Resolution on the Future of Demographic Policy and Social Development

Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

COMMITTEE FOR THE FUTURE

 

 

RESOLUTION

On the future of demographic POLICY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

 

February 18^th, 2022 No. 122-P-2

Vilnius

 

 

The Committee for the Future of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

 

underlining that the demographic factor (population dimension) alongside the geographical (territorial) dimension impart meaning and purpose to and concurrently constitute instruments for each country’s survival and development and are key to determining the social well-being, the quality of economic and national life, and the potential for the future;

assessing the sustainability of demographic processes as an expression of the historical continuity of a nation, state and society, and of fostering and developing cultural exclusivity under new social, economic and technological conditions;

considering the features of demographic processes and structures as essential competitive factors in the dynamics of global demographic trends and in ensuring smooth social development in the country;

recalling that the country’s quantitative and qualitative demographic indicators pinpoint to existing negative trends and that the current institutional set-up and legal and qualification frameworks fail to produce the expected impact on the problematic aspects of the demographic processes, especially on migration;

emphasising that the lack of effective response to demographic challenges is increasingly damaging to the structure of the labour market and the development of human, knowledge and social capital;

expressing concern that Lithuania’s demographic change is ridden, on the one hand, with nearly fastest population ageing in the European Union, coupled with low birth rates, high mortality rates, high emigration rates and, on the other hand, a lack of measures to improve education for young people, reduce the prevalence of poverty, and raise the standard of living for weaker segments of the population;

having regard to the report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 17 June 2020 on the impact of demographic change (COM(2020) 241 final);

noting the lack of a modern, balanced and integrated national demographic strategic framework;

recognising that long-term negative demographic trends require an immediate and targeted public policy response that brings together research, business, civil society and government efforts to align demographic policies with the political, economic and social goals for society’s future development, as well as to match demographic modelling with the prevailing international indicators;

stressing that the objectives set out in the national strategy papers can be achieved through designing and implementing an inclusive and innovative public policy based on the monitoring and modelling of demographic processes and structures in the medium and long term, coupled with stable long-term funding of the measures envisaged;

expressing a strong political stance on the fundamental aspirations of Lithuania’s demographic and social development policy,

calls on the Government of the Republic of Lithuania to modernise and develop, in parallel to developing the State Progress Strategy Lithuania 2050, an integrated strategic policy on demographic development and an integrated research-based demographic agenda underpinned by the country’s multiannual demographic strategic guidelines based on the following pillars:

1) development and implementation of a strategic concept encompassing modern forward-looking national identity and cultural objectives that serve to promote family-friendly policies and sustainable demographic development associated with prospects favourable for individuals and businesses, modernity and self-expression, Europe and the world, opening up to the global cultural and economic diversity combined with the preservation and strengthening of the historical core of national development;

2) a comprehensive birth promotion programme, including financial incentives (one-off and periodic payments, tax incentives, free/subsidised child-associated services and goods, housing subsidies); state support for work-life balance (maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, childcare services, flexible forms of employment, non-discriminatory laws, gender equality at the workplace), and social change that supports child-rearing-friendly as well as motherhood and fatherhood friendly employment policies, creates a child-friendly environment, and ensures gender equality in the family;

3) effective programmes for health protection, for increasing life expectancy and improving mental health of the population;

4) cross-cutting measures to reduce the demographic disadvantages in particularly sensitive segments of society, in particular, in the less educated population groups, and among the unemployed and single parents, and steps to reduce the regional impact of demographic inequalities;

 

5) faster transition to innovative work models that are suited for global competition and are underpinned by modern methods of creating added value;

 

6) establishment of a viable mechanism for labour immigration, for flexible selective immigration and for pooling of high-skilled and medium-skilled talent, with particular emphasis on the role of modern international integration activities in higher education and inclusive talent adaptation models;

 

calls on the Government to urgently address the challenges faced in the area of analytics on demographic factors and demographic change in order to achieve, by 2024, the following objectives:

 

1) systematic and permanent monitoring of the demographic situation and its determinants alongside the development and evaluation of future development models, stressing that no policy decisions, programmes, measures or strategies for the future can be developed without the relevant scientific data;

 

2) integration of the professional scientific demographic component in strategic development documents at both national and regional levels, and permanent analysis and assessment of the solutions and objectives set out in the above documents;

3) introduction of new methodological tools for demographic analytics to develop innovative future solutions based on innovative social and demographic datasets, big data, and evidence-based analytics;

 

4) increased social, political and economic attractiveness of Lithuania, improved international image, and creation of smart work-life hubs;

 

5) introduction of management and modelling of ageing and fertility of the working population based on well-being technologies and demographic regeneration programmes;

 

6) development and implementation of regional development programmes or agendas for the regenerative and qualitative improvement of the labour market;

 

