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Annual Convention of the Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion


Over 700 participants took part in the third Annual Convention of the Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion on 26-27 November. At the event, the European Commission presented initiatives addressing deprivation and social exclusion, which will support Member States to reach the target of the Europe 2020 strategy to lift 20 million people out of poverty by 2020. However, according to José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission who opened the Annual Convention, today there are 7 million more people in poverty than in 2010 when the strategy was agreed. A key focus of the event was on the implementation of the Social Investment Package (SIP) which recommends Member States to give priority to social investment throughout the life course and to the modernisation of the welfare state.


Key messages


Speakers called for urgent measures to address growing poverty and unemployment, especially amongst young people, in Europe. They discussed the role of social policy within the European Union (EU), solidarity in times of social and economic imbalances in and between Member States, and the overall political shape of the EU. “There is indeed a contradiction between the clear social objectives set by the European Union in its Treaty and the limited instruments it has at hand to attain them. In addition, there is an inherent tension between those who complain that Europe is not “social enough” and those who do not want to give more power to the European Union“, said Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council.


José Manuel Barroso underlined that social commitment and investment go together with economic growth, and that effective spending on social protection by Member States to reduce inequalities will be monitored within the European Semester process. A more social Europe would also involve an emphasis on morals in the internal market and social market economy, underlined Michel Barnier, Commissioner for Internal Market and Services. László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, stressed the role of municipalities, regions and national governments in implementing social investment.


Implementing the Social Investment Package


A number of workshops at the event looked at ways to implement social investment throughout the life course in the areas of childhood education and care, Roma inclusion policies, re-housing strategies for the homeless, access to quality health care and solutions for disadvantaged youth (read more about the workshops here).


At the final round table participants discussed the way forward for European social policy in light of the implementation of the Social Investment Package. The focus was on how to ensure that the Europe 2020 strategy drives higher employment and reduces the risk of poverty and social exclusion. The panel emphasised the need for continuing to use indicators, and for a new understanding of the social dimension of the monetary union.


László Andor drew attention to a number of initiatives to help implement the Social Investment Package, including the Knowledge Bank, the European Platform on Investing in Children, the Social Protection Committee report on innovative solutions in long-term care systems to be published in 2014. He also emphasised the importance of the 20% of the European Social Fund secured for Social Inclusion programmes as good news for those working with people with disabilities, migrants and the Roma population.


Over two days of discussions, plenaries and workshops, delegates stressed the need for better cooperation and exchange of knowledge and expertise in order to implement effective and efficient policies. In the next years, ESN will continue to work with its members on the implementation of social investment policies that target specific needs arising throughout the life course (from childhood, youth and transition from school to work, into parenthood and to old age), and to focus on investing in people’s capacities through prevention, working in partnerships and community-based services.


Find out more about the European Social Network’s activities and projects promoting social investment:


Resources


  • Read more about the workshops

  • All presentations and background papers from the Convention can be found here

  • Results and conclusions of the Convention can be found here

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