Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2007)797 - European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion (2010)

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dossier COM(2007)797 - European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion (2010).
source COM(2007)797 EN
date 12-12-2007
1. INTRODUCTION

The fight against poverty and social exclusion is one of the central objectives of the European Union (EU) and its Member States. At the launch of the Lisbon strategy in March 2000, the European Council invited Member States and the Commission to take steps to make “a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty” by 2010. Subsequent European Councils have reaffirmed this objective. The Social Reality Stocktaking Consultation, which the European Commission started in 2006, points to the importance of addressing old and new forms of poverty and social exclusion in Europe.

In the European Union, 78 million people are currently living at risk of poverty. In all Member States, part of the population is subject to exclusion and deprivation, often facing limited access to basic services. In addition, there are indications that deep poverty has become more of an issue and that the number of people suffering from absolute poverty has increased.

This state of affairs is in clear contradiction to key shared values of the European Union and needs to be tackled through resolute and credible action. The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) for Social Protection and Social Inclusion — initiated by the Lisbon Council — has been an important tool for providing EU guidance and support to Member States in their drive for greater social cohesion in Europe. However, its effectiveness crucially depends on public ownership and the commitment of all relevant actors.

In its 2005-2010 Social Agenda, the Commission therefore announced a proposal to designate 2010 as the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion. The European Year will complement the action under the Open Method of Coordination and will help consolidate the political commitment of the EU and its Member States to making a decisive impact on eradicating poverty and fighting social exclusion.

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2. A EUROPEAN YEAR FOR COMBATING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION


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2.1. General objectives


The proposal to designate 2010 as the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion is intended to reaffirm and strengthen the initial political commitment of the EU at the start of the Lisbon strategy to making “a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty”.

The European Year should raise public awareness of poverty and social exclusion in Europe and convey the message that poverty and exclusion are disruptive to social and economic development. It should help challenge the vision that the fight against poverty is a cost for society and reaffirm the importance of collective responsibility, involving not only decision-makers but also public and private actors.

The European Year should also contribute by giving voice to people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, for example by strengthening the organisations in which they participate and involving them in activities designed to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty.

The EU must also restate its global responsibility to fight poverty worldwide. Increasing the awareness of global interdependence and the need for sustainable development and solidarity between and within generations should be part of the general awareness raising. Raising awareness on global poverty will be closely linked with awareness raising on development cooperation issues and its primary objective, i.e. the fight against poverty.

The European Year will thus reaffirm the Union’s commitment to solidarity, social justice and greater cohesion, and will promote consistency and boost support for the overarching objectives of the Union, particularly with regard to the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs and to the sustainable development strategy.

2.2. Specific objectives — Recognition — Ownership — Cohesion — Commitment

Apart from the general objectives, four specific objectives underpin the proposal for a European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion:

Recognition — Recognising the right of people in a situation of poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to play a full part in society.

Ownership — Increasing public ownership of social inclusion policies and actions, emphasising everyone’s responsibility in tackling poverty and marginalisation.

Cohesion — Promoting a more cohesive society, by raising public awareness of the benefits for all of a society where poverty is eradicated and no-one is condemned to live in the margins.

Commitment — Reiterating the strong political commitment of the EU to the fight against poverty and social exclusion, and promoting this commitment at all levels of governance.

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2.3. Implementation of actions


The European Year activities will underpin the Open Method of Coordination on Social Protection and Social Inclusion and aim to produce a clear added value in terms of policy impact and effectiveness.

In line with the priorities identified in the Social Protection and Social Inclusion process, it is proposed to focus the European Year around the following themes:

- child poverty and the intergenerational transmission of poverty;

- an inclusive labour market;

- lack of access to education and training;

- gender dimension of poverty;

- access to basic services;

- overcoming discrimination and promoting the integration of immigrants and the social and labour market inclusion of ethnic minorities;

- addressing the needs of disabled people and other vulnerable groups.

