Decision No 50/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 December 2001 establishing a programme of Community action to encourage cooperation between Member States to combat social exclusion
Date: 2001-12-07
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU Member State, EU programme, action programme, cooperation policy, marginalisation, poverty

12.1.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 10/1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

DECISION No 50/2002/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 7 December 2001

establishing a programme of Community action to encourage cooperation between Member States
to combat social exclusion

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

sion on 7 December 2000, shall have as an objective the
combating of exclusion.

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular the second and third subpara-
graphs of Article 137(2) thereof,

(3)

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee (2),

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (3),

the Committee of

the

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (4), in the light of the joint text approved by
the Conciliation Committee on 18 September 2001,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Pursuant to Article 2 of the Treaty, the Community shall
have as part of its tasks that of promoting a high level of
employment and of social protection and the raising of
the standard of living and quality of life throughout the
Community and economic and social cohesion.

taking note of

Pursuant to Article 136 of the Treaty, the Community
and the Member States,
fundamental
political principles, such as those set out in the European
Social Charter signed at Turin on 18 October 1961, the
revised Social Charter of the Council of Europe (1996),
in particular in Article 30 thereof on the right to protec-
tion against poverty and social exclusion, and in the
1989 Community Charter of the Fundamental Social
Rights of Workers, and bearing in mind also the rights
and principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the European Union (5) proclaimed jointly by
the European Parliament, the Council and the Commis-

(1) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000, p. 130 and

OJ C 96 E, 27.3.2001, p. 229.

(2) OJ C 14, 16.1.2001, p. 69.
(3) OJ C 144, 16.5.2001, p. 52.
(4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 16 November 2000 (OJ C
223, 8.8.2001, p. 284), Council Common Position of 12 February
2001 (OJ C 93, 23.3.2001, p. 11) and Decision of the European
Parliament of 17 May 2001. Decision of the European Parliament
of 15 November 2001 and Council Decision of 21 November
2001.

(5) OJ C 364, 18.12.2000, p. 1.

In its Recommendation 92/441/EEC (6),
the Council
recommends that Member States should recognise the
basic right of a person to sufficient resources and social
assistance to live in a manner compatible with human
dignity. In Recommendation 92/442/EEC (7), the Council
recommends that Member States should guarantee a
level of resources in keeping with human dignity. In its
Conclusions of 17 December 1999 (8),
the Council
commits itself to promoting social inclusion as one of
the objectives of the modernisation and improvement of
social protection systems.

(4)

(5)

(6)

The European Parliament,
the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions have all
urged the Community to strengthen its contribution to
efforts in Member States to prevent and to combat social
exclusion.

The Commission communication of 1 March 2000,
‘Building an inclusive Europe’, described the challenge of
social exclusion and poverty and the existing policy
responses in Member States and at Community level,
and proposed on this basis to give a new impetus to
cooperation of the European Union in this field.

The Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March 2000
incorporated as intrinsic to the overall strategy of the
Union the promotion of social inclusion to achieve its
strategic goal for the next decade of becoming the most
competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in
the world, capable of sustainable economic growth, with
more and better jobs and greater social cohesion.

(7)

The said Lisbon European Council, finding the number
of people living below the poverty line and in social
exclusion in the Union unacceptable, deemed it neces-

(6) OJ L 245, 26.8.1992, p. 46.
(7) OJ L 245, 26.8.1992, p. 49.
(8) OJ C 8, 12.1.2000, p. 7.

L 10/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.1.2002

(8)

(9)

(10)

sary to take steps to make a decisive impact on the
eradication of poverty by setting adequate objectives.
Such objectives were agreed by the Nice European
Council of 7, 8 and 9 December 2000.

The said Lisbon Council further acknowledged that the
new knowledge-based society offers the potential for
reducing social exclusion, both by creating the economic
conditions for greater prosperity through higher levels of
growth and employment, and by opening up new ways
of participating in society. At the same time, it brings a
risk of an ever-widening gap between those who have
access to the new knowledge, and those who are
excluded. It recognised that policies should be directed
towards avoiding this risk and maximising this new
potential and that the best safeguard against social exclu-
sion is a job.

The said European Council further agreed that policies
for combating social exclusion should be based on an
open method of coordination combining national action
plans and a Commission initiative for cooperation.

