EN   EN 
 EN 
EN  EN  EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
Brussels, 16.12.2010 
SEC(2010) 1564 final 
 
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER 
List of key initiatives  
 
 
Accompanying document to the 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CO MMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMI TTEE OF THE REGIONS 
 
The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion:  
A European framework for social and territorial cohesion 
   
COM(2010) 758 final 
 2 
1. Delivering action to fight poverty and exclusion across the policy spectrum 
Access to labour market  
Present a Communication providing an in-depth asse ssment of the implementation of active inclusion 
strategies at national level, including the effectiven ess of minimum income schemes, and of the way in 
which EU programmes can be used  to support active inclusion.  2012  
Social Protection and access to essential services 
Present a White Paper on Pensions, to jointly address sustainability and adequacy  of pensions in the post-
crisis context, including reflections on how the EU  can best support Member State efforts aimed at 
securing the adequacy of pension benefits and preventing and mitigating poverty among pensioners, both 
women and men. 2011 Commission 
Work 
Programme 
Develop the Voluntary European Quality Framework on soci al services at a sectoral level, including in the 
field of long-term care and homelessness. 2011-2013  
Launch a European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. The Partnership will aim at 
promoting social innovation for the elderly, more  equal and affordable access to modernised and 
responsive care services (i.e. spec ific aged related care, home based care) and new medical products and 
devices.  2011-2013 “Innovation 
Union” 
Support initiatives for active ageing  at all levels of gove rnance and by a wide range of non-governmental 
stakeholders (social partners, NGOs, businesses) in th e context of a European Year for Active Ageing in 
2012.  2011-2012  
Undertake an assessment of the efficiency and effectiv eness of health expenditure, including in relation to 
the issues highlighted in the commun ication on "Solidarity in Health: re ducing health inequalities in the 
EU". A Report on Health Inequalities scheduled fo r 2012 will highlight the mutual links between poor 
health and poverty.  2011-2012 
  
Present in 2011 a legislative initiative to ensure access to ce rtain basic banking services a nd call on the 2011 “Single Market  
 3banking sector to submit a self-reg ulatory initiative geared towards improving the transparency and 
comparability of bank charges.  Act” 
Establish a network of experts on health systems refo rms. It will aim at devel oping new models of more 
integrated care, as well as promoting innovative a nd sustainable financing of  health care and medical 
services.  2011  
Education and youth policies 
Propose a Recommendation on child poverty outlining co mmon principles and effective monitoring tools 
to combat and prevent poverty in early age.  2012  
Present a Communication and a proposal for a C ouncil Recommendation on policies to combat early 
school leaving. 2011 “Youth on the 
Move” 
Launch a wide-ranging initiative to promote more effectiv e interventions at all levels of education against 
the cycle of disadvantage This will incl ude a specific Commission Communication on "Equity in education 
and training systems to support the European inclusive growth.  2011  
Adopt a Communication with a set of proposals on Early Childhood Educa tion and Care (ECEC) to help 
Member States strengthen their provision and prom ote their learning from each  other’s good practice.  2011 “Youth on the 
Move” 
Ensure that any future EU initiatives in the field of  youth will include proposals which will, amongst other 
things, aim to combat poverty and social excl usion among disadvantaged youth through non-formal 
learning and participative methods. 2011  
Present a Proposal for a Council Recommendation on th e promotion and validation of non-formal learning, 
aimed at helping Member States valuing compet ences and skills acquired in non-formal settings.  2011  
Migration and integration of migrants 
Present a "New European Agenda on Integration" to  better support the efforts of Member States in 
promoting third-country nationals of diverse cultural, religious, li nguistic and ethnic backgrounds to 
participate actively in European economies and societies. 2011  
 4Social inclusion and antidiscrimination  
Step up efforts to promote the econo mic independence of women, as one of the five priorities of the 
Strategy on equality between women and men for 2010-201 5, with a particular emphasis on the higher risk 
of poverty for older women, lone parents, women w ith a disability, migrant women and women from 
ethnic minorities.  2011-2015  
Identify methods and means to best continue the work initiated on homelessness and housing exclusion, 
taking into account the outcome of th e consensus conference of December 2010. 2011-2012  
Assess gaps in the entitlement to family-related leave and monitor the transposition of existing directives 
related to leave entitlements - maternity, paternal - in  the context of the strategy for the Equality between 
Men and Women (Women face higher at risk of poverty ra tes also due to their pred ominance in part-time, 
precarious and atypical forms of work). 2011-2015  
Ensure appropriate follow up to the European Di sability Strategy 2010-2020, ta rgeting in particular 
circumstances and barriers that prevent people with disabilities from enjoying their rights fully. This 
includes the development of a quality framework for co mmunity-based services responsive to the needs of 
people with disabilities.  2011-2020  
Ensure appropriate follow up to the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being; seek to promote the 
social inclusion of people with mental disorders 2011-2020  
Present an EU Framework for National Roma Integr ation Strategies and promote the mobilisation and 
implementation of the Structural Funds, includi ng the European Regional Development Fund and the 
European Social Fund in support of Roma inclusi on in the current and fu ture programming period.  2011  
Undertake an assessment of National Strategies for th e Integration of Roma subm itted as part of their 
National Reform Programmes that Member States ar e invited to formulate in the context of their 
commitment to reduce poverty and exclusion. 2012  
Address the issue of Roma inclusion in all relevant EU policies, including soci al and territorial cohesion, 
economic development, fundamental rights, gender e quality, personal security and pr otection against 
discrimination, access to employment, education, housing, health and social  services, justice, sports and 2011-2020  
 5culture, as well as in EU's relations with third countries. 
