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POLICY FRAMEWORK AND TOOLS FOR COMBATING POVERTY IN THE EU

POLICY FRAMEWORK AND TOOLS FOR COMBATING POVERTY IN THE EU. The European Anti-Poverty Network EAPN Policy Team. OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION. EAPN OVERARCHING APPROACH EU ROLE IN SOCIAL POLICY SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE OMC / LISBON ACTIVE INCLUSION AND MINIMUM INCOME

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POLICY FRAMEWORK AND TOOLS FOR COMBATING POVERTY IN THE EU

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  1. POLICY FRAMEWORK AND TOOLSFOR COMBATING POVERTY IN THE EU The European Anti-Poverty Network EAPN Policy Team

  2. OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION EAPN OVERARCHING APPROACH EU ROLE IN SOCIAL POLICY SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE OMC / LISBON ACTIVE INCLUSION AND MINIMUM INCOME THE EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY STRUCTURAL FUNDS FROM LISBON TO EUROPE 2020 OTHER EAPN POLICY AREAS

  3. POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION What is needed to stand up against poverty? • Poverty as a denial of fundamental rights –rights and dignity for all, breaking stereotypes, addressing discrimination • An economy at the service of people – achieving a fairer distribution of wealth • Policy mix –poverty can not be solved by social policies alone • Adequate income, decent work and universal services – not poor services for poor people • A well functioning democracy – representation and participation • Solidarity across the globe –the fight against poverty outside and inside Europe is part of the same struggle

  4. EU ROLE IN SOCIAL POLICY • EU initially an economic project -to facilitate the exchange of goods and services and promote the internal market • Social Policy seen as responsibility of Member States, but increasing need to balance growth with social cohesion. • Key social milestones include: Treaty of Rome – Equal Pay (‘57), European Social Fund (‘65), Poverty Programmes (‘85) • 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam launches new soft Open Method of Coordination (OMC) with European Employment Strategy (EES) • 2000 – Lisbon Strategy: launches EU Social Inclusion Strategy with Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on Social Inclusion • Social Policy primarily delivered through soft mechanisms (OMC), but demands for greater EU role and harder instruments/laws.

  5. SOCIAL INCLUSION AND THE OMC • The Open Method of Coordination is a soft EU working method, coordinating national action around common EU objectives. • OMC on Social Inclusion launched in 2000, part of Lisbon Agenda Goal:to make a decisive impact on poverty and social exclusion. • Key elements: • Common Objectives • National Action Plans involving stakeholders, including PEP • Joint reports evaluating progress with peer review • Common Indicators • Mutual learning – peer review, studies, conferences • Community Action Funding Programme ( now PROGRESS) • 2005 – Streamlined OMC: social protection and social inclusion • 3 pillars: social inclusion, pensions, health and long-term care

  6. THE COMMON OBJECTIVES ON SOCIAL PROTECTION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION • Social Cohesion, equality between men and women, equal opportunities for all • Effective mutual interaction with Lisbon objectives. • Good Governance and involvement of stakeholders. Social Inclusion Objectives • Access for all to resources, rights and services needed for participation, preventing and addressing exclusion and fighting discrimination. • Active Social Inclusion for all, • Good coordination and involvement of all key actors, including people in poverty, and mainstreaming into all public policies Overarching Objectives

  7. THE ACTIVE INCLUSION STRATEGY Developed through the Social OMC, adopted by the European Commission in October 2008; endorsed by the EPSCO Integrated approach to tackle unemployment and social exclusion of those furthest from the labour market; Aimed to make progress on Council Recommendation (92) on adequate resources (minimum income) and to temper make work pay EP Report (Jean Lambert) backed it and demand for progress on EU framework on minimum income. Three mutually reinforcing pillars: • adequate income support; (minimum income) • access to quality services; • inclusive labour market; Next step – implementation!