This Commission initiative which consists of a proposal
for a multiannual action programme designed to
encourage cooperation between Member States should
aim at improving knowledge, developing exchanges of
information and best practices, and evaluating experi-
ences in order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency
of policies to combat exclusion.

(15) Many non-governmental organisations at various levels
(local, regional, national and European) have experience
of and expertise in fighting social exclusion, as well as
acting at European level as the advocates of people who
are exposed to social exclusion. Local and regional
authorities also have experience and knowledge in this
field. Non-governmental organisations, social partners
and local and regional authorities can therefore make an
important contribution at European level
to under-
standing the diverse forms and effects of social exclusion
and to ensuring that the design and implementation of
and follow-up to the programme take account of the
experience of people exposed to social exclusion.

(16)

(17)

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down
the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers
conferred on the Commission (2).

It is necessary, in order to reinforce the added value of
Community action, that the Commission, in cooperation
with the Member States, should ensure, at all levels, the
coherence and complementarity of actions implemented
in the framework of this Decision and all other relevant
Community instruments, policies and actions, in partic-
ular those under the Structural Funds.

(18)

Special attention should be paid to social exclusion in
view of the future enlargement of the Union.

(11)

The drawing-up of harmonised surveys and analyses,
and the study of commonly agreed qualitative and
quantitative indicators, will provide a basis for the devel-
opment of the open method of coordination.

(19)

(12)

The fight against social exclusion and poverty requires
participation in quality employment and access for all to
resources, rights, goods and services, to be facilitated.

(13) Measures to combat social exclusion should aim at
enabling everyone to support himself or herself, by
gainful employment or otherwise, and to integrate into
society.

(14)

to enhance

The Social Protection Committee, set up by Council
Decision 2000/436/EC (1)
cooperation
between the Member States on social protection policies,
contributes
to the development of and systematic
follow-up to action to modernise social protection and
promote social integration in accordance with the Presi-
dency conclusions of the European Council meeting in
Lisbon on 23 and 24 March 2000 and in Feira on 19
and 20 June 2000.

The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA
Agreement) provides for greater cooperation in the
social field between the European Community and its
Member States, on the one hand, and the countries of
the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) partici-
pating in the European Economic Area (EFTA/EEA coun-
tries), on the other. Provision should be made for
opening up this programme to participation by the
applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe,
in
accordance with the conditions laid down in the Europe
Agreements,
in their additional protocols and in the
decisions of the respective Association Councils, and by
Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, funded by additional appro-
priations in accordance with the procedures to be agreed
with those countries.

(20)

In implementing this programme, the work carried out
in particular the
by other international organisations,
Economic
the Organisation
United Nations,
Cooperation and Development, the International Labour
Organisation and the Council of Europe, will be of
particular interest.

for

(1) OJ L 172, 12.7.2000, p. 26.

(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

12.1.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 10/3

(21)

This Decision lays down, for the entire duration of the
programme, a financial
framework constituting the
prime reference for the budgetary authority during the
annual budgetary procedure, within the meaning of
point 33 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May
1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and
the Commission, on budgetary discipline and improve-
ment of the budgetary procedure (1). The amount of the
financial
framework proposed in the programme is
compatible with the current financial perspective.

(22) Gender is a crucial cross-cutting issue which has a large
impact on the effects and causes of exclusion. Moreover,
by virtue of Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty, the elimina-
inequalities and the promotion of equality,
tion of
between men and women, are part of the task conferred
on the Community, which should feature as an aim in
all

its activities.

(23)

(24)

It is essential to monitor and evaluate the implementa-
tion of the programme to ensure that it achieves its
objectives.

Since the objectives of the proposed action concerning
the contribution of the Community to combating social
exclusion cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member
States for reasons including the need for multilateral
partnerships, the transnational exchange of information
and the Community-wide dissemination of good prac-
tice and can therefore, by reason of the scale and effects
of
achieved at
Community level, the Community may adopt measures
in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set
out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the
principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article,
this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary to
achieve those objectives,

the proposed action, be better

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Establishment of the programme

A programme of Community action to encourage cooperation
between Member States in order to combat social exclusion,
hereinafter referred to as ‘the programme’, shall be adopted for
the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006.