Sectoral policies  
Step up efforts to combat the digital divide; support prog ress towards the key performance target (of halving the 
proportion of population that has never used the internet by 2015 to 15% a nd of increasing regular internet 
use from 60% to 75% by 2015 and from  41% to 60% for disadvantaged pe ople); promote better access to e 
government for the disadvantaged. 2011-2020 "Digital Agenda 
for Europe" 
Present proposals in 2011 to make su re that public sector websites (a nd websites providing basic services 
to citizens) are fully accessible by 2015 to people with disabilities, and promote the identification and 
exchange of best practices in the area of e-Inclusion. 2011 "Digital Agenda 
for Europe" 
Monitor the implementation of the new EU internal en ergy market legislation, wh ich entails some specific 
provision on access of vulnerable customers and require s Member States to take appropriate measures, 
such as: formulating national energy action plans, providing benefits in social security systems to ensure 
the necessary electricity supply, providing for support for energy effi ciency improvements, addressing 
energy poverty where identified. 2011 
(transposition 
deadline)  
Promote and support the development and implementati on of energy efficiency measures (refurbishments 
of buildings and consumer information) targeting in  particular vulnerable c onsumers and marginalised 
communities through various financial instruments in cluding the use revenues from auctioned Emission 
Trading System allowances (Directive 2009/29/EC).  2011-2015  
Provide a voluntary tourism exchange mechanism between Member States, enabling in particular certain 
key-groups such as young or elderly people, people wi th reduced mobility and low-income families to 
travel, particularly during the low season (Calypso).  ongoing  
Support training of workers in the sea- related sectors in need of professi onal qualifications, with a view to 
promote employment and contribute to sust ainable management of coastal areas. 2011-2013  
External dimension  
Promote the EU agenda for combating poverty and so cial exclusion worldwide and in particular in 
enlargement and neighbourhood policy countries. Invi te enlargement and neighbourhood policy countries 2011-2020  
 6to consider setting explicit and ambitious targets on poverty reduction of disadvantaged communities, in 
particular Roma.  
2. Making EU Funding deliver on the social inclusio n and social cohesion objectives of Europe 2020  
In line with the Budget Review, the Eu ropean Social Fund should be used to sustain Member States' efforts 
to achieve the Europe 2020 objectives, including the poverty reduction target. This implies that the 
necessary resources would be devoted to social inclusion while making the access of the relevant 
stakeholders to those resources easier. 
The Commission will aim at facilitating access  to global grants for small organisations and an improved 
access to funding for groups with multiple di sadvantages and at high risk of poverty. 
Review the European Social Fund, taking into account  the core principles spelled out in the Budget 
Review, to enhance its cont ribution to the achievement of the objectiv es and headline targ ets set by Europe 
2020, in particular the poverty reduction target . The following aspects will be explored: 
Work on simplification to facilitate the use of the ESF by organisations deliver ing inclusion policies;  
Reinforcing support to disadvantaged groups like the Roma and other vulnerable people, including people 
living in institutions.  
Support the inclusion of di gital literacy and compet ences under one of the pr iorities for ESF funding for 
the 2014-20 period with a view to providing targeted initiatives aimed at people experiencing poverty and 
social exclusion.   
