Progress on Poverty and Participation: The Italian Experience

1. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? EAPN WORKSHOP ON EU 2020 STRATEGY – 30/09/2013 The Italian experience Introduction: In Italy the new process “Europe 2020” is very soft because: 1 – Three governments in three years; 2 – The NPR was elaborated only by the Ministry for Economy with low or absent consultation of social partners, NGOs, etc; 3 – The local governments are not involved in the process (only a minimal consultation); 4 – The responsibility of the social process lies with Regional governments; 5 – The Regional governments don’t know the Europe 2020 process ; 6 – A coordinated strategy at regional/local level for the social/anti poverty process is fundamental;

2. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? EAPN WORKSHOP ON EU 2020 STRATEGY – 30/09/2013 The results of Italian NPR 2013 A short update after the initial considerations: - The target of poverty reduction decided by the government in 2010 was 2,200,000 persons but from the 2013 NPR there is an increase of poverty of 2,369,000 person. So, the new target of poverty reduction is now 4,569,000 persons. - The only real measure of the Italian government to combat poverty is not really efficient & limited only to a social card: The monthly benefit will be € 231 for households with two persons, to € 404 maximum for households with five or more members. - The good news: the new social card is a benefit that can both by EU and non-EU citizens who are long-term residents.

3. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: the experimentation of anti poverty program in Basilicata Region According to the Lisbon strategy and of the OMC process: 1 – Cilap Basilicata with the support of Province of Potenza printed, in the year 2004, the first report on poverty and social exclusion in Basilicata Region and the first study about social services in the municipalities of the Province of Potenza 2 – The Region Basilicata in the year 2004 introduced the anti poverty objective into the regional programs ; 3 – In 2004/2005, an anti poverty program was put in place with an experimentation of minimum income (cittadinanzasolidale) with ESF resources ; 4 – This first limited experience stimulated a reflection about a universal measure finalized to combat poverty; 5 – In 2008, the program changed of name : COPES ( Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion) with an ambitious objective of active inclusion for persons and families targeted by the program, also with support of ESF fund; 6 – This program is funded till end 2013; 6 – After 2013??????

4. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience • The regional experience: • the new perspective • In the summer of year 2011: • 1 – CILAP Basilicata with the collaboration of Province of Potenza printed the “Report on poverty and social exclusion in Basilicata Region”; • 2 – In the report there are the following request/solicitation: • "The challenge faced by the regions could start right from the establishment of the" Regional Platforms against poverty “which are based on the guidelines produced by the Commission: • - Delivering actions across the whole policy spectrum: such as the labor market, minimum income support, healthcare, education, housing and access to basic banking accounts, (creation of a regional strategy and effective actions); • - Greater, better and more effective use of EU funds in support of social inclusion; • - The promotion of social innovation based on experience; • - Work in partnership and harnessing the potential of the social economy; • A greater and effective participation of persons living in poverty; • Greater and better coordination of policies between the different departments of regions and between Region and the Central Government. • 3 – The president of Region organized a meeting with NGOs and other actors (political and social) to get an understanding of the situation and to put in place a strategy to combat poverty and exclusion.

5. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: the new perspective After other meeting with political actors, NGOs, Administration Representatives: 1 – A transversal working group representing different actors was set up ( Region - NGO (CILAP) and ISTAT) aimed at preparing a first draft of the “Report on social cohesion in Basilicata Region”; 2 – The conclusions of the report stimulated the Region to elaborate a regional strategy to combat poverty through the setting up of an effective “Regional Platform against poverty and social exclusion” with the use of the OMC methodology; 2 – Submission of this draft Report to the President of the Region - a large presentation of the report organised for local administrations, social partners, organizations of the voluntary sector, Banks, Cooperatives, Caritas, economics actors and others actors interested. 3 – This large presentation was very participate and all actors declared they wanted to be effective volunteers to participate in the Regional Platform.

6. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: the new perspective Results from the presentation: 1 – Organization of 5 transversal working group related to the next themes: a – employment; b – effective access to the rights; c – financial inclusion; d – children and youth people; e – governance of social politics; The policy proposals - deriving from the conclusion of these groups, coordinated by the authors of the Report - will be presented in a large “Regional Conference against poverty and for social inclusion”; 2 – After the first stage of the working groups, the coordinators prepared a first draft of the results of the work and, then, policy proposals coming out from the working groups; 3 – Next month, the new meeting of working groups is scheduled to finalize policy proposals to be submitted to the Regional parliament .

7. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: the new perspective The firsts proposals: 1 – The official start of the “Regional Platform on poverty and social exclusion” 2 – Development of the current program COPES for a real “adequateminimum income”. As a first step, this tool might initially target young unemployed, flanking it with instruments of active labor market policy based on activation support for finding employment, supporting self-employment and / or the establishment of social cooperatives, etc. ; 3 – Convening, on a yearly basis, of a "Regional Conference against poverty and for social inclusion" that is based on the contribution of all active stakeholders and representatives of social organizations, social partners, local communities, people living in poverty and exclusion, operators and experts, through annual thematic working groups; 4 - Aim: creation of a regional process involving people living in poverty so that, on the basis of their direct experience, they can actively contribute to the definition of policies for social inclusion

8. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: the new perspective The first proposals: 5 –Continuation of the analysis of social phenomena with a “Report on Social Cohesion” with annual surveys carried out at local level with the support of the voluntary sector; 6 – Revitalization, including through greater promotion of the knowledge of the instrument and a drastic simplification of access to funding for applicants, the micro-credit system, combined with an assistance during the start-up phase; 7 – Creation of business incubators on different areas, with limited resources, to promote the growth of businesses, for the young people or person receiving minimum income, perhaps financed by the micro-credit system; 8 – Improvement of home care & social assistance services, aiming to reduce to a minimum the structured services, both for cost reasons and greater well-being of clients;

9. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: the new perspective The firsts proposals: 9 –Creation of a “social” market to stimulate the development of the third sector, with implications for employment in the field of cultural and leisure for the elderly, awareness raising about the fact that the ageing population will create a regional demand for specific services for the elderly, in line with the parameters of the Silver Economy; 10 – Invest massively in improving school and university education to upgrade educational standards, but also stimulate university education especially in science subjects; 11 - The brain drain requires an improvement of the system of innovation and research by encouraging entrepreneurial innovation in connection with university research and innovative companies, especially start-ups university, a greater number of training activities should benefit to those in first insertion into the labor market;

10. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: Conclusions 1 - This experience confirms that in the absence of a national process (due to a variety of difficulties), the development of effective bottom-up processes of knowledge and participation is possible; It is a long way, more difficult, requires a long work of activation sensitivity, political pressure, the involvement of different stakeholders (partnership), but that can be effective and open new avenues and opportunities; 2 – If the local authorities are responsible or co-responsible for social inclusion policies, this leads to promote awareness of the political responsibility which is not isolated but part of a larger process that involves all EU countries. From this process and from the experiences of others (good practice) they can learn a lot, and often difficult issues have already been tackled by others and can be replicated at local level; the participation of all stakeholders is an important aspect that brings innovative ideas and solutions

11. What Progress on Poverty and Participation? The Italian experience The regional experience: Conclusions 3 - The knowledge of a European process frequently stops at the level of central government but it must be replicated at local level and widespread at all levels to be initiate new bottom-up policies and innovative experiences, and to open local policy makers and local officials to new perspectives, interests and solutions; 4 – An important aspect was a lack of knowledge of the OMC and a missing dialogue on governance and policies by various regional departments. It will be necessary to implement all actions aiming at boosting a governance process with equal dignity among all the regional departments that may be interested on activation of social cohesion policies and the fight against poverty;