Article 2

Principles

The programme shall be part of an open method of
1.
coordination between Member States to give a decisive impetus
to the elimination of social exclusion and poverty by setting
appropriate objectives at Community level and by the imple-
mentation of national action plans.

2.
The programme and the national action plans shall
contribute to a better understanding of social exclusion, the
the combating of exclusion in Member
mainstreaming of

(1) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.

States' and Community policies and measures, and the develop-
ment of priority actions chosen by Member States in accord-
ance with their particular situation.

3.
In designing, implementing and following up the activi-
ties under the programme, account shall be taken of the experi-
ence of Member States at all
levels involved and of people
exposed to social exclusion and poverty, as well as social
partners, non-governmental
and voluntary organisations,
bodies providing social services and other actors involved in
the fight against social exclusion and poverty.

Article 3

Objectives

In the context of the open method of coordination referred to
the programme shall support cooperation
in Article 2(1),
which enables the Community and the Member States to
enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of policies to combat
social exclusion by:

(a) improving the understanding of

social exclusion and
poverty with the help in particular of comparable indica-
tors;

(b) organising exchanges on policies which are implemented
and promoting mutual learning inter alia in the context of
national action plans, with the help in particular of
comparable indicators;

(c) developing the capacity of actors to address social exclu-
sion and poverty effectively, and to promote innovative
approaches, in particular through networking at European
level, and by promoting dialogue with all those involved
including at national and regional

level.

Article 4

Community actions

1. With a view to achieving the objectives set out in Article
3,
the following Community actions may be implemented
within a transnational framework:

(a) analysis of characteristics, causes, processes and trends in
social exclusion, including the collection of statistics on the
various forms of social exclusion in order to compare these
data, the study of quantitative and qualitative indicators, the
development of common methodologies and thematic
studies;

(b) exchange of information and best practices encouraging the
development of quantitative and qualitative indicators,
based on these objectives as agreed by the European Parlia-
ment and the Council, assessment criteria and benchmarks
and monitoring, evaluation and peer review;

(c) promotion of dialogue involving the various actors and
support for relevant networking at European level between
organisations active in the fight against poverty and social
in particular non-governmental organisations.
exclusion,

2.
Arrangements for the implementation of the Community
actions described in paragraph 1 are set out in the Annex.

L 10/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.1.2002

Article 5

Implementation and cooperation with the Member States

1.

The Commission shall:

(a) ensure the implementation of
covered by the programme;

the Community actions

(b) have a regular exchange of views with representatives of
non-governmental organisations and the social partners at
European level on the design and implementation of and
follow-up to the programme and on related policy orienta-
tions. To this end, the Commission shall make useful infor-
mation available to non-governmental organisations and
inform the
social partners. The Commission shall
Committee established under Article 8 of these views;

(c) promote active partnership and dialogue between all the
partners involved in the programme to encourage an inte-
grated and coordinated approach to the fight against social
exclusion and poverty.

The Commission shall, in cooperation with the Member

2.
States, take the necessary steps to:

(a) promote the involvement in the programme of all the

parties concerned;

(b) ensure the dissemination of the results of the Community
the

undertaken within

framework

the

of

actions
programme;

(c) provide appropriate information, publicity and follow-up
with regard to Community actions supported by the
programme.

Article 6

Financing

1.
The financial framework for the implementation of the
programme for the period referred to in Article 1 is hereby set
at EUR 75 million,
including technical and administrative
expenditure.

The annual appropriations,

2.
human resources,
authority within the limits of the financial perspective.

including those relating to
shall be authorised by the budgetary

Article 7

Implementing measures

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
1.
Decision relating to the matters referred to below shall be
adopted in accordance with the management procedure
referred to in Article 8(2):

(a) the

annual

implementation

of

the

programme's

Community actions and the annual plan of work;

(b) the breakdown of the funds between the different strands

of the programme;

(c) the arrangements for selecting activities and organisations

for Community support;

(d) the criteria for evaluating the programme, including those
relating to cost-effectiveness, and the arrangements for
disseminating and transferring the results.

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
2.
Decision relating to all other matters shall be adopted in
accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article
8(3).

Article 8

Committee

1.

