Paul Schoukens

Paul Schoukens is Professor of Social Security Law (Comparative, International and European) at the K.U.Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven). He is general coordinator of the European Institute of Social Security, a scientific association with more than 400 members across Europe. Within the K.U.Leuven, he is working for the European section of the Institute of Social Law, organized as the Research Unit on European Social Security (RUESS). He mainly teaches subjects on European, international, and comparative social security law.

Social Security in the BRIC Countries

Social security is a well-established part of the societal landscape in traditional westernized countries. There are a variety of approaches, and there are substantial differences between the operation of social security under the predominantly insurance-based (or Bismarckian) systems and the social assistance (Beveridge) systems. But both were developed and matured in the context of the industrialization of societies and both reflect the need to provide social protection in mass-scale workforces.

Case Studies in Merging the Administrations of Social Security Contribution and Taxation

Nothing is stable in social security and, thus, the social security structures and financing mechanisms are constantly evolving.Therefore, governments may need to adapt these structures and mechanisms to the new circumstances, especially those arising after the recent economic downturn. Still remains the question how we can move forward in social security with efficiency and effectiveness with regard to the financing of the social security schemes.

Cooperation Between Social Security and Tax Agencies in Europe

This report contends that as social policy continues to evolve, governments now may need to look beyond the traditional structures of social security and taxation. Today, there are varying levels of interaction between those organizations in European nations.

Professor of Social Security Law
K.U. Leuven
B-3000
Leuven, Belgium,
United States
32 16 325 390

Paul Schoukens is Professor of Social Security Law (Comparative, International and European) at the K.U.Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven). He is general coordinator of the European Institute of Social Security, a scientific association with more than 400 members across Europe. Within the K.U.Leuven, he is working for the European section of the Institute of Social Law, organized as the Research Unit on European Social Security (RUESS). He mainly teaches subjects on European, international, and comparative social security law. His research topics of interest are the social protection of atypical workers, healthcare systems, social welfare, and the relationship between e-technology and social security administration, among others.

Professor Schoukens is involved in the organization of the Master in European Social Security and the Summer School on Social Security. He is program director of the latter specialized program, a two-week course that gives a general introduction into social protection across Europe from a multidisciplinary perspective.

He is involved in many research projects, especially in fields related to comparative and European social security. Research projects have been carried out for the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and several national institutions and governments. He is the author of more than 50 journal articles and is often invited to present papers at international meetings and conferences.

Professor Schoukens earned his doctorate in law from the K.U.Leuven with research on the impact of European Union law on the social protection of self-employed persons.