SOCIAL EXCLUSION
(21161)
6715/00
COM(00) 79
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Commission Communication: Building an Inclusive Europe.
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| Legal base:
| — |
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| Document originated:
| 1 March 2000
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| Forwarded to the Council:
| 6 March 2000
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| Deposited in Parliament:
| 25 April 2000
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| Department: |
Social Security |
| Basis of consideration:
| EM of 3 May 2000
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| Previous Committee Report:
| None |
| To be discussed in Council:
| Already discussed — see below
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| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important
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| Committee's decision:
| Cleared |
Background
14.1 The Amsterdam Treaty committed the
Community to promote more inclusive economies and societies. It
gave the Community and the Commission new powers to promote co-operation
between Member States in the areas of social and employment policies
in order to strengthen social cohesion.
The document
14.2 This Communication formed part of the
Commission's contribution to the Lisbon European Council on employment,
economic reform and social cohesion held on 23 and 24 March 2000.
It proposes that the Commission should broaden the scope of policy
co-operation and establish a new initiative to support Member
States' efforts to combat social exclusion.
14.3 Social exclusion is defined as a multi-dimensional
phenomenon and the Communication highlights the need for society
to ensure equal opportunities and access to the labour market,
education and health care. It identifies unemployment rather than
low income as the main single factor leading to social exclusion
and that structural changes taking place in society may both reduce
and increase exclusion. It also identifies socio-demographic change
and 'territorialisation' (geographic polarisation of developments)
as factors.
14.4 The Communication describes the extent
to which Member States are now recognising the need to co-ordinate
and pursue actions to combat social exclusion and the variety
of approaches adopted. It suggests that these provide a basis
for the Community to foster co-operation and exchange of best
practices between Member States.
14.5 The Communication goes on to identify
existing Community policies which contribute to social inclusion,
principally through the Employment Guidelines and the Structural
Funds but also through education, training and research initiatives.
14.6 It notes the degree of agreement, expressed
at the informal meeting of Social Affairs Ministers in Lisbon
on 11-12 February 2000, that economic and social policies should
be more socially inclusive and that social inclusion should be
mainstreamed within the EU framework of co-operation on employment
and social protection. It proposes that the Lisbon Council on
23-24 March should commit to develop practical co-operation and
common objectives for social inclusion, possibly with targets
at EU level. It makes a number of specific proposals to that end,
which were considered at the Lisbon Council.
The Government's view
14.7 In her Explanatory Memorandum of 3
May 2000, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department
of Social Security (Angela Eagle) says that:
"The Government recognises
the importance of the need to tackle social exclusion at both
a national and EU level. It set out its own strategy for tackling
poverty and social exclusion in its report 'Opportunity for all'
which was published in September 1999 and includes over 30 indicators
by which progress would be measured.
"The Government is continuing to seek ways in
which this strategy can be developed and it welcomes opportunities
for the exchange of information and experience, and the dissemination
of best practice across Member States.
"It should be noted that the Lisbon Special
Council on 23-24 March concluded that Member States should develop
national programmes for combating social exclusion with the involvement
of the High Level Group on Social Protection."[24]
Conclusion
14.8 We report on this document partly
to draw attention to the actions and proposals now flowing from
the wider Community powers in the Treaty of Amsterdam in the areas
of social and economic policies. It also fits into a wider pattern
in which the Community is promoting the development of mutually
reinforcing employment and economic policies and recognising the
need also to integrate social cohesion objectives. It relates
also to the objectives of creating "e-Europe", on which
the Commission provided separate Communications for the Lisbon
summit.
14.9 The Minister briefly summarises
the conclusion of the Lisbon Special Council on the Commission's
proposals. We do not think that the summary fully reflects the
outcome. For the record, we set out below an extract from the
Council Conclusions.
"Policies for combating
social exclusion should be based on an open method of co-ordination
combining national action plans and a Commission initiative for
co-operation in this field to be presented by June 2000.
"In particular, the European Council invites
the Council and the Commission to:
"— promote a better understanding
of social exclusion through continued dialogue and exchanges of
information and best practice, on the basis of commonly agreed
indicators; the High Level Working Party on Social Protection
will be involved in establishing these indicators;
"— mainstream the promotion of
inclusion in Member States' employment, education and training,
health and housing policies, this being complemented at Community
level by action under the Structural Funds within the present
budgetary framework;
"— develop priority actions addressed
to specific target groups (for example minority groups, children,
the elderly and the disabled), with Member States choosing amongst
those actions according to their particular situations and reporting
subsequently on their implementation.
"Taking account of the present conclusions,
the Council will pursue its reflection on the future direction
of social policy on the basis of a Commission communication, with
a view to reaching agreement on a European Social Agenda at the
Nice European Council in December, including the initiatives of
the different partners involved."
14.10 We look forward to seeing the follow-up
Communication from the Commission. However, we have no questions
to ask on this document and we clear it accordingly.
24 See (21098) 7083/00: HC 23-xv (1999-2000), paragraph
11 (19 April 2000). Back
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