EN

(...PICT...)|EUROPEAN COMMISSION|

Brussels , 16.12.2010

SEC(2010) 1564 final

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER

List of key initiatives Accompanying document to the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: A European framework for social and territorial cohesion COM(2010) 758 final

1. Delivering action to fight poverty and exclusion across the policy spectrum|

Access to labour market|

Present a Communication providing an in-depth assessment of the implementation of active inclusion strategies at national level, including the effectiveness of minimum income schemes, and of the way in which EU programmes can be used to support active inclusion. |2012||

Social Protection and access to essential services|

Present a White Paper on Pensions, to jointly address sustainability and adequacy of pensions in the post-crisis context, including reflections on how the EU can best support Member State efforts aimed at securing the adequacy of pension benefits and preventing and mitigating poverty among pensioners, both women and men.|2011|Commission Work Programme|

Develop the Voluntary European Quality Framework on social services at a sectoral level, including in the field of long-term care and homelessness.|2011-2013||

Launch a European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. The Partnership will aim at promoting social innovation for the elderly, more equal and affordable access to modernised and responsive care services (i.e. specific aged related care, home based care) and new medical products and devices. |2011-2013|“Innovation Union ”|

Support initiatives for active ageing at all levels of governance and by a wide range of non-governmental stakeholders (social partners, NGOs, businesses) in the context of a European Year for Active Ageing in 2012. |2011-2012||

Undertake an assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of health expenditure, including in relation to the issues highlighted in the communication on "Solidarity in Health : reducing health inequalities in the EU". A Report on Health Inequalities scheduled for 2012 will highlight the mutual links between poor health and poverty. |2011-2012||

Present in 2011 a legislative initiative to ensure access to certain basic banking services and call on the banking sector to submit a self-regulatory initiative geared towards improving the transparency and comparability of bank charges. |2011|“Single Market Act”|

Establish a network of experts on health systems reforms. It will aim at developing new models of more integrated care, as well as promoting innovative and sustainable financing of health care and medical services. |2011||

Education and youth policies|

Propose a Recommendation on child poverty outlining common principles and effective monitoring tools to combat and prevent poverty in early age. |2012||

Present a Communication and a proposal for a Council Recommendation on policies to combat early school leaving.|2011|“Youth on the Move”|

Launch a wide-ranging initiative to promote more effective interventions at all levels of education against the cycle of disadvantage This will include a specific Commission Communication on "Equity in education and training systems to support the European inclusive growth.|2011||

Adopt a Communication with a set of proposals on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) to help Member States strengthen their provision and promote their learning from each other’s good practice. |2011|“Youth on the Move”|

Ensure that any future EU initiatives in the field of youth will include proposals which will, amongst other things, aim to combat poverty and social exclusion among disadvantaged youth through non-formal learning and participative methods.|2011||

Present a Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the promotion and validation of non-formal learning, aimed at helping Member States valuing competences and skills acquired in non-formal settings.|2011||

Migration and integration of migrants|

Present a "New European Agenda on Integration" to better support the efforts of Member States in promoting third-country nationals of diverse cultural, religious, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds to participate actively in European economies and societies.|2011||

Social inclusion and antidiscrimination|

Step up efforts to promote the economic independence of women, as one of the five priorities of the Strategy on equality between women and men for 2010-2015, with a particular emphasis on the higher risk of poverty for older women, lone parents, women with a disability, migrant women and women from ethnic minorities. |2011-2015||

Identify methods and means to best continue the work initiated on homelessness and housing exclusion, taking into account the outcome of the consensus conference of December 2010.|2011-2012||

Assess gaps in the entitlement to family-related leave and monitor the transposition of existing directives related to leave entitlements - maternity, paternal - in the context of the strategy for the Equality between Men and Women (Women face higher at risk of poverty rates also due to their predominance in part-time, precarious and atypical forms of work).|2011-2015||

Ensure appropriate follow up to the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, targeting in particular circumstances and barriers that prevent people with disabilities from enjoying their rights fully. This includes the development of a quality framework for community-based services responsive to the needs of people with disabilities. |2011-2020||

Ensure appropriate follow up to the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being; seek to promote the social inclusion of people with mental disorders|2011-2020||

Present an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies and promote the mobilisation and implementation of the Structural Funds, including the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund in support of Roma inclusion in the current and future programming period. |2011||

Undertake an assessment of National Strategies for the Integration of Roma submitted as part of their National Reform Programmes that Member States are invited to formulate in the context of their commitment to reduce poverty and exclusion.|2012||

Address the issue of Roma inclusion in all relevant EU policies, including social and territorial cohesion, economic development, fundamental rights, gender equality, personal security and protection against discrimination, access to employment, education, housing, health and social services, justice, sports and culture, as well as in EU's relations with third countries.|2011-2020||

Sectoral policies|

Step up efforts to combat the digital divide; support progress towards the key performance target (of halving the proportion of population that has never used the internet by 2015 to 15% and of increasing regular internet use from 60% to 75% by 2015 and from 41% to 60% for disadvantaged people); promote better access to e government for the disadvantaged.|2011-2020|"Digital Agenda for Europe "|

