Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, as we all know, inequalities in the European Union have been exacerbated over the last decade and the number of people living on low incomes is now some 65 million, that is, around 18% of the population. This is a scandal, especially if we take account of the rate of economic growth in recent years. This represents a real body blow to fundamental human rights, since it denies millions of people access to basic social rights, such as housing, health care, education, training and study, good-quality employment and fair wages. Whilst there are considerable differences between the various Member States, the most serious situation is definitely that of Portugal, with around 24% of the population living below the poverty line due primarily to low salaries, insecure and badly paid jobs and pensions and benefits so low that they do not enable workers and their families or the elderly to live with a minimum of dignity. This unacceptable situation of poverty and social exclusion, which the Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March acknowledged is in need of urgent measures, requires a profound change in Community and national macroeconomic policies and putting an end to the monetarist policies of the Stability Pact in order not only to combat the current situation of poverty, but also to prevent the situation deteriorating in the future, including in the field of new technologies. Particular attention needs to be paid to the situation of women, children and young people, thereby guaranteeing everyone access to incomes and conditions that allow them to live and work in dignity. Despite all the commitments that the Council gave recently at the Lisbon Summit, however, and despite the emphasis it placed on the existing correlation between economic and social progress, the proposals that have been presented are little more than face-saving measures with regard to the countless promises to fight for the eradication of poverty. In fact, the proposal for a Community programme presented by the Commission to foster cooperation between the Member States in the field of combating social exclusion is little more than a study programme. It is therefore crucial for various aspects of the programme to be improved, specifically with regard to the innovations being proposed for the implementation of an open method of coordination. A European reflection group needs to be created, composed of Community partners, representatives of NGOs with experience in this field and representatives of the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A network could also be established, linking the various monitoring centres or similar recognised bodies that already exist in the Member States. Another option is to pay special attention to the problems of poverty and social exclusion at local, regional and national level, involving in the programme the social groups that are most badly affected or which are in the most danger of becoming so. Equally important are the proposals to increase financing from EUR 70 million to EUR 100 million, proposals which focus on the need for the Commission to guarantee the coherence of its policies, specifically in the economic, monetary and taxation areas, as well as in competition, consumer protection, fisheries and agriculture, with the aim of eliminating the poverty and social exclusion encountered at national level. The Commission will, as a result, be obliged to undertake an assessment of its policies in terms of their potential effects on poverty and social exclusion. I also hope that the amendments seeking to ensure that qualifications and integration into professional life are given particular attention will be adopted, which is why it is important to take account of the ever-increasing phenomenon of social exclusion and poverty despite paid employment. It is crucial to guarantee good-quality employment with reasonable rights and wages and to establish conditions for access to public services that are also of high quality. It is crucial for the Council to keep the promises it has given, not only with regard to the programme, but also with regard to setting appropriate objectives and goals, to be agreed on by the end of this year, so that it meets the expectations it created with the Lisbon Summit conclusions on its commitment to combat poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. Lastly, I wish to express my gratitude for the superb cooperation of my fellow members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, of the rapporteurs from other committees, of the Economic and Social Committee, of the Committee of the Regions, of the NGOs involved in social work and of the specialists within the Commission, the French Presidency and Parliament who have worked with me. In this work, and bearing in mind that this is a subject for codecision, we have been able to reach a consensus that seeks to simplify the final report and to enable it to be rapidly adopted by the Council. This means that the amendments we have tabled to be voted on tomorrow are the result of the consensus achieved in committee, including the new amendments replacing and rejecting various original amendments which were somewhat repetitive. I thank you for your understanding during this procedure, which means that we are able to contribute to the European Union once again having a programme in this field, despite its limitations and shortcomings. This will be one more instrument enabling us to remain vigilant in defending greater social justice.

Political group: GUE-NGL