  8. SOCIAL INCLUSION - THE OMC + EU2020 EAPN Social Inclusion Working Group Support members to engage in NAPs/ OMC and Lobby together on EU and national social inclusion strategies Key Reports on: NAPs and NSRSPSI, Lisbon NRP, Crisis – social impact Lobbying: position papers, letters, press releases, meetings, conferences: An EU we can trust, European Poverty Platform, Social OMC, Minimum Income Peer Review/Exchange – OMC, Active Inclusion booklet Awareness-raising: poverty, wealth, and adequate income explainers Multidimensional strategies defending access to rights, resources, services including Active Inclusion, progress on child poverty, homelessness, ethnic minorities and Roma

  9. THE EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY • Introduced by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; • Incorporated in the Lisbon Strategy in 2000; • 2005 – based on the Wim Kok report on the mid-term revision of the Lisbon Strategy - refocus the Lisbon Agenda on promoting growth and jobs; • National Reform Programmes (yearly); • Employment Guidelines (7-10) • Peer reviews and mutual learning • Dialogue between Member States and Commission; Joint Employment Report • Now part of the new Europe 2020 Strategy

  10. THE EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY EAPN WORK Working Group on Employment Involvement in national peer reviews and NRPs Input to the Joint Employment Report and Flagship Initiatives Production of own reports analysing the NRPs Quality of Work Explainer (in 2011), position and lobbying papers Crisis monitoring reports Video on Activation Practices

  11. STRUCTURAL FUNDS Priority for EAPN since 1990 Ensure that Structural Funds make a significant contribution to fighting poverty and social exclusion Strive for a stronger NGO involvement in the Structural Funds (national and European level) Provide timely information for a better access of NGOs to all stages of Structural Funds New developments: Cohesion Policy backing the Europe 2020 Strategy EAPN’s key demand: making sure that Structural Funds will deliver on the poverty reduction target. • Which role for Structural Funds in the European Platform against Poverty? • Lobbying on the future of Cohesion Policy

  12. STRUCTURAL FUNDS EAPN WORK Working Group on Structural Funds Involvement in Operational Programmes Input to the debate on the future of the European Social Fund Input to the debate on the future of cohesion policy Position and lobbying papers EAPN Structural Funds manual Leaflet on good practices of social inclusion funded by Structural Funds (2011)

  13. FROM THE LISBON STRATEGY TO EUROPE 2020 • Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth • Europe 2020 – 5 overarching targets, including: • Achieving 75% employment rate • Reducing people in poverty by at least 20 million • Other objectives: increase R&D spending; climate change / energy targets; reduce school leavers • Guidelines reduced from 27 to 10 – specific Guideline 10 on poverty and social exclusion (under Employment) • Delivered through National Reform Programes with national targets • Monitored by Commission / Council with Recommendations • 7 Flagship programmes – European Flagship Platform against Poverty, Agenda for New Skills and Jobs, Youth on the Move

  14. EUROPE 2020 – Key Concerns • Poverty target, guideline, flagship initiative - a major achievement • But overarching EU economic governance strategy likely to undermine it: reducing deficits through cuts & wage restraint • Flagship Platform against Poverty potential to move beyond social policy, make progress on integrated active inclusion, child poverty, homeless strategies, funding for social inclusion and innovation…. • But weak commitment to Social Europe beyond Growth and Jobs… • Unclear role of Social OMC and National Strategic Reports; complex new indicators taking focus off relative poverty and inequality • Low commitment to participation / governance: national and EU NGOs and People experiencing poverty. • Will it reduce poverty, social exclusion and inequality?

  15. OTHER EAPN POLICY AREAS Services of General Interest (Sub-Working Group on Services; The Services Directive; The Services pillar of Active Inclusion; Campaign on Services Directive; quality social services; energy poverty). Social Economy (WISE project – www.wiseproject.eu ), Bridges for Inclusion Participation and Governance (The European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty; stronger engagement in the network and in policy making) Sustainable Financing (Group on Sustainable Financing for NNs) Anti-Discrimination (Mainstreaming Group; GA 2010 on Migration) Gender, Age and Demographic Change (Mainstreaming Group; CARE) Globalization (Mainstreaming Group; World Social Forum) 2010 – The European Year Against Poverty (NGO coalition; website – www.endpoverty.eu; focus weeks; promo materials and events; Human Ring)

  16. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! For more information, pleasecontact: Sian Jones: sian.jones@eapn.eu Amana Ferro: amana.ferro@eapn.eu Vincent Caron: vincent.caron@eapn.eu 18 Square de Meeûs, 1050 Brussels Tel. +32.2.226.58.50 - Fax. +32.2.226.58.69 www.eapn.eu * www.endpoverty.eu * www.adequateincome.eu

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