The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the
provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at two months.

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the
provisions of Article 8 thereof.

4.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 9

Cooperation with other committees and links with the
Social Protection Committee

1.
To ensure the consistency and complementarity of this
programme with other measures referred to in Article 10, the
Commission shall keep the Committee regularly informed
about other Community action contributing to combating
the Commission shall
social exclusion. Where appropriate,
establish regular and structured cooperation between this
Committee and the monitoring committees established for
other relevant policies,

instruments and actions.

The Commission shall establish the necessary links with
2.
the Social Protection Committee within the framework of the
Community actions referred to in this Decision.

Article 10

Consistency and complementarity

ensure overall

consistency with other

1.
The Commission shall, in cooperation with the Member
relevant
States,
Community policies, instruments and actions, in particular by
establishing appropriate mechanisms to coordinate the activi-
this programme with relevant activities relating to
ties of
industrial and enterprise
research, employment, economic,
policies, non-discrimination,
immigration, equality between
women and men, social protection, education, training and
youth policy, health and in the field of enlargement and the
Community's external relations.

2.
The Member States shall make every possible effort to
ensure consistency and complementarity between activities
under this programme and those carried out at national,
regional and local

levels.

3.
The Commission and the Member States shall ensure
consistency and complementarity between action undertaken
under this programme and action undertaken in the field of
employment and also with Community action under the struc-
in particular the Community initiative EQUAL.
tural funds,

12.1.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 10/5

Article 11

Participation of the EFTA/EEA countries, the associated
countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta
and Turkey

This programme shall be open to the participation of:
— the EFTA/EEA countries in accordance with the conditions

established in the EEA Agreement;

— the associated central and eastern European countries in
accordance with the conditions established in the Europe
Agreements, in their additional protocols and in the deci-
sions of the respective Association Councils;

— Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, funded by additional appropria-
tions in accordance with procedures to be agreed with each
country.

Article 12

Monitoring and evaluation

1.
The Commission shall regularly monitor this programme
in cooperation with the Member States in accordance with the
procedure referred to in Article 8(2).

The Commission shall report on the overall consistency
2.
of policies with social cohesion including progress achieved
under this programme in its annual summary report to the
Spring European Council, on which the European Parliament
shall express its views in due course.

The programme shall be evaluated by the Commission by
3.
the end of the third year and at the end of the programme with
the assistance of
independent experts. This evaluation will
assess the relevance, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of
activities implemented with regard to the objectives referred to
in Article 3. It will also examine the impact of the programme
as a whole. The evaluation will also examine the complemen-
tarity between action under the programme and that pursued
under other relevant Community policies,
instruments and
actions.

4.
The Commission shall submit to the European Parlia-
ment, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of the Regions a final report on the implementation
of the programme by 31 December 2006.

Article 13

Entry into force

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publica-
tion in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Done at Brussels, 7 December 2001.

For the European Parliament

For the Council

The President

N. FONTAINE

The President

I. DURANT

L 10/6

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

12.1.2002

ANNEX

INDICATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME

1. Action strands

With a view to achieving the objectives set out in Article 3 and implementing the Community actions set out in
Article 4, the following measures may be implemented within a transnational framework:

Strand 1: Analysis of characteristics, processes, causes and trends in social exclusion

To improve understanding of the phenomenon of social exclusion, the following measures may be supported:

1.1. studies and meetings on the development of common methodologies to measure and understand social exclusion
and poverty, their extent, characteristics, processes, causes and trends, and on technical work on indicators;

1.2. the collection, in Member States and at Community level, and dissemination of statistics on the various types of
social exclusion for the purposes of comparing such data effectively. This measure should support cooperation
between national statistical offices and the Commission and improve the statistical reference sources at
Community level and their contribution to the analysis of social exclusion and poverty;

1.3. the promotion of innovative approaches, the development of thematic studies to contribute to the understanding
of social exclusion, in order to address common issues in connection with policy developments in Member States,
including emerging issues in relation to the knowledge-based society.

It is important to reflect the experience on the ground of persons confronted with social exclusion and poverty and to
including that coming from
make use of all relevant sources of information on social exclusion and poverty,
non-governmental organisations.

