The European platform against poverty and social exclusion
ECOS-V/012
The European platform against poverty and social exclusion
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- recognises that competence for delivery of actions on the ground in this area rests primarily with Member States and local and regional authorities, although the Commission can support this through EU funding and facilitating mutual exchanges of best practice, shared knowledge, and through proper assessment of the social impact of EU policies;
- welcomes the references to tackling child poverty as a priority of the flagship initiative, however, regrets the limited commitment to doing this and the narrow perspective taken of child poverty, and sees no reason to delay adoption of the Child Poverty Recommendation in 2011;
- calls for the Commission to give unequivocal backing to maintaining and building on the work of the Social Open Method for Coordination (OMC), exploring how regional and local stakeholders can be more effectively engaged in this process;
- suggests to the Commission to prepare EU level Guidelines for Member States to ensure effective participation of local and regional authorities and other stakeholders in the preparation of the NRPs; notes that "territorial pacts" are potentially the most comprehensive and coherent mechanism for involving local and regional authorities in this process;
- supports the broadening of the European Social Fund focus from employability and quantity of jobs to combating poverty and social exclusion on the understanding that an integrated employment policy as a core element in a successful drive to reduce poverty will remain a key priority as part of the ESF;
- notes the overwhelming support from respondents to the Committee of the Regions survey for a compulsory priority to combat social exclusion and poverty under the future regional programmes in the EU Cohesion Policy.
- recognises that competence for delivery of actions on the ground in this area rests primarily with Member States and local and regional authorities, although the Commission can support this through EU funding and facilitating mutual exchanges of best practice, shared knowledge, and through proper assessment of the social impact of EU policies;
- welcomes the references to tackling child poverty as a priority of the flagship initiative, however, regrets the limited commitment to doing this and the narrow perspective taken of child poverty, and sees no reason to delay adoption of the Child Poverty Recommendation in 2011;
- calls for the Commission to give unequivocal backing to maintaining and building on the work of the Social Open Method for Coordination (OMC), exploring how regional and local stakeholders can be more effectively engaged in this process;
- suggests to the Commission to prepare EU level Guidelines for Member States to ensure effective participation of local and regional authorities and other stakeholders in the preparation of the NRPs; notes that "territorial pacts" are potentially the most comprehensive and coherent mechanism for involving local and regional authorities in this process;
- supports the broadening of the European Social Fund focus from employability and quantity of jobs to combating poverty and social exclusion on the understanding that an integrated employment policy as a core element in a successful drive to reduce poverty will remain a key priority as part of the ESF;
- notes the overwhelming support from respondents to the Committee of the Regions survey for a compulsory priority to combat social exclusion and poverty under the future regional programmes in the EU Cohesion Policy.