Present proposals in 2011 to make sure that public sector websites (and websites providing basic services to citizens) are fully accessible by 2015 to people with disabilities, and promote the identification and exchange of best practices in the area of e-Inclusion.|2011|"Digital Agenda for Europe "|

Monitor the implementation of the new EU internal energy market legislation, which entails some specific provision on access of vulnerable customers and requires Member States to take appropriate measures, such as: formulating national energy action plans, providing benefits in social security systems to ensure the necessary electricity supply, providing for support for energy efficiency improvements, addressing energy poverty where identified.|2011 (transposition deadline)||

Promote and support the development and implementation of energy efficiency measures (refurbishments of buildings and consumer information) targeting in particular vulnerable consumers and marginalised communities through various financial instruments including the use revenues from auctioned Emission Trading System allowances (Directive 2009/29/EC).|2011-2015||

Provide a voluntary tourism exchange mechanism between Member States, enabling in particular certain key-groups such as young or elderly people, people with reduced mobility and low-income families to travel, particularly during the low season (Calypso). |ongoing||

Support training of workers in the sea-related sectors in need of professional qualifications, with a view to promote employment and contribute to sustainable management of coastal areas.|2011-2013||

External dimension|

Promote the EU agenda for combating poverty and social exclusion worldwide and in particular in enlargement and neighbourhood policy countries. Invite enlargement and neighbourhood policy countries to consider setting explicit and ambitious targets on poverty reduction of disadvantaged communities, in particular Roma. |2011-2020||

2. Making EU Funding deliver on the social inclusion and social cohesion objectives of Europe 2020 |

In line with the Budget Review, t he European Social Fund should be used to sustain Member States' efforts to achieve the Europe 2020 objectives, including the poverty reduction target. This implies that the necessary resources would be devoted to social inclusion while making the access of the relevant stakeholders to those resources easier.The Commission will aim at facilitating access to global grants for small organisations and an improved access to funding for groups with multiple disadvantages and at high risk of poverty.Review the European Social Fund, taking into account the core principles spelled out in the Budget Review, to enhance its contribution to the achievement of the objectives and headline targets set by Europe 2020, in particular the poverty reduction target. The following aspects will be explored:Work on simplification to facilitate the use of the ESF by organisations delivering inclusion policies; Reinforcing support to disadvantaged groups like the Roma and other vulnerable people, including people living in institutions. Support the inclusion of digital literacy and competences under one of the priorities for ESF funding for the 2014-20 period with a view to providing targeted initiatives aimed at people experiencing poverty and social exclusion. Stepping up integrated approaches to fight poverty in certain deprived areas.|2011-2013||

Propose for the new Cohesion Policy post-2013 a Common Strategic Framework (CSF) that will ensure coherence and complementarity between the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Fisheries Fund. The CSF would identify EU priorities to address the European poverty target and the actions set out in this flagship initiative.|2011-2013||

Put forward proposals in 2011 - in line with the 5 th cohesion report - for the new Cohesion Policy regulatory framework for the period post-2013, which will simplify access to the structural funds for local groups and ensure greater complementarity and synergies between EU funds to promote community-based approaches, including for urban regeneration.|2010-2013||

Make full use of financial instruments and in particular, the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development to support social and territorial cohesion, with a particular focus on combating urban and rural deprivation and promoting community-based approaches for local development, including urban regeneration.|2010-2013||

Promote the targeted use of Structural Funds (ESF and ERDF) to support the shift from institutional to community-base care in the areas of parentless children, disabled people and the elderly. |2010-2013||

Give all necessary technical support and guidance to Member States to implement the amendments to the ERDF regulation adopted in May 2010 to support housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities REGULATION (EU) No 437/2010 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 19.5.2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 on the European Regional Development Fund as regards the eligibility of housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities. , and promote the implementation of the new regulation with dedicated seminars.REGULATION (EU) No 437/2010 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 19.5.2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 on the European Regional Development Fund as regards the eligibility of housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities.|2011-2013||

Promote the mobilisation and implementation of the Structural Funds, including the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund in support of Roma inclusion in the current and future programming period, in the framework of an integrated approach, including urban regeneration, housing, childcare, health care facilities, education and training.|2011-2013||

Ensure that the objectives of poverty reduction social inclusion are duly reflected in 7th (2007-2013) Framework Programme on Research and Innovation and its possible successor, in line with the Council conclusions of 26 May 2010 on the Social Dimension of the European Research Area (ERA). |2010-2013|"Innovation Union "|

Consider, in view of the financial framework post-2013, the following objectives for the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: support the involvement of local actors in the decision-making process at local levels; provide support to small-scale farmers; support the development of social infrastructures and social services in rural areas; provide support for training and capacity-building activities to farmers, forestry and food-processing managers. |2011-2012||

Explore the possibility of a joint initiative to support training and knowledge building for non agricultural businesses and people in rural areas working outside agricultural, food industry and forestry sectors to improve their capacity to cope with competitiveness challenges and ensure stable income flows. |2011||

Ensure proper implementation of the Food distribution programme for the most deprived persons in the EU, reaching out to 13 million European citizens each year. |2011-2013||

