31 Social inclusion
| (25230)
16241/03
COM (03) 773
+ ADD 1
| (a) Commission Communication — Joint report on social inclusion summarising the results of the examination of the National Action Plans for Social Inclusion (2003-05)
(b) Commission staff working paper — Statistical Annex
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 12 December 2003
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| Deposited in Parliament | 13 January 2004
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| Department | Work and Pensions
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 20 January 2004
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | 4 and 5 March 2004
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | (Both) Cleared
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Background
31.1 In March 2000, the Lisbon European Council called on Member
States and the Commission to make a decisive impact on the eradication
of poverty by 2010. It also agreed that Member States should
coordinate their policies for combating poverty and social exclusion
on the basis of an "open method of coordination", combining
common objectives, national action plans, and common indicators.
31.2 Member States produced their first National
Action Plans for Social Inclusion (NAPs) in July 2001. The NAPs
covered a two year period. The Council and the Commission presented
their first Joint Report on Social Inclusion to the Laeken European
Council in December 2001.[68]
Last July, Member States produced their NAPs for 2003 to 2005.
31.3 The Commission uses the following terms:
- At risk of poverty —
individuals living in households where income is below 60% of
the national median income.
- Social exclusion — the process by which
people are prevented from participating fully in society because
of their poverty or lack of basic competencies and lifelong learning
opportunities, or by discrimination.
- Social inclusion —the process by which
people at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities
to participate fully in society and enjoy a standard of living
considered to be normal in the society in which they live.
The documents
31.4 Document (a) is intended to provide the basis
for the Joint Report on Social Inclusion which the Council and
the Commission will present to this Spring's European Council.
The Joint Report will provide an assessment of progress so far
towards the goals defined by the Lisbon Council.
31.5 Using a defined set of common indicators of
poverty and social exclusion, document (b) provides detailed statistical
tables showing the situation in each Member State (for example,
proportion of people at risk of poverty by age group, household
type and gender; long-term unemployment rate by gender; early
school-leavers not in education or training).
31.6 Document (a) is in two parts. Part I contains
an analysis of trends in social inclusion across the EU, identifies
the main challenges as perceived by Member States, highlights
good practice and sets out six priorities to which Member States
are urged to pay particular attention over the course of the next
two years. Part II contains a summary of each Member State's
NAP.
31.7 The Commission says that the progress of social
inclusion over the last few years has to be seen in the context
of the economic slowdown in the EU. The average unemployment
rate for the EU as a whole rose to 7.7% in 2002 and was forecast
to rise to 8.1% in 2003. The employment rate for women in 2002
was 55.6% and the rate for men was 72.8%. The growing proportion
of the population aged over 65 will increase demands on society
to provide support for older people. There is also a striking
rise in the number of children living in one-parent households.
31.8 These demographic trends are important because
people who are unemployed, old, or living in single-parent households
have a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion. So, too,
do immigrants and people with disabilities or poor health and
people with a low level of education and training.
31.9 The Commission says:[69]
"The overarching policy challenge that emerges
from the NAPs is the need for Member States to ensure that there
is a strong integration of economic, employment, lifelong learning,
cultural and social policies and that a concern with preventing
and eradicating poverty and social exclusion is mainstreamed across
all these policy areas".
31.10 The Commission urges Member States to pay particular
attention over the next two to three years to the following six
key priorities:
i) Promoting investment in people who have the
most difficulty in getting employment and tailoring labour market
measures to meet their needs.
ii) Ensuring that social protection schemes are
adequate, accessible and provide incentives to people who can
work.
iii) Increasing the access of the people who
are most vulnerable and at risk of poverty to decent housing and
health services and to learning opportunities.
iv) Making a concerted effort to prevent early
school leaving and to promote a smooth transition from school
to work.
v) Ending child poverty.
vi) Reducing poverty and social exclusion among
immigrants and ethnic minorities.
31.11 Document (a) contains an extensive commentary
on the strategic approaches adopted in the NAPs. For example,
the document says:[70]
"The United Kingdom strategy to tackle problems
of poverty and social exclusion is broad and comprehensive. It
is based on the improvement of employment opportunities and on
a longer-term investment in public services with a view to enhancing
the quality of these services. A key objective is the eradication
of child poverty".
31.12 In the Commission's view, in order to keep
up the momentum towards the Lisbon goals, Member States and the
European institutions should, among other things:
- Involve the community as well
as marginalised people in the implementation and monitoring of
NAPs.
- Ensure that social inclusion priorities identified
in the NAPs are reflected in the mid-term review of the Structural
Funds and in the consideration of the post-2006 financial perspectives.
- Make full use of the pool of good practice displayed
in the NAPs.
- Ensure that there is consistency between the
EU's social inclusion goals and the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines
and the European Employment Strategy.
The Government's view
31.13 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the Department of Work and Pensions (Mr Chris Pond) says that
document (a) highlights the UK's continued strong macro-economic
performance which has led to sustained high levels of employment
since the NAP of 2001. The Government welcomes the document.
It provides an overview which will help make the strategy for
combating poverty in the UK and other Member States more effective.
The document is consistent with the principle of subsidiarity;
it emphasises that overcoming social exclusion is primarily the
responsibility of Member States and their national, regional and
local authorities.
Conclusion
31.14 We draw these documents to the attention
of the House because of the political importance of preventing
poverty and achieving social inclusion in the UK and more widely.
In our view, the documents contain valuable information on the
progress towards these aims and about good practice. They will,
therefore, make a useful contribution to the Joint Report on Social
Inclusion which the Council and the Commission will make to the
European Council in the Spring.
31.15 We clear the documents.
68 (22832) -; see HC 152-vi (2001-02), para 16 (14
November 2001). Back
69
Page 32 of document (a). Back
70
Page 37. Back
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