CELEX: 51979PC0657
Language: en
Date: 1979-11-23
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION concerning an interim programme to combat poverty (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (79) 657
Vol. 1979/0222
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 ---pagebreak---   COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                 COM(79)657 final
                                                 Brussels , 23 November 1979
                                Proposal for a
                               COUNCIL  DECISION
             concerning an interim programme to combat poverty
                   ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
                                                              S.
                                            tel       "X          M
C0M(79 ) 657 final
 ---pagebreak--- Commentary    .                                                      .
On 21 January 19.74 the Council of Ministers adopted a Resolution concerning
a Social Action Programme . Amongst the priority actions noted by the Council was
" the implementation / in cooperation with the. Member States -, of different specific
measures to combat poverty by preparing pilot schemes ".
Given the "responsibi I i ty of implementing thi s mandate , the Commission,' after
consulting (a number of government representatives and independent experts , pre - .
pared a document setting out the objectives of the programme , the criteria for
the selection of schemes and the types of financial assistance whichcould be'
provided by the Community . These proposals were discussed in the forums , of the
European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee who both gave their
firm support . The proposals were approved in the Council Decision of . 22 July -
1975 . This Decision enabled to th« Commission to promote or 'assist schemes
within the limits of the relevant appropriations entered in the budget of the
Communities for 1975 and 1976 . The allocations were for amounts of 2.5 million
and 2.875 million u.a . respectively .                                    -   "
On 27 November 1975 the Commission approved a list of 21 pilot schemes proposed
by the Governments of the Member States and two -cross-national studies proposed
by the Commission- and accepted by the . Member States concerned . Contracts for the
first working year were signed on 1 December 1975 .
The Decision obliged the Commission to consult the repr'esentati ves of the Member
                           ν                                           "·
States on ali matters of importance concerning - the development of the programme .
An informal , advisory group was set up . compri si ng nine government representatives
seven independent experts and two members representing both sides of industry .
The group met in March 1976 for the first time .
On the basis of the first report from the * 'Commi ssion to the Council on the'
" Action Against Poverty " Programme ( C0M(76)718f ina I ) and considering that -the
majority of schemes had not yet been completed , on 12 December 1977 the Council
adopted a new Decision amending Decision 75 / 458 / EEC concerning the programme .
The Council thought it desirable that the schemes sti 1 1 in- progress should con­
tinue to be assisted by the Community within the limits of the relevant ap­
propriations entered in the budget of the Communities for 1977 , 1978 and 1979
( 3.5 - 5 - 5.75 million EUA ) and that it would also be desirable .to finance
a small number of new schemes in order to complete the programme . as a whole .
On the basis of the Council 's Decision on 29 March T978 the Commission adopted
a series of pilot schemes and studies extending the' programme ( SEC(78 ) 1360 ) .
 ---pagebreak---                                           -  3-
       In addition on 6 December 1978 the Commission decided :
      a ) to continue the implementation of schemes in progress , most of which had been
          approved in1975
                                                                     I
      b ) to continue the implementation of a pilot study which had been updated
      c ) to implement a proposal- concerning the 'Evaluation and control 1 of the
          programme                 '
      d ) to implement a proposal relating to the elaboration of 8 national reports on
          poverty and measures taken to combat it in the Member States of the Community .
      On the basis of Article 6 of the aforementioned Decision the Commission
      submitted to the Council and the European Parliament a second report
      on ^ he results available relative to the projects undertaken with
      financial assistance from the Community .
      Upon completion of the programme and by 30 June 1981 at the latest the Com­
      mission will submit a final report consisting of an evaluation of the results
      obtained in the context of the programme to combat poverty .
      Given that this report will be based upon :
      -a final report on each proiect ;                                \
      - an evaluation report on the programme of pilot schemes and studies as a
         whole ;          \             ,
      - a series of national reports on poverty and measures taken to combat it in
         the Member States of the Community
      and given the importance of the problem it is unlikely that the Council will be
      able to draw -up its conclusions before the beginning of 1982 .
