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Child poverty in the EU’s social inclusion agenda. Intervention by Marie-Anne Paraskevas, European Commission. CONTENT OF INTERVENTION. Child poverty as a priority in the OMC Child poverty in the streamlined OMC - The way ahead. Child poverty in the OMC.
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Child poverty in the EU’s social inclusion agenda Intervention by Marie-Anne Paraskevas, European Commission
CONTENT OF INTERVENTION • Child poverty as a priority in the OMC • Child poverty in the streamlined OMC • - The way ahead
Child poverty in the OMC • Lisbon 2000: Open method of coordination on social inclusion • Children as target group: objectives • National action plans on social inclusion • 2001: EU 15 limited • 2003: 7 out of the EU 15 priority • 2004: 7 out of EU 10 priority
Joint report on social protection and social inclusion • 2002: growing up in a vulnerable family+ transition from school to work: key risks for causing poverty and social exclusion • 2004: break interegenerational inheritance of poverty in order to make long-term progress on the eradication of poverty • 2006: eliminate child poverty and enhance assistance to families becomes one of the key priorities for EU 25
Indicators Sub-group of the Social Protection Committee • -2001: set of agreed indicators on poverty and social exclusion; need to breakdown indicators by age • 2004 JR: as far as possible, children(and elderly) must be given special focus within indicators of social exclusion and poverty
Community Programme against poverty and social exclusion • Preparatory actions 1998-2001 • Reports from Euronet and EFCW • Projects • Action Programme 2002-2006 • Comparative study on child poverty • Study on lone parent households • Projects • Peer review
Spring 2006 European Council • Heads of State and Government ask « member states to take necessary measures to rapidly and significantly reduce child poverty, giving all children equal opportunities, regardless of their social background »
The streamlined Open Method of Coordination • 2006 - new objectives and new arrangements • Guidelines for national strategic reports - action plans on social inclusion • Priorities include prevention and eradication of poverty and social exclusion of children
2006 National strategic reports- NAPS inclusion • Members states respond with clear commitments to the European council’s mandate. Hence: • MS select as a priority the need to develop an integrated and long term approach to preventing and addressing poverty and social exclusion among children
Why we need to address child poverty • JR 2007 • In most EU MS, children are at graeater risk of poverty (19%) than the overall population( 16%) • Children growing in poverty and social exclusion are less likely than peers to do well in school, enjoy good haealth and stay out of dealings with criminal justice system
continued • Child poverty and social exclusion have scarring effects on children’s future life opportunities and on their capacity to contribute to tomorrow’s society; they are likely to face greater difficulties in integrating labour market and find their place in society
2007 focus on child poverty • ISG • in-depth evaluative review on the basis of existing commonly agreed indicators and related statistics • assessment of existing monotoring mechanisms with a view to proposing recommendations for a common framework for analysing and monitoring child poverty
continued • MS within the SPC • Response to Commission’s questionnaire on national policies to combat child poverty and promote child well-being • In depth examination of responses within the SPC, with focus on policies towards children and families in particularly vulnerable situations
continued • Independent experts • Assessmentof child poverty situation in 27 MS and of the overall policy framework in place to address the issue • EU networks • Eurochild • European Social Network • European Anti- Poverty Network • FEANTSA
Key elements resulting from the 2007 exercise • Improving children’s material situation by improving family income through • direct – financial or in kind- support • measures to facilitate parents’ , including lone parents’, acces to labour market and to basic social services
continued • For the benefit of children independently of their parents • need to improve access to quality education, including early schooling, aspecially in deprived areas and for for children from disadvantaged background • early school leaving addressed by measures responding to different profiles
continued • Good governance arrangements • Still unexploited synergies between anti-poverty strategies and children’s rights policies; hence the need to improved coordination within MS as regards their UN and EU obligations • MS are developing mechanisms to monitor and analyse the situation
continued • Financial resources • Insufficient in cases where there are too many needs to be addressed • Yet, efforts to use support opportunities provided in particular through the Structural Funds, in particular the European Social Fund
The way forward • 2007 child poverty focus • Improved understanding with regard to different factors that determine social inclusion and well-being of children • Identified knowledge gaps: need to look futher in cases of disadvantaged and at-risk children • Confirmed that child poverty should remain on top of social agenda