Stepping up integrated appro aches to fight poverty in certain deprived areas. 2011-2013  
Propose for the new Cohesion Policy post-2013 a Commo n Strategic Framework (CSF) that will ensure 
coherence and complementarity betw een the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social 
Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Deve lopment and the European Fisheries Fund. The CSF 
would identify EU priorities to addre ss the European poverty targ et and the actions set out in this flagship 
initiative. 2011-2013   
 7Put forward proposals in 2011 - in line with the  5th cohesion report - for the new Cohesion Policy 
regulatory framework for the period post-2013, which will simplify access to the structural funds for local 
groups and ensure greater compleme ntarity and synergies be tween EU funds to pr omote community-based 
approaches, including for urban regeneration. 2010-2013  
Make full use of financial instruments and in partic ular, the European Social Fund, the European Regional 
Development Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development to support social and 
territorial cohesion, with a particular focus on co mbating urban and rural deprivation and promoting 
community-based approaches for local de velopment, including urban regeneration. 2010-2013   
Promote the targeted use of Structural Funds (ESF and ERDF) to support the shift from institutional to 
community-base care in the areas  of parentless children, disabl ed people and the elderly.   2010-2013  
Give all necessary technical support and guidance to Member States to implement the amendments to the 
ERDF regulation adopted in May 2010 to support hous ing interventions in fa vour of marginalised 
communities1, and promote the implementation of the new regulation with dedicated seminars. 2011-2013  
Promote the mobilisation and implementation of the Structural Funds, including the European Regional 
Development Fund and the European Social Fund in s upport of Roma inclusion in  the current and future 
programming period, in the framewor k of an integrated approach, including urba n regeneration, housing, 
childcare, health care facili ties, education and training. 2011-2013  
Ensure that the objectives of poverty reduction so cial inclusion are duly reflected in 7th (2007-2013) 
Framework Programme on Research and Innovation and its possible successor, in line with the Council 
conclusions of 26 May 2010 on the  Social Dimension of the European Research Area (ERA).  2010-2013 "Innovation 
Union"  
Consider, in view of the financial framework post-2013, the following objectives for the European 
Agricultural Fund for Rural Developm ent: support the involvement of lo cal actors in the decision-making 
process at local levels; provide support to small- scale farmers; support the development of social 
infrastructures and social services in rural area s; provide support for trai ning and capacity-building 
activities to farmers, forestry and food-processing managers.  2011-2012   
                                                 
1 REGULATION (EU) No 437/2010 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 19.5.2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 o n the 
European Regional Development Fund as regards the eligibility of housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities. 
 8Explore the possibility of a joint initiative to sup port training and knowledge building for non agricultural 
businesses and people in rural areas working outside agricultural, food industry and forestry sectors to 
improve their capacity to cope with competitiveness challenges and ensure stable income flows.   2011  
Ensure proper implementation of the Food distributi on programme for the most deprived persons in the 
EU, reaching out to 13 million European citizens each year.  2011-2013  
Ensure proper implementation of the School Fruit Scheme launched in 2009 in order to encourage good 
eating habits among young people, incl uding from low income families, by supplying them with fruit and 
vegetable at school.  2011-2013  
Ensure proper implementation of th e School Milk Scheme, which aims to  encourage consumption of health 
dairy products among children, contribute to healt hy way of living and to nutritional education.  2011-2013  
The use of micro-credits should be underpinned by capac ity building initiatives at  local level and possible 
legislation changes in Member States favouring thei r use by marginalised and vulnerable communities, 
such as the JASMINE initiative 2011-2013  
Developing an evidence-based approac h to social innovations and reforms 
Launch a major initiative to promote social innovation.  The initiative would: establish a "high-level 
steering committee" to provi de advice and guidance on developing EU actions in this field; create a 
European research excellence network promoting capacity  building for the design and evaluation of social 
innovation programmes; launch a European research pr oject in the area of social innovation aimed at 
devising workable methods and concrete impact measurements; define common principles about 
designing, implementing and evaluating small scale pr ojects designed to test  policy innovations (or 
reforms) before adopting them more  widely (social experiments); en sure communication and awareness 
raising about relevant  ongoing social innovation; ma ke use of existing financial instruments, including 
