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EU Social Inclusion Strategy

The Social Inclusion Process
National Action Plans (NAP)
Assessment of NAPs/inclusion
Funding programmes
Other information on social inclusion

The Social Inclusion Process

Following the introduction under Article 136 and 137 EC by the Amsterdam Treaty of the fight against social exclusion among the social policy provisions, the European Council of Lisbon in March 2000 recognised that the extent of poverty and social exclusion was unacceptable. Building a more inclusive European Union was thus considered as an essential element in achieving the Union's ten year strategic goal of sustained economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The Lisbon Council agreed to adopt an Open Method of Coordination in order to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion by 2010.

Monitoring progress towards the objectives of the European Strategy for Social Protection and Social Inclusion

The European Commission has published a Staff Working Document on "monitoring progress towards the objectives of the European Strategy for Social Protection and Social Inclusion". The paper presents an analysis of the social situation in Member States with regards to the common objectives of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion. It reviews the full set of indicators developed and agreed by the Member States in the context of this strategy. Download document (October 08) >>

New framework for the open method of coordination (OMC) on social protection and social inclusion
The European Commission recently adopted a Communication on "Working together, Working better: A new framework for the open coordination of social protection and inclusion policies in the European Union", which sets out the Commission's proposals to create - from Autumn 2006 - a streamlined framework for further development of the OMC on Social Protection and Social Inclusion.
To download the Communication (available in all Community languages) click here>>

Key documents:

• Lisbon Strategy
  In March 2000, the European Council in Lisbon set out a ten-year strategy to make the EU the world's most dynamic and competitive economy. Under the strategy, a stronger economy will drive job creation alongside social and environmental policies that ensure sustainable development and social inclusion.
• Social Protection Committee
  The Social Protection Committee (SPC) was established in 2000 in order the serve as a vehicle for cooperative exchange between the European Commission and the Member States of the EU about modernising and improving social protection systems.
• Common Objectives on poverty and social exclusion which were agreed at the Nice Summit in December 2000 and were revised at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in December 2002.
• Joint Memoranda on Social Inclusion ; these outline the situation and policy priorities in relation to poverty and social exclusion in the acceding countries. They were signed by the Commission and national authorities in December 2003.
• Common Indicators to provide a means of monitoring progress and comparing best practice

2008

• Building a stronger EU Social Inclusion Process (May 2008)
  "Feeding in" and "feeding out": The extent of synergies between growth and jobs policies and social inclusion policies across the EU is a synthesis report which provides and independent overview based on the 2007 second semester national reports of national independent experts on social inclusion. Read report
  
• Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2008
  The Commission has adopted the proposal for a Joint Report on social protection and social inclusion. This fourth Report examines more in depth a set of themes ide ntified in last year's edition such as child poverty, health inequalities, access to health care and evolving long-term care needs, and longer working lives and privately managed pensions. Read report>> ( available in all the community languages)
  
  
• Social Europe can take on globalisation: EU study
  "The European social model is more valid than ever, but needs to get in better shape to take on the challenges posed by globalization" says a major new study presented by the European Commission on 11 April. The results of the study will be discussed at a high-level conference in Brussels on 16 April on the social implications of globalisation and how to turn it into an opportunity for the European Union. Read more>>

2007

• The European Commission has adopted a EU Joint Report on Social Inclusion and Social Protection (19.1.2007). This edition of the Joint Report draws on the National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion which the Member States have recently submitted.
  The Social Protection Committee has discussed the proposal for Joint Report at its meeting on 25 January and will transmit it to the EPSCO Council on 22 February for adoption. It will then be submitted to the Spring European Council to inform Heads of State and Government on the progress in the area of social protection and social inclusion. The aim is for the key messages emerging from the report to drive policy efforts in the areas of social protection and social inclusion over the next couple of years in EU-27).Read report in English, French, Spanish, Italian

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National Action Plans on social inclusion

The National Action Plans (NAPsincl) against poverty and social exclusion are a fundamental component of the open method of co-ordination as established in the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council.

Member States have been asked to draw up their own National Action Plans on Social inclusion. These should provide an opportunity for assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the main policy instruments already in place in the light of the common objectives and then focus on how the Member States' policies and actions, whether at national, regional or local level, will be further strengthened so as to meet the objective set in Lisbon of making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion.

