fight against poverty" "
On the occasion of the “World Day for the elimination of poverty” on 17 October 2001, the Belgian Presidency of the European Union organized an extraordinary session of the Employment and Social Affairs Commission of the European Parliament. It provided an opportunity to explain and discuss the draft joint report on poverty and social inclusion recently adopted by the Executive Commission on the basis of the national plans on integration presented by the member States in June (cf. SirEurope no. 2/2001 p.13). The session was chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Budget, social integration and social economics of the Kingdom of Belgium, Johan Vande Lanotte, in the presence of the President of the Social Affairs Commission of the EP Michel Rocard and of EU Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou. Representatives of the NGOs involved in the sector, mayors and members of the EP intervened in the debate. The debate was focused on the development of a community policy against poverty and on the involvement of all the parties concerned: EU, member States, social partners, associations of the poor and less well to do and citizens.