PROGRESS, to support evidence-based social innovation and experimentation. 2011-2012  
Exploring the best ways and formulate proposals fo r social innovation in the new financial framework, 
including through the ESF and possi bly new financing facilities. 2011-2012  
 9Develop cross-sectoral approaches that articulate actions in several related policy fields such as 
employment, education, health, youth, housing, migration and social protect ion that have the potential to 
lead to social innovation. 2011-2012  
3. Promoting a partnership appr oach and the social economy 
Promote the sustainable involvement of civil so ciety through the PROGRE SS programme by providing 
support to key EU wide networks as  well as through regula r exchanges and partnerships between a wider 
set of stakeholders in specific pr iority areas, such as active incl usion, child poverty, Roma inclusion, 
homelessness and financial inclusion.  Ongoing   
Elaborate voluntary guidelines on stak eholders’ involvement (and the par ticipation of people experiencing 
poverty) in the definition and the implementation of policy actions and programmes to address poverty and 
exclusion, and promote their implementation at national, regional and local level. 2011-12  
Organise regular exchanges with stakeholders on key them atic priorities and in part icular: active inclusion, 
child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness an d housing exclusion, fi nancial inclusion.  As of 2011   
Cooperate with Social Partners to  support the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Active 
Inclusion of people further from the labour market. Ongoing  
Propose measures to improve the quality of the legal structures relating to f oundations, mutual societies 
and cooperatives in order to optimise their functioning  and facilitate their development within the single 
market. 2011-2012 “Single Market 
Act” 
Develop awareness-raising actions on social economy's benefits targ eting key public and private actors 
(including public services and entrepreneurs) and enhance access of  social economy actors to relevant EU 
financial programmes, among others by supporting the development of part nerships around active 
inclusion measures. 2011-2013  
Propose a Social Business Initiative  in order to support and accompany the development of socially 
innovative corporate projects within the single market by means of in particular social ratings, ethical and 
environmental labelling, revised rules on public proc urement, the introduction of a new investment fund 
regime and the use of dormant savings. 2011 “Single Market 
Act” 
 10Promote actions to increase under standing and use of social incl usion considerations in public 
procurement. 2011-2013  
Develop a new policy initiative on CSR in 2011, concen trating on CSR reporting/disclosure, business and 
human rights, the internati onal aspects of CSR, and es pecially the employment a nd enterprise aspects of 
Europe 2020. 2011  
4. Stepping up policy coordina tion between the Member States  
Assist and advise Member States in view of the de finition of national targets for the reduction of poverty 
and exclusion and of the most  appropriate policies and reforms to meet the targets. Ongoing  
Based on the experience of the first European Seme ster of Europe 2020, the Commission will discuss with 
Member States and other institutional and non-instituti onal actors, how to best ad apt the working methods  
of the  Social Open Method of Coordination to the new governance of  Europe 2020.  The Commission 
will present a report summarising the orientations  emerged and the follow up it will give to it. 2011  
Support the work of the Social Protection Committe e, including work of the Indicators Subgroup, to 
improve and develop social indicators, disaggregated by relevant target group, enhancing their quality and 
timely availability. Ongoing  
Undertake a comprehensive assessment of national polic ies in the field of social protection and social 
inclusion, including links with  anti-discrimination and e quality, before the mid-term  review of the Europe 
2020 strategy, in close cooperation with  the Social Protection Committee. 2013-2014  
Support and enhance mutual learning and transfer of best practices, notably  by linking activities in this area 
to the new initiative on social innovations. 2011-2012  
5. Building on the legacy of the European Ye ar 2010 against poverty and social exclusion 
Strengthen the dialogue with the European Parliament , the European Economic and Social Committee and 
the Committee of the Regions, in particular thr ough regular exchanges on progress towards the poverty 
target. Ongoing  
 11Continue an open, transparent and regular dialogue with  stakeholders and civil so ciety including relevant 
faith based organisations on the themes of poverty and social inclusion, in line with Art.17 of  the Treaty on 
the functioning of the European Union. Ongoing  
The Commission will work with other EU instituti ons and bodies to transf orm the Annual Round Table on 
Poverty and Exclusion into a wider Annual Conventi on of the European Platform designed to bring 
together all relevant actors.  This event will take place in autumn, in proximity of the International Day for 
the Eradication of Poverty.  The Annual Convention will take stock of progress made towards the headline 
target, review the implementation of the activities  announced under the Platform  and provide suggestions 
for future action. 2011