In planning the European Year activities, the Member States will adapt these themes to the national, regional and local situation and challenges, including considerations of territorial cohesion. Stakeholder involvement and participation will be mainstreamed throughout all the priorities.

In implementing the European Year activities, the Commission and the Member States will take into account the different ways in which women and men experience poverty and social exclusion. They will also ensure that the gender dimension is mainstreamed throughout the European Year priorities with a view to promoting gender equality.

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2.4. Working in partnership with the participating countries


While the Union can provide a framework for coordination at various levels, tangible progress will be achieved only through the significant involvement of participating countries at national level. Activities defined at European level to ensure consistency in the approach towards an inclusive society will thus be adapted to the specificities of each country.

The involvement of participating countries calls for the establishment of coordination mechanisms at both national and EU levels in order to create the necessary synergies and leverage effects. A Committee made up of Member State representatives will be appointed in order to assist the Commission in the implementation of the European Year activities.

The Committee will monitor the implementation of the activities on the basis of common guidelines developed by the Commission, the Strategic Framework Document (SFD) , to ensure consistency with the Joint Report on Social Inclusion. The SFD will act as a point of reference for Member States, and will establish the key priorities for the European Year alongside the objectives defined for the Year.

To be effective, the EU will seek to engage with a very wide range of stakeholders, inviting them to join in an ongoing dialogue on the Year’s priorities and delivery mechanisms. The Commission will also establish the necessary links with the Social Protection Committee in order to ensure that it is regularly and appropriately informed about the implementation of the European Year activities.

For the European Year, the Commission may also cooperate with relevant international organisations, in particular the Council of Europe, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations. At national level, each Member State will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of national, regional and local measures.

National implementation will have to be consistent with the policy objectives set for the European Year, in response to the Strategic Framework Document mentioned above. Each Member State will submit to the Commission a National Programme for implementing the European Year . These Programmes will incorporate the overall objectives and essential principles as defined in the Decision establishing the European Year and developed in the Strategic Framework Document. They will be drawn up in close coordination and consistency with the National Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion.

Each programme should be devised, adopted and implemented in strict cooperation with and under the supervision of the National Implementing Bodies (NIBs) designated by the countries participating in the European Year. The NIBs are administrative authorities or equivalents with competence and proven experience in the fight against poverty and social exclusion and a strong role in the drafting, monitoring and evaluation of the NAPs/inclusion. The NIBs will be responsible for selecting national, regional and local initiatives in line with the strategic policy objectives defined by the Commission.

When establishing and carrying out their national strategies, each NIB will consult and cooperate closely with a National Advisory Group — NAG — composed of a broad range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations representing the interests of people in poverty, national parliament representatives, social partners, and regional and local authorities.

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3. COMPLEMENTARITY


The Commission will ensure that the activities financed during the European Year complement other relevant Community initiatives and activities closely linked to social inclusion, such as for example the Structural Funds, in particular the ESF, the Roadmap for Gender Equality, the PROGRESS Programme, the Education and Training Programmes, the European Youth Pact, the Youth in Action programme, the Health Programme, the immigration and asylum policies, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the 7th Research Framework Programme.

Coordinating mechanisms will therefore be put in place to avoid overlap and to channel support towards promoting the key messages of the European Year.

The Commission will also ensure complementarity with any other initiatives for cooperation with international organisations and third countries, including developing countries, in areas relevant to the objectives of the European Year.

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4. EU ADDED VALUE (SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY)


The experience of previous European Years in the social field has demonstrated their relevance in raising awareness among the general public, fostering participation, enhancing political commitment at all levels and contributing to policy change.

