Article 1 The European Year
With a view to supporting Community action to combat social exclusion, the year 2010 shall be designated as the ‘European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion’ (hereinafter, the European Year).
Article 2 Objectives and guiding principles
1. The objectives and guiding principles of the European Year shall be as follows: (a) Recognition of rights — recognising the fundamental right of people in a situation of poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to play a full part in society. The European Year will increase public awareness of the situation of people experiencing poverty, particularly that of groups or persons in vulnerable situations, and will help to promote their effective access to social, economic and cultural rights as well as to sufficient resources and quality services. The European Year will also help to combat stereotypes and stigmatisation; (b) Shared responsibility and participation — increasing public ownership of social inclusion policies and actions, emphasising both collective and individual responsibility in the fight against poverty and social exclusion, as well as the importance of promoting and supporting voluntary activities. The European Year will promote the involvement of public and private actors, inter alia , through proactive partnerships. It will foster awareness and commitment and create opportunities for contributions by all citizens, in particular people with direct or indirect experience of poverty; (c) Cohesion — promoting a more cohesive society by raising public awareness of the benefits for all of a society where poverty is eradicated, fair distribution is enabled and no one is marginalised. The European Year will foster a society that sustains and develops quality of life, including quality of skills and employment, social well-being, including the well-being of children, and equal opportunities for all. It will, moreover, ensure sustainable development and solidarity between and within generations and policy coherence with EU action worldwide; (d) Commitment and concrete action — reiterating the strong political commitment of the EU and the Member States to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion and promoting this commitment and actions at all levels of governance. Building upon the achievements and potential of the OMC on Social Protection and Social Inclusion, the European Year will strengthen the political commitment, by focusing political attention on and mobilising all interested parties, in the prevention of and fight against poverty and social exclusion and give further impetus to the Member States’ and the European Union’s action in this field. 2. When implementing these objectives, the Community and the Member States shall take into account the priorities listed in Part IV of the Annex.
Article 3 Content of actions
1. The actions at Community and national level designed to meet the objectives set out in Article 2 may, in particular, include the following: (a) meetings and events; (b) information, promotional and educational campaigns; (c) surveys and studies on a Community or nationwide scale, based on gender-disaggregated data collection where appropriate. 2. Details of the actions referred to in paragraph 1 are set out in the Annex. 3. All actions addressed to a wider public shall be easily accessible to all, including people experiencing poverty and people with disabilities.
Article 4 Gender mainstreaming
The European Year shall take account of the different risks and dimensions of poverty and social exclusion experienced by women and men. The Community and the Member States shall take account of gender mainstreaming in the implementation of the European Year.
Article 5 Cooperation and implementation at Community level
1. The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 7(2). 2. The Commission shall ensure that Community actions covered by this Decision are implemented in conformity with the Annex. 3. In particular, the Commission shall make the necessary arrangements to ensure the consistency and complementarity of the Community actions and initiatives referred to in Article 10 with a view to meeting the objectives set out in Article 2. 4. The Commission shall conduct a regular exchange of views with stakeholders including those working with people living in poverty, particularly at European level, on the design, implementation, follow-up and assessment of the European Year. It shall make all relevant information available to the public. 5. The Commission shall closely involve the Social Protection Committee in the preparation and implementation of the European Year and, where appropriate, inform or involve other relevant committees. 6. The Commission shall, as appropriate, cooperate with other EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies.
Article 6 Cooperation and implementation at national level
1. Each Member State shall appoint a National Implementing Body to organise its participation in the European Year and ensure coordination at national level. That National Implementing Body shall be responsible for defining the National Programme and the priorities for the European Year and for selecting the individual actions to be proposed for Community funding. The national strategy and priorities for the European Year shall be set out in accordance with the objectives listed in Article 2. 2. The procedure for awarding Community funding for actions at national level is set out in Part II of the Annex. 3. In carrying out its tasks, in particular when drawing up the National Programme and whenever appropriate during the implementation of the European Year, the National Implementing Body shall closely consult and cooperate with a broad range of relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations and organisations defending or representing the interests of those who experience poverty and social exclusion, the social partners, and regional and local authorities.
Article 7 Committee
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee). 2. 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. 3. Each Member State’s representative on the Committee shall be designated, where possible, from the National Implementing Body referred to in Article 6(1).
Article 8 Financial provisions
1. Actions on a Community scale, as set out in Part I of the Annex, may be subsidised up to 80 % or give rise to a procurement contract financed from the general budget of the European Union. 2. Actions at national, regional or local level may be co-financed from the general budget of the European Union up to a maximum of 50 % of the total eligible costs of the actions in accordance with the procedure set out in Part II of the Annex.
Article 9 Application and selection procedure
1. Decisions on the financing of actions pursuant to Article 8(1) shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 7(2). 2. Requests for financial assistance for actions pursuant to Article 8(2) shall be submitted to the Commission by the National Implementing Bodies in accordance with the procedure set out in Part II of the Annex.
Article 10 Consistency and complementarity
1. The Commission, together with the participating countries, shall ensure that the measures provided for in this Decision are consistent with other Community, national, regional and local actions and initiatives. 2. They shall further ensure that the European Year fully complements the existing Community, national and regional initiatives and resources, where they can help to attain the objectives of the European Year.
Article 11 Participating countries
Participation in the European Year shall be open to: (a) Member States; (b) candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, in accordance with the general principles and the general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Community Programmes laid down, respectively, by the Framework Agreement and by decisions of the Association Councils; (c) the countries of the western Balkans, in accordance with the arrangements to be established with those countries under the framework agreements on the general principles for their participation in Community programmes; (d) EFTA States that are parties to the EEA Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of that Agreement; (e) the ENP partner countries, in accordance with the general principles and the general terms and conditions for the participation of those countries in Community programmes laid down in the May 2004 Strategy Paper and the Country Action Plans. Any Community financial support for actions in ENP partner countries in this context shall be covered by the ENP Instrument, in accordance with the priorities and procedures established for the overall cooperation with those countries.
Article 12 Budget
1. The financial envelope for the implementation of the actions referred to in this Decision for the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 shall be EUR 17 000 000, of which EUR 6 500 000 shall be for the period until 31 December 2009. 2. Annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the Financial Framework 2007-13.
Article 13 International cooperation
For the purpose of the European Year, the Commission may cooperate with relevant international organisations, in particular the Council of Europe, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations.
Article 14 Protection of Community financial interests
The Commission shall ensure that, when actions financed under this Decision are implemented, the financial interests of the Community are protected by the application of preventive measures against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities, by effective checks and by the recovery of the amounts unduly paid and, if irregularities are detected, by effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, in accordance with Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities financial interests ( 8 ) and Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European Communities’ financial interests against fraud and other irregularities ( 9 ) , and with Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) ( 10 ) .
Article 15 Monitoring and evaluation
1. By 31 December 2011, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the actions provided for in this Decision. 2. The report shall also provide information on how the gender dimension has been mainstreamed in the activities of the European Year and how the European Year has been of benefit to groups or individuals in vulnerable situations.
Article 16 Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .