Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-02-13-Speech-1-034-000"
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"en.20120213.14.1-034-000"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the spell of cold weather that has hit Europe over the last few weeks has already caused several hundred deaths, mostly among the homeless. However, while these winter deaths are today provoking strong reactions in public opinion, we are well aware that in summer too there are just as many if not more victims of this unacceptable insecurity. For, yes, the cold kills. Yet, aside from the cold, the economic crisis, poverty and insecurity are killing the most excluded people.
There are over three million homeless people in the EU, and these include not only the traditional figures of the very marginalised but also more and more senior citizens, young people, women and families. Sometimes there are workers among the homeless. Let us remember that, in times of economic crisis, the fall into extreme insecurity can happen very quickly. A family breakdown or a redundancy can be all it takes for a family, who until then had been coping, to be thrown onto the streets. Moreover, being homeless can cover a number of situations which must also be understood. These are all the people who sleep in their cars, in hotels or those who are temporarily able to stay with a friend or relative.
We must change our collective view of homelessness as this issue covers a wide range of people and situations. They all call for a comprehensive, fast and strong political response. We must act, not only to alleviate the emergency, but especially in the long term.
If recovering from the crisis is the main objective, providing the homeless with emergency provisions and the means to come off the streets will help towards this. For it is obvious that, without permanent access to affordable housing, the homeless find themselves excluded from various other rights and services. Indignation at this situation, as well as an analysis of it, will be shared without difficulty. Let us move on once and for all to the next stage: political will.
Commissioner, Parliament has already asked you several times to put in place a true European strategy against homelessness. I am referring to the 2010 written declaration and the resolution by our colleagues Mr Berès and Ms Delli adopted here in September 2011 with a view to putting an end to homelessness by 2015. This was also the ambitious integrated European strategy that we were waiting for. I am also referring to the resolution by Mr Daerden in November on the European platform against poverty and social exclusion.
Therefore, the Members of the European Parliament have already asked you three times to put in place this strategy for the homeless, which was articulated around specific objectives which I do not have the time to repeat again here. Where are we with this road jmap? When is the Commission going to demand real national strategies accompanied by real means from the Member States? What amount of ESF and ERDF money could be mobilised? Today, our fear is that the European platform against poverty and social exclusion will remain a mere declaration of intent. Just like that of the same name in 2010, which, unfortunately, will not have delivered many concrete results.
The political objectives and priorities of the EU brought together in the Europe 2020 strategy are undergoing inclusive growth. Yet how are we to build true social cohesion if we do not fight against these situations of extreme insecurity? This is an issue which cannot be delegated to the goodwill and limited means of associations and local communities. It is no longer acceptable that, in times of crisis, the European Union appears only as an instigator of austerity plans that push people onto the streets both literally and figuratively.
It would be easy to accuse the EU of wanting to save only the banks while abandoning the people, but I refuse to do so. Here we have the perfect opportunity to fight against this caricature. We must seize this opportunity and not be content with mere declarations of intent. There is little point in claiming to be fiercely opposed to the situation of the homeless. It is easy to be indignant about such an issue. There is, however, a great deal to be done and that is why we are asking once again for concrete voluntary action in favour of homeless people."@en1
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