The measures proposed for the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion are designed to add value at European level by:

- Raising awareness among the general public as to the causes, prevalence and multiple facets of poverty in today’s European Union, as well as the achievements of the European Social Model. It provides a unique opportunity for “participatory” assessment of the impact of policies to promote social inclusion, including through support for innovative actions at national and sub-national levels;

- Stimulating a debate on ways to ensure participation in society by people who currently find themselves excluded, and enabling a broader range of stakeholders to become involved by expressing their views on how to tackle poverty and exclusion, publicising their actions, reinforcing their complementarities and exchanging concrete proposals on this issue;

- Promoting a more cohesive society and better integration of the social dimension within European and national policies for economic growth and employment and the Sustainable Development Strategy, and as well fostering stronger links and synergies with EU initiatives and programmes, including the Structural Funds;

- Ensuring strong political commitment on the part of the various EU actors to eradicate poverty and social exclusion, in continuity with the commitments made under the Open Method of Coordination on Social Protection and Social Inclusion.

To achieve these results, the EU has a decisive and irreplaceable role to play in coordinating, supporting and complementing the actions to be undertaken at national and local level. The proposal therefore conforms to the principle of subsidiarity set out in Article 5 of the Treaty.

At the same time, the proposal for the European Year emphasises how important it is to respect the different traditions and national contexts of the Member States, both to ensure flexible implementation and to avoid interfering with the good practices that already exist in some Member States. In this respect, the proposal also complies with the principle of proportionality.

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5. EXTERNAL CONSULTATION


In order to draft this proposal, the Commission services sought the views of key stakeholders regarding the objectives and implementation of the European Year.

An external consultation of relevant stakeholders was held between April and June 2007. It was centred on a questionnaire inviting comments on the following issues, among others: objectives; involvement of stakeholders; overall design, framework and types of actions; and the follow-up needed to ensure a lasting impact for the European Year.

The results of the consultation indicate that the proposal for a European Year dedicated to the fight against poverty and social exclusion is welcomed by all relevant stakeholders. The answers highlight the potential of such a European Year in terms of communication and mobilisation and provide useful suggestions for the purpose and design of the initiative. They also point to its added value in relation to the Open Method of Coordination on Social Inclusion. The results of the consultation have been used to define the objectives and actions for the European Year.

A consultative process can never be a “one-off” exercise, and effective preparation calls for consultation over several stages. The run-up to the European Year will bring further opportunities (e.g. the annual Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion) for a broad range of stakeholders to contribute to its design and preparation.

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6. IMPACT ASSESSMENT


An impact assessment of the European Year is attached to this proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision. It has been carried out by the Commission. In accordance with the rules for ex-ante evaluations, it contains a detailed presentation of the needs to be met, the objectives to be achieved, the results expected and the indicators that are needed to measure them. It also examines the added value of Community involvement, the risks linked with the proposals and the alternative options available, and the lessons learned from similar experiences in the past. Finally, it assesses the volume of appropriations, human resources and other administrative expenditure to be allocated, with due regard to the cost-effectiveness principle, and the monitoring system to be set up.

Contents

1.

DETAILED EXPLANATION


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PER ARTICLE


ARTICLE 1 DESIGNATES 2010 AS THE EUROPEAN YEAR FOR COMBATING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION.

Article 2 defines the objectives of the European Year.

Article 3 presents the content of the actions and refers the reader to the Annex for further details.

Article 4 stipulates that gender considerations are to be mainstreamed in all activities relating to the European Year.

Article 5 defines the terms of cooperation and implementation at Community level and sets out how the actions at European level for the European Year will be implemented.

Article 6 defines the terms of cooperation and implementation with and within the participating countries and sets out how the actions under the European Year will be implemented.

Article 7 establishes a Committee to assist the Commission in decisions on the implementation of the European Year.

Article 8 lays down the financial arrangements for the actions to be implemented at Community and national levels.

Article 9 sets out the procedure for the selection of actions at Community and national levels.

Article 10 requires the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, to ensure consistency and complementarity with other Community actions and initiatives.

Article 11 defines the terms of participation for non-Member States.

Article 12 establishes the budget for the action.

Article 13 provides that the Commission may cooperate with international organisations.

Article 14 provides for the protection of the financial interests of the Community.

Article 15 defines the monitoring and evaluation framework for the European Year.

Article 16 defines the terms of the entry into force of the Decision.