      In order to span the period between the end of the programme , 1 December 1980, ( 1 )
      and the application of the Council 's conclusions , for which the earliest date
      will be the second half of 1982 , the Commission is now submitting a new draft
      Council decision defining proposals for the interim period for the purpose
      of continuing research and action to combat poverty .
( 1 ) Distinction must be made between the commitment of the budget , which must
      be carried out before 1 December : 1979 and the end of the programme which
      is not until 1 December 1980 .
 ---pagebreak--- The main justification can be found in the fact_ that poverty in the
Community has not diminished to any great extent and it may even have
increased since the first programme to combat poverty was launched ,
given the present economic crisis . The European Parliament, has already
voiced the political preoccupations in this matter by proposing annual
Community aid in order to ensure the continuation of research to combat
poverty and to promote actions based " on the result^ of such schemes .
It is evident that these enquiries constitute a priority action for
the Commission contributing in a significant manflfer to an~ interpenetration
between Community v/ork and work undertaken in the Member States and
adding a Community dimension to such work .
 ---pagebreak---     It is , therefore , proposed ,to use the experiences of the whole of the first
 . programme of pilot schemes and studies at present being undertaken , including
   the national reports which are being prepared .
   Resources will be concentrated upon a small number of fields or aspects
   where there is a strong possibility of improving the situation in the short-
   term .
                                                               '
   In order to . bring out those aspects of the problem which could profitably be
   elaborated in order to prepare the programme for the interim period the Com-.'
   mission intends to organise a seminar in the spring of 1980 , whose main aim
   will be to enable experts to exchange the provisional conclusions drawn from th
 • projects undertaken with financial assistance from the Community .
   Whilst it is impossible at present to specify the content of such an interim
   programme it is possible to give the'fol lowing illustrative exampl-es :.
       ( i ) the use of poverty indicators , which have emerged from the pilot schemes
             and studies to indicate persons or areas in need of special assistance ;
     ( ii ) the administrative integration of social insurance and social assistance
             services at the local level ;
   ( iii ) a serious study' of the reasons why social aid does not always reach
             target populations .                                        *
• For ( 1 ) this refers to indicators emanating mainly from the study „
  being undertaken on "Persistent poverty , examined in its legal , social
   and institutional context with a view to its elimination and/or
   prevention" being undertaken in the following regions :
           - Province of Luxembourg .                                      '
           - Liège             <
           - Hasselt                     '     . • .
           - Maastricht
           - Sarrebruck     V         '
           - Metz-Thionvi l le
           - Grand-Duché de Luxembourg     .              *
   These indicators will lead to             x
           •a better, knowledge of the scope and extent of persistent poverty ;
 ---pagebreak---                                            - 6  ~
- .              .a better understanding of the factors and causes which can contribute
            ■     to the persistence or the transmission of poverty ;
                -                                                                            JT .
              ; . a better 1 understanding of the problems which the target population  -
                  and families encounter in the field of existing provisions and services
                  whose intended purpose is to guarantee their rights ^ to' offer them help
                \ or possibilities for improving their situation
         and should be tested in the 9 Member States of the Community .
         For ( ii ) one of the objectives of the project combatting the effects of poverty
    ' upon chi Idren from deprived families in the^ 14th arrondissement of Paris is
  - to ensure a better coordination between services concerned with implementing po-
                                       «
         licies in favour of children .                  -                 ■
         The project concerned with the " Improvement of social assistance services "
       . in Padua ( Italy ) i£ an attempt at. ending the confusion reigning in the existing
         social assistance scheme , at discontinuing the special services for predeter-
         minated groups of people , at avoiding delays arising from the complexity of ,
      • bureaucratic formalities and the waste of resources caused by the overlap of.
   •- work done by different organisations .
         The project of " Comprehensive action to combat exclusion of the Fourth World "
         in Reims ( France) has as its main objective the concertation of all relevant bo-
    - dies at the local level to enable them to an'alyse their present methods of work
         and to formulate new methods of intervention ..                                    -
       To sum up , in the .three ^schemes being undertaken at present and mentioned -
       by way of illustration an attempt is being made to improve the coordination
       and functioning of the social services putting an end to the juxtaposition
       which exists between different bodies . Such an action is in the interests of
     ■ the population as a whole,and in particular of the most disadvantaged . The
       results of these projects should be tested in the nine Member States.                      |
         For ( iii ) it is more and more evident that social security and social                  I
         assistance , which were conceived to help disadvantaged groups , are either              (
         not reaching any on not enough of their target populations . Several projects            ;
         have been investigating the factors responsible for this phenomena . It would be         !
         desirable to examine the importance of these factors in the nine Member States .         ;
                                                             Λ
 ---pagebreak---                                            - 7 -
                                            Proposal for a
                                      c    COUNCIL DECISION
                  concerning an    interim     programme to combat poverty
The Council of the European Communities ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
and in particular Article 235 thereof ;             ■   -   -      '
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ;
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ( 1 );
  «
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ( 2 )
                                                   /
Whereas in its Decision 75 / 458 / EEC of 22 July 1975 concerning a programme of
pilot schemes and studies to combat poverty ( 3 ), as amended by Decision
77 / 779 / EEC ( 4 ),        the Council empowered the Commission to promote or provide -
financial assistance for pilot schemes which test and develop new methods of hel­
ping persons beset by or threatened with poverty in the Community , and to promote ,
carry out or provide financial assistance for pilot studies to improve understanding
of the nature , causes , scope and mechanics of poverty in the Community , within the
limits of the relevant appropriations entered in the budgets of the Communities
for 1975 , 1976 , 1977 , 1978 and 1979 ;
(1 )
(2 )
( 3 ) L 199 , 30.7.1975 , p. 34 .
( 4 ) L 322 , 17.12.1977 , p. 28 .
 ---pagebreak---                                          •     - 8   -                 .   » -
                      J»           .    _ •                       •
   Whereas the Commission has established a programme consisting of :
 - . 29 pilot schemes and studies
   . the preparation of an evaluation report for the programme
   . the preparation of 8 national reports on poverty and measures taken to
     combat it in the Member States of the Community ;              - _            '
   Whereas, in accordance with Article 6 of the aforementioned Decision , the
   Commission has submitted to the Council and the European Parliament a
   second report on the satisfactory progress of the- activities in this field ;
   Whereas, in accordance with the aforesaid Article 6 - the Commission will submit
   upon completion of the programme or by 30 June 1981 at the latest , a final
   report including an evaluation of the results obtained ;
   Whereas if a programme of pilot s'chemes and studies to combat , poverty is not
   financed beyond the budget for " 1979 , 'the Community action in this field cannot
  be considered complete^ as poverty remains a major preoccupation in all , the
  Member States ;          .
                   •t                                         • •                    ,
   Whereas in these circumstances it is desirable to launch an interim programme
  based on a provisional analysis of the present programme , concentrating upon a
   small number of aspects where-there is a strong possibility of making some
  progress ,     . .           - '                     -■ f                    • .     '
   HAS DECIDED AS- FOLLOWS :
               «         ,                                . ,            \     v
        ' •                  .       y '
  Art i c le 1      •    "                 ' '
            –                                      . 4                       -
Within the limits of the appropriations' which are authorised by the
budgetary authority , the Commission may promote , finance or undertake
projects or studies related to certain aspects identified under the
                                                                               «
programme to combat poverty Pursuant to Decision 75M58 / EFC »"><■( wh.ich
a r e suitable for examination in areater deDth .
 ---pagebreak---                                          9 -
Article 2
Community financial assistance may not exceed 50% of the amount of the estimated
 cost , provided that this amount has been actually reached .
However , for pilot studies , financial assistance may exceed 50% of the amount of the
 estimated cost , provided that this amount has been actually reached, if the pilot
 study in question is of exceptional importance for the Community as a whole and
                                                                     I -
 is to be carried out on the territory of more than one Member State . •
                                                                                     /
Article 3
1 . Pilot schemes and studies for which Community financial assistance has been
      requested shall be' forwarded to the Commission by the Member State on whose
      territory the pilot scheme or study is to be carried out .
2 . The Commission shall inform the Member State concerned of its decision to
      grant or refuse the financial assistance requested .
