In the major changes still taking place in the Central and Eastern European states the situation of old, sick and disabled persons and of children threatens to disappear from the attention of the public in the new development of economic and political structures. It is, therefore, a particular concern of the member organisations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL by providing a range of social services to assist these groups of the population, who as a rule do not have a lobby which could ensure them sufficient attention in the dispute on the social reorganisation.
A new situation has often emerged from this social commitment, that is initially oriented to filling loopholes in the social security system, with the further development of the national social security system: A host of member organisations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL now also make social services available within the framework of their respective national systems of social security, which are marked by a special type of person.
The national systems of the social security however are on their part increasingly influenced by the development of the European Union. The founding of a European Economic and Monetary Union with the agreements of Maastricht and Amsterdam and the thus associated introduction of a European currency will bring the EU member states closer and closer in all walks of life. Social policies and social law are in fact still subject to the provisions of the respective member states even after the agreement of Amsterdam has come into force, nevertheless one can see the beginning of European harmonisation in these areas too. Basic conditions under EU law will consequently also have implications for the provision of social services and will mean that questions with regard to freedom of competition and location of branches and the economisation of social services will gain in importance in the near future. The various national systems of social security will be competing against each other in the near future. As Europe grows together the relationship between the public funding bodies of social services and the funding bodies of the social services sector to the market will be redefined.
Within the meaning of the "observatory for the development of social services in Europe" social services, which are offered by public, non-profit making or private commercial organisations, will be defined as - Personal services in accordance with simultaneous and location-bound interaction relations
- Social services within the meaning of professional and voluntary acts
- Social services within the meaning of an organisational-institutional framework for action
- The social benefit system of the welfare state including control media right and money.
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