The faces of poverty” “

Single parents, mainly mothers; families with a large number of children or with one or more members in a situation of chronic illness or disability, mental illness, drug addiction or alcoholism; refugees and asylum-seekers; unemployed or employees with too low wages: these are the “emergencies of poverty” that Europe is called to tackle, according to the Report of Caritas Europe with the title “The faces of poverty in Europe. The need for policies aimed at the family”, which will be presented in Brussels, in the European Parliament, on 16 February. The Report, the second after the one issued in 2001, analyses the situation of the poorest families in 42 European countries. According to recent data of the European Commission, 15% of the European population – i.e. over 55 million people – are at risk from poverty. The emergency of “single mothers”. The 44 organizations that compose the Caritas Europe network have been able to ascertain that, in many cases, “Europe remains no more than an ideal”. Among the continent’s major problems, Caritas Europe expresses particular concern about the situation of “single mothers” who form the family nucleus most in difficulty at this time. It therefore recommends that “the quantity and quality of structures for child care be improved”. The tax regime too ought to benefit the family. In Russia, for example, families spend 23% of monthly income on the bringing up of children. The equivalent figure in Georgia is 9%, in Austria 16%, in Spain 15%, and in the UK as much as 63.5%. With the exception of France and Germany, “there is an evident lack of social policies for the family” in Europe. The Report recommends that governments devote greater protection to maternity, in view of the fact that “too often, in central and eastern Europe, pregnancy means running the risk of losing one’s job”. The cost of housing too – both mortgages and rents – “forms the most onerous part of family expenditure”. Average expenditure on rent absorbs “50% of the income of a family in Russia, the UK, Austria and Spain”. Apart from single mothers, other families in difficulty are those with a large number of children or with situations of illness or disability, immigrants, refugees, the unemployed and workers on low wages. Appeals to governments. Concerning the problem of unemployment and low wages, Caritas Europe urges governments to launch or reinforce programmes “to help the young to find their first job and embark on a working career”. It also appeals to them to take practical steps to reduce “long-term unemployment through the implementation of programmes for reinsertion in the labour market” and for professional reskilling, as well as the promotion of the empowerment of the poor, in other words giving the most disadvantaged classes greater chances of improving their situation. Moreover, “citizens are often in the dark about the benefits reserved for them and unable to enter into contact with often complicated bureaucracies. Governments must ensure that citizens be informed of their rights, and facilitate the system of access to benefits”. But above all, “they ought to define realistic national guidelines to combat poverty, and establish a decent and proper minimum wage”. Special programmes are also needed to counter “the growing number of street children in some countries, including Moldavia and Russia” and to prevent the risk of social exclusion run by people with disabilities. Appeals to the EU. Caritas Europe asks the EU for “a renewed commitment” to the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy in combating poverty and social exclusion. “Citizens must be conscious of this strategy – says the Report – and actively encouraged to participate in its realization”. The support of national action plans is important in this sense. Caritas Europe also calls for “greater connection between the Regional Structural Fund and European Social Fund”, by investing the resources of the Regional Fund “in the personnel of the services in the poorest regions” through “ongoing training, professional qualification and the creation of better quality of work”. As regards immigrants and refugees, Caritas Europe recalls the need for families to be reunited and regrets the recent EU Directive on family reunification since “it fails to fulfil the commitment to ensure the family’s social protection”. After the European Year for disabled persons, Caritas Europe proposes a “European Year for single parents”.