Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-02-03-Speech-2-423"
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"en.20090203.22.2-423"2
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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, with the introduction of the Lisbon strategy, the European Union set itself an ambitious goal: to significantly reduce poverty by 2010. Since then, the Union has set up instruments for achieving that goal. The open method of coordination in the field of social protection and social inclusion has helped to strengthen the fight against poverty and social exclusion, and has supported the efforts of the Member States.
This cooperation between Member States has had very good results. I shall mention three examples: there are now 22 Member States that have set themselves a target figure for combating child poverty; citizens and companies are now very closely involved in the national strategies to combat poverty; and social inclusion strategies have been incorporated into many policy areas: employment, education and vocational training, health and housing. All the relevant policies have therefore been brought to bear in the fight against social exclusion.
The renewed social agenda which the Commission adopted on 2 July 2008 sets seven priority areas of activity, including the fight against poverty and social exclusion. The renewed social agenda also proposes strengthening the open method of coordination. The European plan to stimulate growth and employment, which was submitted to the heads of states and governments at the European Summit in December 2008, aims to address the impact of the financial and economic crisis and also to strengthen the reforms already under way within the scope of the Lisbon strategy for growth and employment.
The Commission has also undertaken to regularly monitor the social impact of the financial and economic crisis in the Member States and the measures taken at national level. This tool for monitoring the social impact of the crisis should be published quarterly, and understandably it would focus mainly on the most vulnerable groups.
The Commission will also continue to cooperate with the Member States to ensure effective implementation of its recommendations adopted in October 2008 on the active inclusion of people who are furthest removed from the job market. In particular, the aim of this recommendation is to increase the effectiveness of the minimum wage schemes, which are still insufficiently developed in many Member States. In other words, it is essential to enable every citizen to achieve a decent standard of living, especially during the current crisis.
I would also like to remind you that 2010 will be the European Year of the Fight against Poverty and Social Exclusion. It will focus on the following: support for observance of the rights and opportunities for socially excluded people to actively reintegrate themselves into society; emphasis on the responsibility of each member of society in the fight against poverty; broadening the tried and tested methods in the field of social inclusion; strengthening the commitment of the main political actors.
I think the measures I have mentioned testify to the fact that Europe is constantly trying, in a concrete way, to address the needs of the most vulnerable groups, especially in the current economic situation. I hope the Member States will respond positively to the Commission’s call to resolve the social consequences of the crisis. For this purpose, they can make use of the Community instruments available to them, especially the European Social Fund and the European Fund for Adjustment to Globalisation."@en1
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