7) establishment of a common system of national and regional integration centres for smooth integration of families of foreign professionals to facilitate their participation in the compulsory health insurance system, education system, Lithuanian language learning, and integration into the job search and training market;

 

8) establishment of tailored programmes to attract foreign students with past record of studies in Lithuania, foreign scientists and experts to work and create in Lithuania;

suggests that the Government set up, by 2024, modernised labour market regulation and work organisation programmes that meet the needs of innovation economy and digital labour;

calls on the Government to implement an effective and coordinated demographic policy for the future, based on the introduction of innovative work models and measures to ensure modern methods of creating the highest added value and achieving global competitiveness, with the relevant institutions being assigned the following functional tasks:

1) development of policies for economic compensation and rehabilitation in demographic downturn;

2) introduction of a system of measures designed to enhance human factors and knowledge capital and encompassing quality modernisation coupled with technological, innovative and cost-effective professional training and retraining;

3) inclusion of the elderly into the second career cycle in order to reduce tensions in the labour market and increase the well-being of this segment of the population;

4) development of innovative and active ageing, health support and disease prevention; intergenerational training and other programmes linked to extending the working cycle and maintaining the working capacity;

5) improving the system of lifelong learning and vocational counselling and bringing that system closer to real labour market and business needs;

6) introduction of elements of creative and research work by using scientific and technological advances and state-of-the-art methods to meet the challenges brought about by the transformations associated with the fourth industrial revolution ‘Industry 4.0’ and the social model ‘Societal 5.0’;

 

• the Government to develop an employment and labour market policy for citizens of the Republic of Lithuania working abroad by establishing a system of communication and assigning embassies to perform the function of job and re-emigration mentoring;

calls on the Government, with the view to offering timely response to labour market needs, to develop effective legal, organisational and institutional tools that allow rapidly to compete  on the international labour market by attracting and training professionals and practitioners in the necessary professions:

1) particular focus should be placed on attracting international students and trainees, ensuring their social and cultural adaptation and involvement in the labour market, as well as creating the most favourable conditions for the most talented among them to proceed with their careers in Lithuania;

2) preventive emigration framework for citizens of the Republic of Lithuania should be improved by increasing the attractiveness of the Lithuanian labour market, by raising the potential of the public sector to create jobs and provide public services to new settlers, and by providing for career, professional development and well-being opportunities;

3) integrated re-emigration management should be implemented by pooling digital diplomacy tools, perspective assessment, and custom-tailored prospect programming and management;

4) networks that are most popular among foreign Lithuanian professionals abroad should be brought together and constant communication with professionals of Lithuanian descent living abroad should be maintained in an effort to involve highly qualified specialists and researchers in projects and programmes in Lithuania;

5) a legal framework should be created for the application of attractive financial and tax measures in order to attract highly qualified professionals and talent, especially of Lithuanian origin, from abroad;

6) wider involvement of diplomatic missions should be ensured in disseminating information about the economic situation, business development, and career opportunities in Lithuania;

7) speed and flexibility of inter-institutional coordination needs to be improved by scrapping costly red tape, which is detrimental to the economy and which complicates the relations between potential residents, workers and employers;

8) immigration procedures for qualified foreigners and foreigners of wanted professions entering the Republic of Lithuania need to be simplified;

9) greater opportunities should be offered for foreigners from third countries to move more freely in the Lithuanian labour market and to move to a new job or change the nature of their work;

calls on the Government to take immediate measures to bridge the gap between the surplus of vacancies in the country’s labour market and the number of unemployed residents willing to work, by considering:

1) abolishing excessive institutional regulation and leaving the employer in charge of establishing the employee qualification (evidence) requirements; providing information on wanted professions and keeping this data up-to-date by filling in the list of wanted professions;

2) simplifying the procedures for recruiting qualified foreigners and foreigners of wanted professions by expanding the possibilities for visa-free entry, extension of work visas, and by reducing the time limits for issuing residence permits in Lithuania;

3) improving the system of social and other benefits and putting municipalities in charge of socially vulnerable sections of society;

calls on the Government to initiate innovative measures to restore demographic balance, namely:

1) involve Ukrainian and Belarusian communities in immigration control and mediation;

2) start implementing the transfer of part of the functions of the Migration Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania to municipalities with a view to decentralising the migration policy at regional level;

3) set up the European Structural Fund on Population Ageing, in view of the projected peak of Europe’s population ageing to be reached in 10 to 15 years;

4) develop a programme to strengthen the research on labour innovation and socio-economic transformation in a changing demographic environment;

5) promote the development of the Electronic Resident of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Migration Information System (MIGRIS), ensure availability of awareness-raising materials on migration in Lithuanian and foreign languages, and increase the effectiveness of communication;

undertakes to run active parliamentary scrutiny and progress assessment of the state’s demographic processes and their influence on social development.

 

Chair of the Committee                                                                      Raimundas Lopata