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Vol. 1984/0 249 
  
 
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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(84) 681 final
Brussels, 28 November 1984
COMMUNICATION BY THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
SPECIFIC AREAS OR PARTICULAR SUB-THEMES FOR A SECOND 
SPECIFIC COMMUNITY ACTION TO COMBAT POVERTY
COM(84) 681 final

&rw 6 2 1SPECIFIC AREAS OR PARTICULAR SUB-THEMES FOR A SECOND 
SPECIFIC COMMUNITY ACTION TO COMBAT POVERTY
INTRODUCTION
The Council, in its 10 December 1982 Conclusions on the Final Report 
from the Commission on the first programme of pilot schemes and studies to 
combat poverty (Doc. 11327/82), expressed its belief that adequate, 
economic, social and employment policies at national level, together with 
Community action in the employment sector, can, by attacking the structural 
causes of poverty, make an effective contribution to the fight against 
poverty. The Council considered furthermore that more specific Community 
action was needed.
In response, and after consulting a wide variety of parties 
concerned with poverty, the Commission has, on 18 July 1984, submitted 
a Proposal for a Council Decision (COM(84)379 final) in the Explanatory 
Memorandum of which the Commission undertook to draw up a list of specific 
types of schemes combining action and research. This list is the object 
of the present document.
The Commission's view is that action-research projects under the 
anti-poverty programme should, as far as possible, tackle problems which 
have a transnational character. This calls for integrated action dealing 
with all the interrelated components that make up the physical and social 
environment and with one or more of the population groups identified as 
being most at risk and in need. The demonstration effects of this action 
will be increased by the evaluation, dissemination and cross-fertilisation 
of its results and will constitute the crucial additional benefit that will 
flow from such activity at Community level.
The Commission considers that Community financial assistance for 
anti-poverty projects should be directed mainly at combating poverty in :
I. (a) underprivileged urban districts
(b) impoverished rural areas
and aim at alleviating the poverty problems of the following specific 
population groups :
II. (a) the long-term unemployed and the young unemployed
(b) the elderly
(c) single parent families
(d) second generation migrants
(e) refugees and returning migrants
(f) "marginal" groups
In drawing up the list of priority themes and sub-themes to be tackled 
by projects and studies to qualify for Community financial assistance under 
the anti-poverty programme, the Commission has taken into consideration the 
fact that the programme is concerned with poverty and in consequence problems 
which have an udeniable correlation with poverty but are a matter for well 
established funds like the Social Fund and the Regional Fund, ought not to 
be tackled under the anti-poverty programme except in so far as the projects 
bring in additional elements. So it is, for example, with unemployment and
the creation of jobs.

-  2 -
PRIORITY ISSUES FOR ACTION-RESEARCH PROJECTS
I. GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH
(a) ynderQriyiLeged_uç^|o_^i|£çig£|
Integrated action is required which would seek to regenerate disadvan­
taged urban areas by dealing with all the components that go to make up 
the urban environment i.e. employment/unemployment, housing,, education 
and culture,, social life, etc. Projects should aim to make a specific 
and effective contribution to Member States' own action in urban zones 
and have the following objectives:
1) increased cooperation, concerted action and participation between 
the urban population and the various services by setting up 
organised contact between all persons, organisations and insti­
tutions involved in the joint camnaiqn aqainst poverty;
2) improvement of physical, social and communal conditions in undei— 
privileged districts;
3) reintegration of "marginal" populations in urban society.
(b) Impoverished_rural_areas
Apart from having a high incidence of socio-economic problems, notably 
poor health, bad housing and low incomes, residents of impoverished 
rural areas have a propensity to become marginalised and develop an 
attitude of apathy, a lack of initiative and a loss of cultural identity 
This is due in large part to lack of financial resources for productive 
investment, the exodus of the population which leads to neglect of the 
resources and activities of the area and to the lack of information, 
knowledge and training. Consequently any attempt to combat disadvantage 
in those rural areas must use an integrated approach to local community 
development and aim to link the official social services'  approach 
(health services, information and training centres, education facilities 
etc.) with the socio-cultural development of the whole community.
Projects should therefore attempt to build a framwork likely to become 
permanent by way of self-financing and self-development by:
1) adopting and developing a model of community development whereby 
local resources are managed with the active participation of the 
local population;
2) creating local groups or arrangements concerned with promoting 
regular contacts with local and central authorities services and 
institutions so that local action does not remain in isolation 
or marginal;
3) providing for cultural development by exploiting the positive 
aspects of the local culture and enriching it with new elements.