Thus, while taking into account the overall national situations and existing policy framework, the National Action Plans should identify what specific and concrete changes or additions are proposed to existing policies or programmes or what new initiatives are planned in order to address identified problems and weaknesses.

NAPsincl covers a period of two years - the first plans were adopted by the Member States in June 2001. A second round of plans was submitted in 2003.

Following enlargement ten new Member States submitted their first National Action Plans/inclusion in July 2004. In these plans each new member state analyses the situation in relation to poverty and social exclusion, presents the strategy, objectives and targets it has established for the two year period from mid-2004 to mid-2006 and identifies the specific actions it proposes to implement in order to achieve them.

NAPsincl 2003/2004

NAPSincl 2006-2008

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Assessment of the National Action Plans for social inclusion (NAPs/inclusion)

The European Commission carries out assessments of the National Action Plans for social inclusion (NAPs/inclusion) that all Member States submit every two years.

Joint Report on Social Inclusion and Social Protection 2007
The European Commission has adopted a EU Joint Report on Social Inclusion and Social Protection (19.1.2007). This edition of the Joint Report draws on the National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion which the Member States have recently submitted.
Read report in English, French, Spanish, Italian

Read Joint Reports on Social Inclusion (2003) (English version - French version)

Member States have also produced implementation reports of the previous round of NAPsinl (2004-2006). Read implementation reports>>

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Funding programmes: Community Action Programme to combat and prevent social exclusion

The Community Action Programme is meant to support cooperation which enables the Community and the Member States to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of policies to combat social exclusion by:

The two main vehicles for promoting transnational exchange and cooperation under the Community action programme are the Transnational Exchange Programme and the Programme of Pier reviews.

Transnational Exchange Programme
The main objective of the Transnational Exchange Programme is to promote and support the organisation of exchanges and promote mutual learning between Member States, candidate countries and EFTA and EEA countries.

The second call for proposal will support co-operation projects with view to enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of policies and programmes to combat poverty and social exclusion and to encourage co-operation between Member States to combat social exclusion. The deadline for project proposals has been extended to the 18 th February 2005.

Peer review prorgamme
The peer review programme is a mutual voluntary learning process on the base of systematic exchange of experiences and evaluation of policies, programmes or institutional arrangements presented in the various NAP/inclusion - The programme will begin in 2004.

It is foreseen to have a maximum of eight reviews per year. The proposed maximum number of peer participating countries will be five to six with a minimum of three.

The objective of the Programme of pier reviews will be to assess the effectiveness of key policies or institutions and encourage the dissemination of good practice input across Member States. It could also contribute to the dialogue with stakeholders such as social partners and NGOs and where appropriate, people experiencing poverty and social exclusion.

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Other information on social inclusion

European Commission website on 'growth and jobs'
This website contains information on reports and activities of the European Commission in relation to the Lisbon strategy and its aim for more and better jobs.

Eurobarometer survey on Social Precarity and Social Integration
The European Union's efforts to promote social inclusion are reinforced by the results of the Eurobarometer survey 56.1 on Social Precarity and Social Integration. This survey was carried out in all 15 Member States of the EU for the DG Employment and Social Affairs of the European Commission.
Read English version - French version

Non-governmental Expert Reports on first National Action Plans (June 2001- June 2003)
Since December 2002, DG Employment and Social Affairs is assisted by a network of non-governmental experts in the field of social inclusion. The aim of the network is to provide information and analysis enabling the Commission to assess the implementation of the National Action Plans against poverty and social exclusion. A first series of reports is now available, documenting how the NAPs/incl (2001-2003) were implemented and focusing on particular on the major policy measures, the institutional arrangements in place, the mobilization of all actors and possible changes in the context or political priorities.
Read more>>

Social Inclusion in the New Member States
This Commission Staff Working Paper is a synthesis of the Joint Memoranda on Social Inclusion (JIM) which were signed jointly in December 2003 by the Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs and the Ministers responsible for Social Affairs of the new Member States. The report examines the main challenges the new Member States face in order to combat poverty and social exclusion and to promote greater social cohesion. (More Information...)

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