The EU Commission decided that the year 2010 will be Europe’s year for the fight against poverty and social exclusion and allocated a 17 million Euro budget to the related campaign and events. In presenting the decision to Strasbourg, the Commissioner in charge of Employment and Social Affairs Vladimir Spidla highlighted the importance of “arising awareness on the fact that poverty continues menacing the daily lives of many Europeans”. In fact according to Eurostat, approximately 80 million people, about 16% of the overall EU population, are at risk, to whom must be added 8% of citizens who live below the threshold of poverty. Thanks to the major involvement of political and economic actors, along with social workers and simple citizens, the European Year intends to pursue four major goals: recognition of the right to a dignified life and full social involvement; increase in public responsibility in the policies for social inclusion and against marginalization; awareness of the fact that the uprooting of poverty is an advantage for society as a whole; a long-term commitment at all government levels.