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H. POPULATION GROUPS
(a) Long~term unemployed and the Young unemployed
The problems of the long-term unemployed and young unemployed are aspects 
of community life which need solution at local, national and European 
levels and for this reason the whole community needs to be involved in any 
attempt to find ways of helping them. Various policies and actions have 
been launched or are being launched both by the Community and by Member States 
to find solutions to the problems of the unemployed. However, for many 
reasons (insufficient or tack of training, of social protection, of resources, 
etc.), some of them fall into the poverty trap and the present specific 
Community anti-poverty action is addressed to those. Obviously community 
development is an essential tool in the process and the Commission considers 
that local projects should be inscribed in the context of local and national 
plans for combating unemployment and be geared towards the demarginalisation 
and integration within society of the unemployed, but they should avoid 
any duplication with national and European efforts to create employment. 
Projects should rather endeavour to run in parallel with such programmes.
The Commission will give priority to projects whose objective is to prevent 
the unemployed drifting into major disadvantage. In this context projects 
might include :
1) the addition of new elements to existing schemes whether financed
by the Community or not, such as counselling or information services;
2) the setting up of meeting and leisure venues for the unemployed, 
where mutual (psycho-social) aid and self-reliance would be developed. 
Arrangements need to be made to ensure that psychological guidance 
and moral support are available and that information, communication 
and technical and legal aid are provided;
3) the creation of a new kind of organisation which would work in close 
collaboration with all the other relevant services, particularly 
the social security service and help to find solutions to every­
day problems like housing, budgeting, hire purchase, child care, etc. 
Such an organisation might be run on a cooperative basis;
4) the identification and the promotion of a new form of integration 
into society which is not necessarily linked to status within the 
labour market. Inthecase of the young unemployed whose chances 
of employment are very limited such projects would concentrate
on providing innovative support services for developing life- 
management skills and be built on their aspirations and existing 
interest.

- 4 -
Cb) The elderly
The specific sub-themes retained have all withstood the test of examination 
and time. In the present economic climate the Commission considers that 
any project falling under one or the other sub-themes should ensure that 
young unemployed cooperatives, wherever they exist, should be called upon 
and given the task of ensuring certain services. They might, for example, 
organise leisure activities and holidays for the elderly and take over 
sometimes from the carers of the elderly so that these carers can get some 
time off.
Although this philosophy applies to any elderly person, the Community's 
action in the present context is concerned with the poor elderly only.
Projects should be addressed to the following priority issues :
1) Education and recreation
The skills and talents of elderly people are under-estimated and 
under-exploited. Poor elderly people, in particular, suffer a lack 
of facilities and resources to keep active, expand their interests 
and learn from each other. Groups of elderly people should be 
encouraged to meet in existing or newly created centres and be :
- introduced to new education and recreational opportunities, always 
placing emphasis upon participation and upon the constructive use 
of such opportunities;
- encouraged to each their special skills (handicraft, lace-making, 
etc.).
2) Health and care
Notwithstanding the many existing "homes for the elderly", there 
is a need to promote the philosophy of community care to the poor 
elderly which encourages and enables them to remain as long as 
possible in their own home or where they have to enter a 
residential institution, to maintain their contacts with the 
community. Both categories (those in "homes" and those staying 
"at home") need to be catered for and there is a need for workers 
who will concentrate upon the co-ordination and adaptation of 
existing services (medical, voluntary and statutory), promote 
informal care, and provide relief and encouragement to those who 
live with and/or look after elderly people in their own homes.
3) Housing
Providing the means for the poor elderly to resist pressure to 
leave their own homes, which implies maintenance, improving and 
adapting their dwellings, installing telephone/emergency links and 
promoting experiments in group living.

- 5 -
(c) Single parent families
The Commission is of the opinion that projects to help single parents 
(including fathers) with insufficient resources should provide shelter, 
counselling and child care facilities. These can run singly or together 
but initiatives under this theme should always aim at complementing 
existing services, e.g. by operating outside normal official working 
hours and at co-ordinating action in favour of single parents at local 
leve l.
Priority will be given to projects which aim at :
1) Creation of child care and resource facilities
These facilities should focus around local child care needs and 
resources. They would involve advice~giving to parents about 
the availability/cost/type of child care in the locality. The 
provision of child-care facilities must be designed so as to 
involve the parents, thus creating a favourable environment for 
local self-help networks to develop.
2) Creation of counselling and guidance facilities
These facilities should concentrate on the need for counselling, 
support and guidance to parents especially around the time of 
marriage breakdown, separation and divorce, including advice on 
financial and legal problems. Special arrangements need to be made 
to cope with the needs of the children experiencing the trauma 
of parental separation.
3) Everyday living
The organisation of group educational and other courses of learning 
to live in reduced circumstances, e.g. courses in budgeting, hire- 
purchase, finances, housing, etc. needs to be promoted. These 
courses could be held in a venue complete with workshops, a library 
and also an information centre on recreational activities.