3 . Both public and private bodies shall be eligible for financial assistance .
Article 4
The Commission shall obtain the agreement of the Member State or States on whose
territory the pilot scheme or study is to be carried out .
Article 5
1 . The Commission shall consult the representatives of the Governments of the
      Member States and .independent experts on all matters of importance concerning
      the   operation of this Decision .     >
    V
2 . The Commission shall arrange for the body responsible for the pilot scheme
      or study to report back to it at regular intervals on the progress of the .
      scheme or study and to give it any other information the Commission considers
                                                         »                   *
       appropriate .
 -                                            r             „/. *
                                                                           ♦
                      >
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 10 -
Article 6
In 1983 the Commission shall submit a report to the Council and the European
Parliament on the available results of operations carried out with financial
assistance from the Community .   .
                                                                        ■X
Article 7
This Decision shall enter into force on the fifth day following its        -
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities .            _ '
It shall apply . to operations for which the Commission has decided for the first
time before 1 December 1980 to grant financial assistance .
                         Done at Brussels ,                        . 1979
                                          For the Counci I "
                                          The President
 ---pagebreak---                              FffiAîTCrAL FICHE
Intervention Credits
                                                                                 m
1. Appropriate line in the "budget : 3060
2. Title of the line in the "budget :      Pilot schemes and studies to combat poverty.
3 . Legal Basis
    On 22 July 1975 "the Council approved Decision 75/458/EEC concerning a programme
    of pilot schemes and studies to combat poverty.
    Later on 12 December 1977 "the Council approved Decision "77/779/SEG amending
    Decision 75/458/EEC considering it desirable that schemes still in progress
-   as well as a small number of new schemes continue to "be assisted "by the
    Community within the limits of the relevant appropriation entered in the
    "jmclget of the Communities for 1977 » 1978 and 1979*
    The Decision of 12 December 1977 provides that the Commission shall submit
    a final report on the available results of operations - as soon the programme
    is completed and not later than 30 June 1981'.
    Given that this report will based upon :
    - a final report on each projeoti
    - an evaluation report on the programme of pilot schemes and studies as a whole ;
    - a series of national reports on poverty and measures taken to combat it in
       the Member States ofihe     Community
    and given the importance of the problem it is unlikely that the Council will
    be able to draw up its conclusions before the beginning of 1982.
    In order to span the period between the end of the programme , 1 December I98O (*),
    and the application of the Council * s conclusions , for which the earliest date
    will be the second half of 1982 , the Commission is now submitting a . .new draft
    Council decision defining proposals for the interim period for the purpose
  . of continuing research and action to combat poverty.
     (*) Distinction must be made between the commitment of the budget , which must
         be carried out before 1 December 1979 an& the end of the programme which
          is not until 1 December I98O .               ~
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 12-
                                             ?
4* Description , objectives and, .justification of the action
   4.0. Description of the action/target population :
        4» 00» Description
               Although the programme of pilot schemes and studies to combat poverty    >
               will not be funded beyond the 1979 Budget (Post 3060) , Community
               action to combat poverty cannot be considered as complete given
               that the subject remains a major preoccupation in all the Member
               States as well as all the countries of the world. It isy therefore ,
               proposed to use the results     gathered from the programme of pilot
               schemes and studies as a whole to concentrate efforts on a small
               number of fields or aspects where there is a. strong possibility of
               improving -t *16 situation during an interim period , whilst awaiting
               the final report pn the whole programme , including the national
               reports. ( See point 3 above ). These aspects will be brought together
               in one or several schemes or studies in each Member State and these
               projects will be based on information gleaned from earlier pilot
               schemes and studies undertaken in all the Member States .
               Given that the programme of pilot sohemes and studies will only end
               on 1 December I98O it is not yet possible to specify the fields
               of action for the interim period.
