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The 2010 European Year: "Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion" European Commission website
ESIP Newsletter |
ESIP informs its members on a regular basis on latest developments with regard to European policies and initiative that address the issue of social inclusion. If you are interested in receiving or contributing to this newsletter, please contact info@esip-platform.net
Newsletter Archive:
2010
Newsletter 1 (March 2010)
2009
Newsletter 5 (December 09)
Newsletter 4 (October 09)
Newsletter 3 (July 09)
Newsletter 2 (May 09)
Newsletter 1 (February 09)
2008
Newsletter 4 (Dec 08)
Newsletter 3 (Oct 08)
Newsletter 2 (July 08)
Newsletter 1 (May 08)
2007
Newsletter 3 (December 07)
Newsletter 2 (October 07)
Newsletter 1 (June 07)
2006
Newsletter 2 (October 06)
Newsletter 1 (March 06)
Key Documents |
EU Social Inclusion Strategy
The Social Inclusion Process
National Action Plans (NAP)
Assessment of NAPs/inclusion
Funding programmes
Following the introduction under Article 136 and 137 EC by the Amsterdam Treaty of the fight against social exclusion among the social policy provisions, the European Council of Lisbon in March 2000 recognised that the extent of poverty and social exclusion was unacceptable. Building a more inclusive European Union was thus considered as an essential element in achieving the Union's ten year strategic goal of sustained economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The Lisbon Council agreed to adopt an Open Method of Coordination in order to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion by 2010.
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Lisbon Strategy
In March 2000, the European Council in Lisbon set out a ten-year strategy to make the EU the world's most dynamic and competitive economy. Under the strategy, a stronger economy will drive job creation alongside social and environmental policies that ensure sustainable development and social inclusion. -
Social Protection Committee
The Social Protection Committee (SPC) was established in 2000 in order the serve as a vehicle for cooperative exchange between the European Commission and the Member States of the EU about modernising and improving social protection systems. -
Common Objectives on poverty and social exclusion which were agreed at the Nice Summit in December 2000 and were revised at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in December 2002.
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Joint Memoranda on Social Inclusion; these outline the situation and policy priorities in relation to poverty and social exclusion in the acceding countries. They were signed by the Commission and national authorities in December 2003.
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Common Indicators to provide a means of monitoring progress and comparing best practice
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Framework for the open method of coordination (OMC) on social protection and social inclusion
In March 2006 the European Commission adopted a Communication on "Working together, Working better: A new framework for the open coordination of social protection and inclusion policies in the European Union", which set out the Commission's proposals to create - from Autumn 2006 - a streamlined framework for further development of the OMC on Social Protection and Social Inclusion. To download the Communication (available in all Community languages)
National Action Plans on social inclusion
The National Action Plans (NAPsincl) against poverty and social exclusion are a fundamental component of the open method of co-ordination as established in the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council.
Member States have been asked to draw up their own National Action Plans on Social inclusion. These should provide an opportunity for assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the main policy instruments already in place in the light of the common objectives and then focus on how the Member States' policies and actions, whether at national, regional or local level, will be further strengthened so as to meet the objective set in Lisbon of making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion.
Thus, while taking into account the overall national situations and existing policy framework, the National Action Plans should identify what specific and concrete changes or additions are proposed to existing policies or programmes or what new initiatives are planned in order to address identified problems and weaknesses.
NAPsincl covers a period of two years - the first plans were adopted by the Member States in June 2001. A second round of plans was submitted in 2003.
Following enlargement ten new Member States submitted their first National Action Plans/inclusion in July 2004. In these plans each new member state analyses the situation in relation to poverty and social exclusion, presents the strategy, objectives and targets it has established for the two year period from mid-2004 to mid-2006 and identifies the specific actions it proposes to implement in order to achieve them.
Assessment of the National Action Plans for social inclusion (NAPs/inclusion)
The European Commission carries out assessments of the National Action Plans for social inclusion (NAPs/inclusion) that all Member States submit every two years.
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EU Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2008
The Commission has adopted the proposal for a Joint Report on social protection and social inclusion. This fourth Report examines more in depth a set of themes ide ntified in last year's edition such as child poverty, health inequalities, access to health care and evolving long-term care needs, and longer working lives and privately managed pensions. ( available in all the community languages)
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Previous Joint Reports on Social Inclusion (available in all the community languages).