-  6 -
(d) Second generation migrants
The Commission feels that projects in the framework of the Community 
anti-poverty programme should aim at reinforcing the objectives of 
the existing projects which use a multi-dimensional approach to combat 
poverty among second generation migrants, whether they be financed by 
Community and/or by public or private funds.
The Commission intends to give priority to projects which reinforce 
the practical efficacity of Council Directive (77/486/EEC) of the 2 5 July 1977 
on "the education of the children of migrant workers", whose resources are 
insufficient. The issues which have been retained are as follows :
2) Information and counselling
Centres should concentrate on the need for counselling on legal 
and welfare rights, on the provision of advice and information 
to parents on the availability, operation and usefulness of 
pre-school education for their children and on the way in which 
they can participate in such activities.
2) Education of children
In cooperation with national, regional or local authorities or 
responsible independent bodies, nursery schools should be set 
up with the prime objective of improving the social integration 
of young children in the host society and environment. In this 
context it is essential to ensure that intake in such nursery 
schools is not restricted to children of immigrants only. Whilst 
the acquisition of the host country's language is essential, 
arrangements must be made for the children to use their mother 
tongue where this is justified, specially at the reception stage, ·  
in the course of games and other such activities. Language 
tuition should be complemented by arrangements to develop and 
preserve cultural identities.

- 7 -
i
(e) Refugees_and_Returning_Migrants
Unemployment is the most acute problem facing refugees and returning 
migrants. The creation of jobs and training for employment are mainly a 
matter for the Social Fund but the Commission will consider favourably 
any "added value" element which fits in projects aimed at the employment 
of refugees and returning migrants. Examples of such elements which can 
be added to existing projects designed to help refugees and returning 
migrants include the provision of language tutors (both the host countries 
and the mother tongue), advisers on professional courses and qualifications 
(especially for those wishing to establish worker cooperatives or other 
employment initiatives), counsellors on take-up benefits.  Apart from 
the "added value" aspect, priority will be given to projects with the 
following objectives :
1  )  Stimulation of independent entrepreneurship
Special consideration ought to be given to those who, although 
trained workers, are unemployed. The aim is to promote participa­
tion in the labour force by providing guidance and support for 
those who wish to go in business for themselves or who wish to 
establish co-operative enterprises. Information on statutory 
provisions and on all possible state resources/aid for starting 
in independent entrepreneurship should be made available so that 
the specific abilities of these particular groups can be utilized 
to fit within the requirements of the community as a whole.
2) Education and Information
Counsellors and advisers should inform the refugees and returning 
migrants of all their civil rights. Special consideration would 
be given to lanquagecourses “ the host countries and the mother 
tongue - for children under five and at primary level. These 
courses should be complemented by arrangements to develop and 
preserve cultural identities.

-  8 -
(f) The_"MarginaIs"
In the Commission's view no single definition can cover the marginal 
groups, particularly as definitions differ from one Member State to the 
other. In general (and the list is not exhaustive) the following minority 
groups are included therein: gypsies, nomads, travellers, tramps, 
homeless, drop-outs and all those who are, or who choose to stay, out­
side the social security net. Furthermore the problems encountered are 
quite distinct from one group to another and whereas some Member States 
have already carried out some basic research on the poverty aspects of 
specific marginal groups, very little such research has been undertaken 
in others. In consequence the Commission proposes to first ask Member 
States to make an inventory of existing projects in favour of "marginals" 
in their own territory and to disseminate this knowledge with the hope 
that such transfer of knowledge would prompt other Member States to 
initiate projects along similar lines. Thus, whereas the Commission will 
entertain applications for financing studies on marginal groups in the 
first year of the programme, no action project will be considered until 
after the first year of the programme. By that time not only will the 
studies be terminated or have been long enough underway to yield the 
necessary background information, but the transfer of knowledge (of the 
approaches used) will have been effected and transnational action in 
favour of the "marginals" will then be possible^