Ensure proper implementation of the School Fruit Scheme launched in 2009 in order to encourage good eating habits among young people, including from low income families, by supplying them with fruit and vegetable at school. |2011-2013||

Ensure proper implementation of the School Milk Scheme, which aims to encourage consumption of health dairy products among children, contribute to healthy way of living and to nutritional education. |2011-2013||

The use of micro-credits should be underpinned by capacity building initiatives at local level and possible legislation changes in Member States favouring their use by marginalised and vulnerable communities, such as the JASMINE initiative|2011-2013||

Developing an evidence-based approach to social innovations and reforms|

Launch a major initiative to promote social innovation. The initiative would: establish a "high-level steering committee" to provide advice and guidance on developing EU actions in this field; create a European research excellence network promoting capacity building for the design and evaluation of social innovation programmes; launch a European research project in the area of social innovation aimed at devising workable methods and concrete impact measurements; define common principles about designing, implementing and evaluating small scale projects designed to test policy innovations (or reforms) before adopting them more widely (social experiments); ensure communication and awareness raising about relevant ongoing social innovation; make use of existing financial instruments, including PROGRESS, to support evidence-based social innovation and experimentation.|2011-2012||

Exploring the best ways and formulate proposals for social innovation in the new financial framework, including through the ESF and possibly new financing facilities.|2011-2012||

Develop cross-sectoral approaches that articulate actions in several related policy fields such as employment, education, health, youth, housing, migration and social protection that have the potential to lead to social innovation.|2011-2012||

3. Promoting a partnership approach and the social economy|

Promote the sustainable involvement of civil society through the PROGRESS programme by providing support to key EU wide networks as well as through regular exchanges and partnerships between a wider set of stakeholders in specific priority areas, such as active inclusion, child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness and financial inclusion. |Ongoing ||

Elaborate voluntary guidelines on stakeholders’ involvement (and the participation of people experiencing poverty) in the definition and the implementation of policy actions and programmes to address poverty and exclusion, and promote their implementation at national, regional and local level.|2011-12||

Organise regular exchanges with stakeholders on key thematic priorities and in particular: active inclusion, child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness and housing exclusion, financial inclusion. |As of 2011 ||

Cooperate with Social Partners to support the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Active Inclusion of people further from the labour market.|Ongoing||

Propose measures to improve the quality of the legal structures relating to foundations, mutual societies and cooperatives in order to optimise their functioning and facilitate their development within the single market.|2011-2012|“Single Market Act”|

Develop awareness-raising actions on social economy's benefits targeting key public and private actors (including public services and entrepreneurs) and enhance access of social economy actors to relevant EU financial programmes, among others by supporting the development of partnerships around active inclusion measures.|2011-2013||

Propose a Social Business Initiative in order to support and accompany the development of socially innovative corporate projects within the single market by means of in particular social ratings, ethical and environmental labelling, revised rules on public procurement, the introduction of a new investment fund regime and the use of dormant savings.|2011|“Single Market Act”|

Promote actions to increase understanding and use of social inclusion considerations in public procurement.|2011-2013||

Develop a new policy initiative on CSR in 2011, concentrating on CSR reporting/disclosure, business and human rights, the international aspects of CSR, and especially the employment and enterprise aspects of Europe 2020.|2011||

4. Stepping up policy coordination between the Member States|

Assist and advise Member States in view of the definition of national targets for the reduction of poverty and exclusion and of the most appropriate policies and reforms to meet the targets.|Ongoing||

Based on the experience of the first European Semester of Europe 2020, the Commission will discuss with Member States and other institutional and non-institutional actors, how to best adapt the working methods  of the  Social Open Method of Coordination to the new governance of  Europe 2020.  The Commission will present a report summarising the orientations emerged and the follow up it will give to it.|2011||

Support the work of the Social Protection Committee, including work of the Indicators Subgroup, to improve and develop social indicators, disaggregated by relevant target group, enhancing their quality and timely availability.|Ongoing||

Undertake a comprehensive assessment of national policies in the field of social protection and social inclusion, including links with anti-discrimination and equality, before the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy, in close cooperation with the Social Protection Committee.|2013-2014||

Support and enhance mutual learning and transfer of best practices, notably by linking activities in this area to the new initiative on social innovations.|2011-2012||

5. Building on the legacy of the European Year 2010 against poverty and social exclusion|

Strengthen the dialogue with the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, in particular through regular exchanges on progress towards the poverty target.|Ongoing||

Continue an open, transparent and regular dialogue with stakeholders and civil society including relevant faith based organisations on the themes of poverty and social inclusion, in line with Art.17 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union.|Ongoing||

The Commission will work with other EU institutions and bodies to transform the Annual Round Table on Poverty and Exclusion into a wider Annual Convention of the European Platform designed to bring together all relevant actors. This event will take place in autumn, in proximity of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty . The Annual Convention will take stock of progress made towards the headline target, review the implementation of the activities announced under the Platform and provide suggestions for future action.|2011||

[1] REGULATION (EU) No 437/2010 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 19.5.2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 on the European Regional Development Fund as regards the eligibility of housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities.