A special year

In 2010 – proclaimed by the EU the European Year for combating Poverty and Social Exclusion – indigence, widespread marginalization, as well as starkly unequal opportunities for social brackets and individuals, have not decreased. In fact, the special Year coincided with one of the most acute phases of the international economic crisis, in terms of its heavy repercussions on employment, job losses, plummeting financial resources and greater strive to make ends meet. Maybe also for this reason, the trail left by the European Year should not be overlooked. Concrete objectives and actions. The EU’s declared objectives for the Year (events and documents available on the website www.2010againstpoverty.eu) were to raise public awareness over these issues and “renew the political commitment of the EU and its Member States to combat poverty and social exclusion”, “to give voice to the concerns of people who have to live with poverty and social exclusion, and to inspire every European citizen and other stakeholders to engage with these important issues”. Launched in October 2009, the Year was inaugurated by a conference held in Madrid in January 2010 and came to a close with a two-day meeting in Brussels on December 16-17. The EU’s initiative was based on the premise that in its Member States -characterized by legislative, welfare and cultural instruments that could “make the difference” in the fight against poverty and social exclusion – over 80 million people live in destitution and marginalization or fall “below the poverty line”. This state of affairs must be addressed with concrete measures – as has been reiterated during the Year – also given the fact that the basic principle on which Community integration reposes is the solidarity between States, peoples, and towards those in need. Initiatives and promises. Hence the pledge to identify the causes of poverty whilst relaunching political, national and Community commitments to provide a dignified home to all Europeans, to ensure dignified employment and family incomes, to offer quality services to ill and elderly people, to ensure to everyone, to the young and to the old, equal access to education. In this framework certain “categories” are granted greater attention. These are the disabled, children, large families, migrants, minorities … Thus over the past twelve months events were held in all Member States as well as in Norway and Iceland, as in Brussels and Strasburg, the seats of EU institutions. Public-awareness campaigns were carried out, along with workshops and seminars in schools, audiovisual presentations, publications, and handouts of all sorts. EU institutions approved documents featuring good intentions and agreed to adopt concrete measures, stepping up projects in areas ranging from health to vocational training, from housing to education (“ignorance is one of the primary forms of poverty”, as was reiterated on several occasions). In launching the new Europe 2020 Strategy for economic growth and employment past June the European Council included the fight against poverty amongst its solemn commitments, and it set the target of “taking 20 million people out of poverty by 2020”. The next steps. “Combating poverty is both a moral duty and an economic necessity. With millions still living on the margins of society we are wasting our human resources. Children, young people, migrants, the elderly and other vulnerable groups need particular attention”. On December 16 Laszló Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion drew a balance of the Year 2010 and presented the communication titled ‘The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion’, which highlights guidelines for implementing the related commitments. The communication, Andor said, “sets out actions to bolster work at all levels to reach the EU headline poverty reduction target”. The document provides for a set of measures such as: active inclusion strategies; stepping up efforts to integrate minority groups “like the Roma people”; “promoting innovation in social policy”; making the best use of all EU funds (such as the European Social Fund) to help impoverished individuals and families. Eurostat: millions of Europeans “at poverty-risk” Over one-hundred million people are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, according to an in-depth survey on EU population issued by Eurostat in connection with the closing of the Year. The publication shows that 81 million people are at risk of poverty in the EU27, while 42 million are “severely materially deprived”.