COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER List of key initiatives    Accompanying document to the   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS  The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion:  A European framework for social and territorial cohesion    COM(2010) 758 final
Date: 2010-12-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, European cultural event, aid to disadvantaged groups, economic and social cohesion, marginalisation, poverty, public awareness campaign, social policy

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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 COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion:  
A European framework for social and territorial cohesion 

COM(2010) 758 final 

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EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Delivering action to fight poverty and exclusion across the policy spectrum 

Access to labour market 

Present  a  Communication  providing  an  in-depth  assessment  of  the  implementation  of  active  inclusion 
strategies  at  national  level,  including  the  effectiveness  of  minimum  income  schemes,  and  of  the  way  in 
which EU programmes can be used to support active inclusion.  

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. 

2012 

2011 

Develop the Voluntary European Quality Framework on social services at a sectoral level, including in the 
field of long-term care and homelessness. 

2011-2013 

Commission 
Work 
Programme 

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. specific 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 governance and by a wide range of non-governmental 
stakeholders (social partners, NGOs, businesses) in the context of a European Year for Active Ageing in 
2012.  

Undertake an assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of health expenditure, including in relation to 
the  issues  highlighted  in  the  communication  on  "Solidarity  in  Health:  reducing  health  inequalities  in  the 
EU".  A  Report  on  Health  Inequalities  scheduled  for  2012  will  highlight  the  mutual  links  between  poor 
health and poverty.  

2011-2012 

2011-2012 

Present  in  2011  a  legislative  initiative  to  ensure  access  to  certain  basic  banking  services  and  call  on  the 

2011 

“Single Market 

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banking  sector  to  submit  a  self-regulatory  initiative  geared  towards  improving  the  transparency  and 
comparability of bank charges.  

Act” 

Establish a network of experts on health systems reforms. It will aim at developing new models of more 
integrated  care,  as  well  as  promoting  innovative  and  sustainable  financing  of  health  care  and  medical 
services.  

Education and youth policies 

Propose a Recommendation on child poverty outlining common principles and effective monitoring tools 
to combat and prevent poverty in early age.  

Present  a  Communication  and  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  policies  to  combat  early 
school leaving. 

Launch a wide-ranging initiative to promote more effective interventions at all levels of education against 
the cycle of disadvantage This will include a specific Commission Communication on "Equity in education 
and training systems to support the European inclusive growth. 

Adopt a Communication with a set of proposals on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) to help 
Member States strengthen their provision and promote their learning from each other’s good practice.  

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  exclusion  among  disadvantaged  youth  through  non-formal 
learning and participative methods. 

Present a Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the promotion and validation of non-formal learning, 
aimed at helping Member States valuing competences and skills acquired in non-formal settings. 

Present  a  "New  European  Agenda  on  Integration"  to  better  support  the  efforts  of  Member  States  in 
promoting  third-country  nationals  of  diverse  cultural,  religious,  linguistic  and  ethnic  backgrounds  to 
participate actively in European economies and societies. 

Migration and integration of migrants 

2011 

2012 

2011 

2011 

2011 

2011 

2011 

2011 

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“Youth on the 
Move” 

“Youth on the 
Move” 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Social inclusion and antidiscrimination 

Step  up  efforts  to  promote  the  economic  independence  of  women,  as  one  of  the  five  priorities  of  the 
Strategy on equality between women and men for 2010-2015, with a particular emphasis on the higher risk 
of  poverty  for  older  women,  lone  parents,  women  with  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 the 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 rates also due to their predominance in part-time, 
precarious and atypical forms of work). 

Ensure  appropriate  follow  up  to  the  European  Disability  Strategy  2010-2020,  targeting  in  particular 
circumstances  and  barriers  that  prevent  people  with  disabilities  from  enjoying  their  rights  fully.  This 
includes the development of a quality framework for community-based services responsive to the needs of 
people with disabilities.  

2011-2015 

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  Integration  Strategies  and  promote  the  mobilisation  and 
implementation  of  the  Structural  Funds,  including  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  and  the 
European Social Fund in support of Roma inclusion in the current and future programming period.  

Undertake  an  assessment  of  National  Strategies  for  the  Integration  of  Roma  submitted  as  part  of  their 
National  Reform  Programmes  that  Member  States  are  invited  to  formulate  in  the  context  of  their 
commitment to reduce poverty and exclusion. 

2011 

2012 

Address the issue of Roma inclusion in all relevant EU policies, including social and territorial cohesion, 
economic  development,  fundamental  rights,  gender  equality,  personal  security  and  protection  against 
discrimination,  access  to  employment,  education,  housing,  health  and  social  services,  justice,  sports  and 

2011-2020 

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culture, as well as in EU's relations with third countries. 

Sectoral policies 

Step up efforts to combat the digital divide; support progress towards the key performance target (of halving the 
proportion of population that has never used the internet by 2015 to 15% and of increasing regular internet 
use from 60% to 75% by 2015 and from 41% to 60% for disadvantaged people); promote better access to e 
government for the disadvantaged. 

2011-2020 

"Digital Agenda 
for Europe" 

Present proposals in 2011 to make sure that public sector websites (and 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 energy market legislation, which entails some specific 
provision  on  access  of  vulnerable  customers  and  requires  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  efficiency  improvements,  addressing 
energy poverty where identified. 

2011 
(transposition 
deadline) 

Promote and support the development and implementation of energy efficiency measures (refurbishments 
of  buildings  and  consumer  information)  targeting  in  particular  vulnerable  consumers  and  marginalised 
communities  through  various  financial  instruments  including  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  with  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 professional qualifications, with a view to 
promote employment and contribute to sustainable management of coastal areas. 