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Building a stronger EU Social inclusion Process (May 2008)
"Feeding in" and "feeding out": The extent of synergies between growth and jobs policies and social inclusion policies across the EU" is a synthesis report which provides and independent overview based on the 2007 second semester national reports of national independent experts on social inclusion.
Member States have also produced implementation reports of the previous round of NAPsinl (2004-2006). Read implementation reports>>
Funding Programmes: Community Action Programme to combat and prevent social exclusion
The Community Action Programme is meant to support cooperation which enables the Community and the Member States to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of policies to combat social exclusion by:
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improving the understanding of social exclusion and poverty with the help in particular of comparable indicators;
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organising exchanges on policies which are implemented and promoting mutual learning in the context of national action plans
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developing the capacity of actors to address social exclusion and poverty effectively, and to promote innovative approaches
The two main vehicles for promoting transnational exchange and cooperation under the Community action programme are the Transnational Exchange Programme and the Programme of Pier reviews.
Transnational Exchange Programme
The main objective of the Transnational Exchange Programme is to promote and support the organisation of exchanges and promote mutual learning between Member States, candidate countries and EFTA and EEA countries.
The second call for proposal will support co-operation projects with view to enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of policies and programmes to combat poverty and social exclusion and to encourage co-operation between Member States to combat social exclusion. The deadline for project proposals has been extended to the 18 th February 2005.
Peer review programme
The peer review programme is a mutual voluntary learning process on the base of systematic exchange of experiences and evaluation of policies, programmes or institutional arrangements presented in the various NAP/inclusion - The programme will begin in 2004.
It is foreseen to have a maximum of eight reviews per year. The proposed maximum number of peer participating countries will be five to six with a minimum of three.
The objective of the Programme of pier reviews will be to assess the effectiveness of key policies or institutions and encourage the dissemination of good practice input across Member States. It could also contribute to the dialogue with stakeholders such as social partners and NGOs and where appropriate, people experiencing poverty and social exclusion.
Other Links and Publications |
EC Working Paper: Monitoring progress towards the objectives of the European Strategy for Social Protection and Social Inclusion (October 08)
The European Commission has published a Staff Working Document on "monitoring progress towards the objectives of the European Strategy for Social Protection and Social Inclusion". The paper presents an analysis of the social situation in Member States with regards to the common objectives of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion. It reviews the full set of indicators developed and agreed by the Member States in the context of this strategy. Download document
Social Europe can take on globalisation: EU study (April 2008)
"The European social model is more valid than ever, but needs to get in better shape to take on the challenges posed by globalization" says a major new study presented by the European Commission on 11 April 2008. The results of the study will be discussed at a high-level conference in Brussels on 16 April on the social implications of globalisation and how to turn it into an opportunity for the European Union. Read more>>
European Commission website on ' growth and jobs '
This website contains information on reports and activities of the European Commission in relation to the Lisbon strategy and its aim for more and better jobs.
The European Union's efforts to promote social inclusion are reinforced by the results of the Eurobarometer survey 56.1 on Social Precarity and Social Integration. This survey was carried out in all 15 Member States of the EU for the DG Employment and Social Affairs of the European Commission.
Read English version - French version
Non-governmental Expert Reports on first National Action Plans (June 2001- June 2003)
Since December 2002, DG Employment and Social Affairs is assisted by a network of non-governmental experts in the field of social inclusion. The aim of the network is to provide information and analysis enabling the Commission to assess the implementation of the National Action Plans against poverty and social exclusion. A first series of reports is now available, documenting how the NAPs/incl (2001-2003) were implemented and focusing on particular on the major policy measures, the institutional arrangements in place, the mobilization of all actors and possible changes in the context or political priorities.
Read more>>
Social Inclusion in the New Member States
This Commission Staff Working Paper is a synthesis of the Joint Memoranda on Social Inclusion (JIM) which were signed jointly in December 2003 by the Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs and the Ministers responsible for Social Affairs of the new Member States. The report examines the main challenges the new Member States face in order to combat poverty and social exclusion and to promote greater social cohesion. (More Information...)