In analysing social exclusion and poverty, special attention will be paid to their multiple dimensions and to the diverse
situations of the social groups concerned, including child poverty, and of the geographical areas which are exposed to
the risks of social exclusion.

Strand 2: Policy cooperation and exchange of information and best practices

In order to promote policy cooperation and mutual learning in the context of national action plans, the following
transnational activities may be supported:

2.1. transnational exchanges aimed at transferring information and good practices and encouraging peer review by
means of meetings/workshops/seminars on benchmarks or on policies and practices, or other forms of exchange
such as joint development of strategies and common dissemination of information, field visits and exchanges of
personnel etc., organised at the initiative of either Member States and/or other key actors with the active
involvement of Member States, or European organisations. Transnational exchanges between national observa-
tories or similar recognised bodies may also be supported under this strand;

2.2. expert work and technical studies in connection with the development of indicators and benchmarks, including in

relation to the knowledge-based society;

2.3. annual report on social exclusion, which would present the state of play on the action conducted, especially
national action plans, in the main policies and fields where the fight against poverty and social exclusion is at
stake.

Bearing in mind that social exclusion is a multidimensional phenomenon, particular attention should be paid to
relevant policy developments on social protection, employment, education and training, health and housing policies.

Strand 3: Participation of the various actors and support for networking at European level

To promote dialogue with all the operators concerned, the following measures may be supported:

3.1. core funding for key European networks involved in the fight against poverty and social exclusion; the core
funding is subject to an upper limit of 90 % of the expenditure eligible for support. This ceiling may only be
reached under exceptional circumstances;

3.2. an annual European Union Round Table Conference on social exclusion. The conference would be organised in
close collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and prepared for in consultation
with all the actors concerned, among others social partners, representatives of non-governmental organisations
with experience in the field, and representatives of the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social
Committee, and the Committee of the Regions.

12.1.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 10/7

2. Access to the programme

Under the conditions and arrangements for implementation specified in this Annex, access to this programme shall be
open to all public and/or private bodies, actors and institutions involved in the fight against social exclusion, in
particular:

(a) Member States;

(b) local and regional authorities;

(c) bodies responsible for combating social exclusion;

(d) social partners;

(e) bodies providing social services;

(f) non-governmental organisations;

(g) universities and research institutes;

(h) national statistical offices;

(i) media.

3. General considerations

The programme shall take into account the results of preparatory actions and activities under other relevant
Community policies,

instruments and actions.

In designing, implementing, following up and evaluating activities under the programme, account will be taken of the
experience of people exposed to poverty and social exclusion, as well as social partners, non-governmental organ-
isations and other bodies involved in the fight against social exclusion and poverty. In all its activities, the programme
will respect the principle of gender mainstreaming.

4. Method of presenting applications for support

Strand 1:

Strand 2:

Strand 3:

Measures covered by this strand will be mainly implemented through calls for tenders. For
cooperation with national statistical offices, the Eurostat procedures will apply.
Measures covered by strand 2.1 will be mainly implemented in response to annual calls for
proposals (some policy meetings/seminars might be organised directly by the Commission).
Proposals will have to involve bodies, actors and institutions from at least three Member States
and may be submitted to the Commission either by Member States and/or other key actors with
the active involvement of Member States, or by European organisations. Strands 2.2 and 2.3 will
require specific calls for tenders.
Under strand 3.1 support may be provided to European networks satisfying criteria established by
the Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2). Strand 3.2 may be
supported in response to requests for subsidies from Member States.

5. Carrying out the activities

The activities to be taken may be funded by service contracts following calls for tender or by subsidies for joint
financing with other sources. In the latter case, the level of financial assistance by the Commission may not, as a
general rule, exceed 80 % of the expenditure actually incurred by the recipient.

In carrying out the programme, the Commission may require additional resources, including recourse to experts. These
requirements will be decided in the context of the Commission's ongoing assessment of resource allocation.

In implementing the programme, the Commission may make use of technical and/or administrative assistance
(definition, preparation, management, monitoring, audit and control), in the mutual interests of the Commission and
of the recipients.

The Commission may also undertake information, publication and dissemination activities. It may also undertake
evaluation studies and organise seminars, workshops or other meetings of experts.

Activities undertaken will fully respect the principles of data protection.