunities between women and men, and ensure their application;

• approve guidelines and codes of practice setting out standards which are initiated by other authorities, aimed at integrating and observing the principle of equal opportunities for and equal treatment of women and men;

• draft reports, performance studies, and carry out analyses and forecasts on the application of the principle of equal opportunities for and equal treatment of women and men in all spheres of activity.

By managing the operational programme for human resources development, MMSSF administrates, contracts and monitors all activities in the field. The ministry also has a unit responsible for administering funds from the European Social Fund.

New institutional framework

MMSSF will achieve its objectives with the support of designated public institutions, including the following:

• 41 county work and social protection directorates;

• eight regional bodies for operational programmes on human resources development;

• the National Authority for Persons with Disabilities (Autoritatea Nationala a Persoanelor cu Handicap, ANPH);

• the National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Autoritatea Nationala pentru Protectia Drepturilor Copilului, ANPDC);

• the National Agency for Family Protection (Agentia Nationala pentru Protectia Familiei, ANPF), which has two pilot centres – the Centre for Assistance and Protection of Victims of Domestic Violence, and the Information and Assistance Centre for the Family;

• the National Agency for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (Agentia Nationala pentru Egalitatea de Sanse intre Femei si Barbati, ANES) (RO0506102F);

• the Department for Employment Abroad (Departamentul pentru Munca în Strainatate, DMS), which controls the Office for Labour Force Migration (Oficiul pentru Migratia Fortei de Munca, OMFM);

• the Labour Inspectorate (Inspectia Muncii, IM), which includes 41 local labour inspectorates operating as decentralised public services.

Furthermore, other institutions operate under the authority of MMSSF, namely ANOFM with its 41 county agencies and one agency in the capital city, Bucharest; as legal entities, these agencies can set up subunits to provide employment services. ANOFM aims to institutionalise social dialogue in the area of employment and vocational training (also through regional centres for adult vocational training), and to develop employment and training strategies and social protection measures for unemployed people.

MMSSF also coordinates and controls the National Institute of Pensions and Other Social Insurance Rights (Casa Nationala de Pensii si Alte Drepturi de Asigurari Sociale, CNPAS), which is responsible for the management and administration of the public pensions system and other social insurance rights as well as the occupational accidents insurance system. CNPAS aims to consolidate the public pensions system and to introduce private pension schemes.

Constantin Ciutacu, Institute of National Economy