Welcome to the third edition of the European Social Network (ESN)'s e-newsletter dedicated to promoting social inclusion. This time round, we take a look at the following:

• The results of our recent seminar in Barcelona on access to quality services, highlighting the issue of access as a way to promote social inclusion.
• We look ahead too to the next seminar in the series - to be held in Venice on 20-21 July this year.
• In addition, we report from the European Commission's conference looking back over the lifetime of the Community Action Programme to Combat Social Exclusion.

First ESN Inclusion Seminar// Barcelona, 5-6 April 2006: Access to Quality Services

The seminar, organised by ESN in cooperation with the Diputació de Barcelona, was attended by 35 delegates from 14 European Union (EU) member states as well as over 300 from the province of Barcelona. It was an opportunity to promote the issue of access and the EU Social Inclusion Process, including the preparation of the National Action Plans on Social Inclusion (NAPs/Inclusion 2006-2008).

Delegates drew a number of conclusions from the seminar on access and on several points relating to the preparation of the NAPs. In particular, it was felt that policy-makers and service providers must recognise the multidimensional nature of access, relating not only to physical accessibility, but also to access in rural areas, access through technology, access in the home, amongst others.

It was also recognised that efforts were required from both national coordinators and local government representatives to involve social service providers at the local and regional level in the preparation of the NAPs. The presence of service users at the seminar brought home to delegates the gaps in service provision as experienced by those in need of services; their continued involvement in policy-making was considered highly important. A full report from the seminar, including presentations on good practice and the full recommendations, will soon be available here.

Second ESN Inclusion Seminar// Venice, 20-21 July 2006: Integration and Antidiscrimination

Building on the success of the Barcelona, this seminar will bring together representatives of social services from all levels of government to exchange best practice and experience. We will also review the preparation of the National Action Plans on Social Inclusion 2006-2008 and examine local and regional strategies and plans in this area. Delegates will therefore also discuss how ESN as a network can best bring the lessons learned from the seminar to the attention of European and national policy-makers. To receive further information about the seminar and to register, please contact helen.thorn@socialeurope.com.

Monitoring// The Preparation of the NAPs/Inclusion 2006-2008

Each national government in the European Union has to draw up a National Action Plan on social Inclusion (NAPs/Inclusion). These NAPs will be preceded by a consultation process which should draw on the input of service providers, local authorities, NGOs and other stakeholders. ESN is monitoring the preparation of the NAPs across the EU: you can see our latest update on the preparation of the NAPs as well as a contact list of responsible officials in your country by clicking here.

In the last e-newsletter, we highlighted Ireland's approach to the preparation of the NAP. Now, we turn to Slovakia, where a recent seminar was held, particularly interesting given the participation of excluded persons.

A seminar preparing the national report on strategies for social protection and social inclusion (of which the NAP is one part) was held on 25 April. Around 80 persons participated, representing a broad spectrum of stakeholders including excluded persons and the Higher Territorial Units (HTUs), responsible for social services, as well as NGOs and academics. This event was the first step in involving stakeholders in the preparation of the NAP in a process which would continue on the basis of future bilateral meetings, reviewing the implementation of the NAP 2004-2006 and drawing out the priorities for the new NAP. A new website will be kept updated regularly on the progress of the NAP: www.socialnainkluzia.gov.sk

A conference of HTUs will be held in July on the broader theme of sustainable development; here, the ministry will present the national strategies on social protection and social inclusion, of which the NAP is one part. A separate meeting with the HTUs on the national strategiesand the union of towns and villages is being considered .

ESN is keen to hear from you about your experience of the preparation of the NAPs/Inclusion: what is the situation in your country? Have you taken part in any consultation meetings? Have you been informed by your national government about the NAPs? Write to: stephen.barnett@socialeurope.com

European Commission conference // Brussels, 29-30 March: Learning Together - Lessons drawn from the Community Action Programme to Combat Social Exclusion

ESN attended this conference which reviewed the operation of the CAP/Exclusion 2002-2006. The Programme has funded a range of projects over its lifespan from peer reviews of policies in particular countries to transnational projects on inclusion. The objective of the conference was to allow the Commission to draw conclusions about the CAP ahead of the preparation of its successor programme PROGRESS 2007-2013. Lars-Göran Jansson (Chair) and John Halloran (Managing Director) from ESN were present to put the case for the involvement of local and regional authorities, often major providers of public social services, in the Social Inclusion Process.

While the two-day conference was broad-ranging in the themes it covered in policy and process, several notable conclusions were drawn by the Commission. This are likely to be reflected in PROGRESS, the successor programme for 2007-2013. It was widely agreed that greater weight should be placed on the dissemination of lessons learnt in peer reviews and transnational projects. Here, the Commission felt that the key networks, including ESN, had a special responsibility. PROGRESS must also turn the activities it funds towards changing policy. ESN intends to play a full role in the coming years in communicating lessons learnt from EU cooperation to policy-makers and service providers. More information is available by clicking here.

The next e-newsletter will come out at the end of May. It will feature:

• a further update on the consultation process for the NAPs/Inclusion
• examples of good practice in the area of integration and antidiscrimination, ahead of the Venice seminar