2011-2013 

Promote  the  EU  agenda  for  combating  poverty  and  social  exclusion  worldwide  and  in  particular  in 
enlargement and neighbourhood policy countries. Invite enlargement and neighbourhood policy countries 

2011-2020 

External dimension 

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to consider setting explicit and ambitious targets on poverty reduction of disadvantaged communities, in 
particular Roma.  

2. Making EU Funding deliver on the social inclusion and social cohesion objectives of Europe 2020  

In line with the Budget Review, the European 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. 

2011-2013 

The Commission will aim at facilitating access to global grants for small organisations and an improved 
access to funding for groups with multiple disadvantages 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 contribution to the achievement of the objectives and headline targets 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 delivering inclusion policies;  

Reinforcing support to disadvantaged groups like the Roma and other vulnerable people, including people 
living in institutions.  

Support the inclusion of digital literacy and competences under one of the priorities 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 approaches to fight poverty in certain deprived areas. 

Propose  for  the  new  Cohesion  Policy  post-2013  a  Common  Strategic  Framework  (CSF)  that  will  ensure 
coherence and complementarity between the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social 
Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Fisheries Fund. The CSF 
would identify EU priorities to address the European poverty target and the actions set out in this flagship 
initiative. 

2011-2013 

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Put  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 complementarity and synergies between EU funds to promote community-based 
approaches, including for urban regeneration. 

Make full use of financial instruments and in particular, 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  combating  urban  and  rural  deprivation  and  promoting 
community-based approaches for local development, including urban regeneration. 

2010-2013 

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, disabled 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  housing  interventions  in  favour  of  marginalised 
communities1, and promote the implementation of the new regulation with dedicated seminars. 

Promote  the  mobilisation  and  implementation  of  the  Structural  Funds,  including  the  European  Regional 
Development Fund and the European Social Fund in support of Roma inclusion in the current and future 
programming period, in the framework of an integrated approach, including urban regeneration, housing, 
childcare, health care facilities, education and training. 

2011-2013 

2011-2013 

Ensure  that  the  objectives  of  poverty  reduction  social  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 Development: support the involvement of local 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  areas;  provide  support  for  training  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  on  the 

European Regional Development Fund as regards the eligibility of housing interventions in favour of marginalised communities. 

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Explore the possibility of a joint initiative to support 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  distribution  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, including from low income families, by supplying them with fruit and 
vegetable at school.  

2011-2013 

Ensure proper implementation of the School Milk Scheme, which aims to encourage consumption of health 
dairy products among children, contribute to healthy way of living and to nutritional education.  

2011-2013 

The use of micro-credits should be underpinned by capacity building initiatives at local level and possible 
legislation  changes  in  Member  States  favouring  their  use  by  marginalised  and  vulnerable  communities, 
such as the JASMINE initiative 

2011-2013 

Developing an evidence-based approach to social innovations and reforms 

Launch  a  major  initiative  to  promote  social  innovation.  The  initiative  would:  establish  a  "high-level 
steering  committee"  to  provide  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  project  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  projects  designed  to  test  policy  innovations  (or 
reforms)  before  adopting  them  more  widely  (social  experiments);  ensure  communication  and  awareness 
raising  about  relevant  ongoing  social  innovation;  make  use  of  existing  financial  instruments,  including 
PROGRESS, to support evidence-based social innovation and experimentation. 

2011-2012 

Exploring  the  best  ways  and  formulate  proposals  for  social  innovation  in  the  new  financial  framework, 
including through the ESF and possibly new financing facilities. 

2011-2012 

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Develop  cross-sectoral  approaches  that  articulate  actions  in  several  related  policy  fields  such  as 
employment, education, health, youth, housing, migration and social protection that have the potential to 
lead to social innovation. 

2011-2012 

3. Promoting a partnership approach and the social economy 

Promote  the  sustainable  involvement  of  civil  society  through  the  PROGRESS  programme  by  providing 
support to key EU wide networks as well as through regular exchanges and partnerships between a wider 
set  of  stakeholders  in  specific  priority  areas,  such  as  active  inclusion,  child  poverty,  Roma  inclusion, 
homelessness and financial inclusion.  

Ongoing  

Elaborate voluntary guidelines on stakeholders’ involvement (and the participation 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 thematic priorities and in particular: active inclusion, 
child poverty, Roma inclusion, homelessness and housing exclusion, financial 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  foundations,  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  targeting  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  partnerships  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  procurement,  the  introduction  of  a  new  investment  fund 
regime and the use of dormant savings. 

2011 

“Single Market 
Act” 

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Promote  actions  to  increase  understanding  and  use  of  social  inclusion  considerations  in  public 
procurement. 

2011-2013 

Develop a new policy initiative on CSR in 2011, concentrating on CSR reporting/disclosure, business and 
human rights, the international aspects of CSR, and especially the employment and enterprise aspects of 
Europe 2020. 

2011 

4. Stepping up policy coordination between the Member States 

Assist and advise Member States in view of the definition 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 Semester of Europe 2020, the Commission will discuss with 
Member States and other institutional and non-institutional actors, how to best adapt 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  Committee,  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  policies  in  the  field  of  social  protection  and  social 
inclusion, including links with anti-discrimination and equality, 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 Year 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  through  regular  exchanges  on  progress  towards  the  poverty 
target. 

Ongoing 

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Continue an open, transparent and regular dialogue with stakeholders and civil society 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. 

The Commission will work with other EU institutions and bodies to transform the Annual Round Table on 
Poverty  and  Exclusion  into  a  wider  Annual  Convention  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. 

Ongoing 

2011 

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