                                      t
        4* 01. Ikrget population
               4.01.0 . Types :
                          Those persons whose resources are so small as to exclude
                         them from the normal way of life . The actual categories
                        will depend upon the aotual shape which the project or
                         projects take , for example they could focus on such aspects
                         of poverty as :
                         - the use of poverty indicators , which have emerged from
                           the pilot schemes and studies , to indicate areas or persons
                           in need of special assistance ,
                        -- the administrative integration of social insurance and
                           social assistance services at the local level ,
                         - a serious study of the reasons why social aid does not
                           always reach the target population.
 ---pagebreak---                                      13 ~
          4.Q1.I. Number J Indefinite .
          4*01.2 . Geographical location : all . the Member States of the Community. '
   4,1 . Objectives of the action
          The objectives are to bring the goals of the original programme into
          a more definite and advanced phase , selecting certain areas where
          there is a strong possibility of remedying the situation , based on
          information drawn from the first programme .
   4.2 . Justification of the action chosen to attain the objectives
         The main justification can be fbund in the fact that poverty in the                              i
         Community has not diminished' to any great extent and it may even ,
         have increased since the first programme to combat poverty was                                   i
         launched. The European Parliament has all ready voiced its political
         preoccupations in this matter by proposing annual Community aid
         in order to ensure the continuation of research to combat poverty
         and to promote actions based on the results of suoh schemes.
         It is evident that these inquiries constitute a priority action for
         the Commission contributing in a significant manner to an intez*-
         penetration between Community work and work undertaken in the
         Member States and adding a Community dimension to such woi&.
                                                    *                    *                              4
5. Appropriations                                                                                       I
                                     ■-                          ,                                      '
   5.1 . Pattern of expenditure                                                                         !
         Engagement credits
                 ' 1980     : +      oOO.OOO e.u.a. ( subsisting credits from 1979 )                   !
                                  4 000 000' e.u.a. ( credits requested in the draft
                                                            budget for I98O )
                   I98I     :      '-*.200.000 e.u.a. ( at current prices )
                                  9 000 000      e.u.a.
         The pattern of . spending will be determined by contractual
         arrangements in 1980 and I98I .                     ~
         Payment credits                ,
         Payments wilL.be made approximatively a s follows :
                 Engagements -              ]                       Payments
                                             [ 1930       j    1981        .   1952       I
                        , Soo . 000 ..                          Scc.cco
            19S0 i     ^. 0C0.CCC>* )                        1 . 600.000     '2.400.000
            1981                          -                                   1.800 . occ   2 A 00 000
                       9 oco ce:7*                      I
          ("■) Credits rerricining frcm "iv
 ---pagebreak---      5.2 . Wethod of calculation                        -
            Cost of jthe projects in the programme for the period 1978-79 (2 budgetary
            exercises ):
             . 8.5 MEUA for 29 operations , that is to say an average of
              0.29 MEUA per operation .
           Average estimated cost for the projects during the period 1980-1981
            (2 budgetary exercises ):
               0.30 MEUA x 30 operations = 9 MEUE made up as indicated . in the afore­
               mentioned 5.1 .
i. Srsten of control envisa.^ed :                         ' •                        -
   6.0. The implementation of each scheme and study will "be "based on a contract in which
           provision will be made for on the spot audits ( individual files , book3 and other
           accounting documents ),       ♦    .
   6.1. The progress of the schemes and studies will "be subject to regular reports. At
           the same tine the Commission will set up appropriate systems to evaluate th9
           results of the schemes and studies after consulting - relevant bodies®
    6.2. Government representatives and experts in other fields will be consulted on all
           important matters raised by the implementation of the programme especially
           relative to the evaluation of the results of the schemes , research , themes for
          cooperation and coordination between the relevant bodies in the public and
          private sectors.
• Implications for staffing
   Given that the proposal is for an interim programme ( of approximately 2 years duration)
  and that the final decision concerning the continuation or discontinuation of the
  programme will be taken at the end of 198l/beginning of 19^2 , it is not proposed to
  recruit new personnel for the work. The numbers of persons engaged on the programme
  is , however, entirely insufficient (l A. 5       1 B.3 *"or a programme of approximately
  30 schemes and studies , including the national reports in the Nine Member States and
  amounting to 20 million e.u.a. ( of Community funding) or 35 million e.u.a. (Community
 and national funding)^