The Walloon government confirmed on March 19 that the Employment Promotion Aid (APE) system would be abolished in January 2027. The associative world is on the front line, with local authorities.
The planned end of the EPAs
“This is an opportunity to take a more general interest in the financing methods of associations and their autonomy.“, explain the two researchers.
Julien Charles, the common thread of your study is the relationship between public money and the autonomy of associations. Are we defunding the association too much?
It is not just the question of the amount of this funding, which can always be discussed. There are also the conditions under which the money is granted and to which the association must comply to benefit from this money. And there, there are big disparities.
You have studied the methods of financing continuing education (cultural centers, youth organizations, fight against poverty, etc.) and that of socio-professional integration (Editor’s note: CISP, in particular). They are not subject to the same regime?
No. In socio-professional integration, the rules are much more numerous and finicky. And this is intensifying, which further reduces their autonomy of action. Most directors of associations have the impression of filling out reports instead of leading teams. This contrasts with continuing education, where funding by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation is based on trust and the right to subsidies.
Not for socio-professional integration financed by the Region?
No. It is mistrust that prevails. The financing of CISPs is subject to a logic of results, of activation of job seekers. The “socially useful activities” aspect falls by the wayside, for example. As for the way in which they ultimately have to be accountable, this is roughly limited to the reduction of unemployment. And in this context, it can create bias in the selection of participants.
What is it to say?
If funding is conditional on these results, we could only recruit the most easily employable people. This is a proven risk.
When an association can no longer work with people who knock on its door or whom it meets in the street, we can wonder about what autonomy it has left. This is why other devices must exist. Like the Zero Unemployment Territories, where there are no basic conditions.
Regarding continuing education, despite a more protective model, it was nevertheless decided to cut certain subsidies there too.
Part of the subsidy is in fact suspended in a series of associations, because they are directly linked to a political party (Editor’s note: the Émile Vandervelde Institute for the PS, the Jean Gol Center for the MR and the Jacques Georgin Center for Défi).
Apart from these associations in particular, continuing education associations are not worried?
Yes, to the extent that budgetary austerity is also there (Editor’s note: notably through the questioning of so-called “optional” subsidies) and that there are also attacks against its vocation as a political critic.
gull For a democracy to work, there are more than elections. There is also the financing of counter-powers which criticize
This is the spirit of the 2003 decree: one of the missions of continuing education is in particular to encourage citizen criticism.
Yes. Even if we can’t do everything and anything. The inspections are there to check that we remain on track with the decrees.
However, in the majority, we still ask ourselves the question: should we still finance associations which will criticize the government, while it subsidizes them?
Deputies from the majority questioned the principle. But Minister-President Degryse defended him. There is no frontal attack at the moment. But the general context is worrying. The right to associate is enshrined in the Constitution. But granting this right also means giving associations the means to work. Without money, they cannot fulfill their missions. This is a fundamental idea: for a democracy to work, there is more than just elections. There is also the financing of the counter-powers which criticize.
“If even the employers’ federations get involved…”
With his reform of the EPAs, Minister Pierre-Yves Jeholet will reallocate the overall envelope (1.2 billion) to the various government ministers, each managing their budget in their areas of responsibility (health, social, etc.). The minister promises lasting support to the sectors.
“However, the management of associations are in uncertainty“, says Julien Charles. “The question is whether the means will be reduced or not. Furthermore, many associations carry out actions that do not fall within the silo of ministerial skills.”
“And then, there is social consultation. The minister thinks that it will be completed in 2 years. The employers’ federations Unipso and CESSoC say that there is no real consultation. They will also join the mobilization in Brussels this Thursday, April 9. If even the employers’ organizations get involved (Editor’s note: as in 2019), It’s good that the sector feels threatened. This could lead to a return of the social movement within the associative sector.”
