AGE Response to the Commission’s Communication “The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: A European framework for social and territorial innovation”

AGE Platform Europe has written a response to the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion presented in the Commission’s Communication issued on 16 December 2010, including recommendations with regards to the following key points:

AGE welcomes the proposal for the Platform and hopes that the commitment to eradicate poverty and social exclusion will be now a cross-cutting objective (requiring action in multiple fields and thus to be integrated into many policy areas) for the Europe 2020 strategy with smart and sustainable growth objectives supporting the overall social cohesion.

We also hope that the Platform will address effectively various dimensions of poverty and social exclusion in old age such as inadequate pension provisions; severe material deprivation; shrinking access to basic services such as healthcare and long-term care or decent housing etc.

Click here to access AGE response.

Mise à jour le Lundi, 27 Juin 2011 17:26

European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, Closing Conference, 17 December 2010

The 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion was officially closed by the Belgian Presidency during the conference held on 17 December in Brussels. This event coincided with the publication of the Commission’s Communication on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion - one of the five thematic flagships included in the Europe 2020 Strategy. The aim of the conference was mainly to present best practice from national level on actions to fight poverty and social exclusion that took place throughout 2010.

The Belgian Secretary of State for Social Integration and Combating Poverty, Philippe Courard, stressed the importance of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the agreed target by Member States to reduce poverty by at least 20 million people over the coming decade. He also stressed the new role of the Social Funds to facilitate the achievement of this target. EU Commissioner for Employment, Laszlo Andor, referred to the same Europe 2020 Strategy as a key policy framework to progress with eradication of poverty in all Member States. Apart from the target on the poverty redaction, it will be also through employment and education that social inclusion and cohesion should be achieved, added the Commissioner, and reminded the importance of the respective two headline targets agreed in these areas.

Representing the European Anti-Poverty Network, and the Coalition of social NGOs ‘End Poverty’, Ludo Horemans, warned against the massive negative impact of the budgetary measures currently being introduced across Europe. They may compromise the good intentions and commitments made by governments in the Europe 2020 Strategy, added and expressed the disappointment of ordinary citizens to see how difficult it was to agree at the European on the poverty target. He concluded with a call to complete the fight against poverty by the fight against growing inequalities. All citizens have a fundamental right to live in dignity, and this can be achieved only if European societies are based on the solidarity principle. A European Year on Combating Inequalities should be, therefore, envisaged in near future, concluded Ludo Horemans. The conference ended with a Council declaration expressing Member States’ commitments in relation to the fight against poverty in Europe. A delegation of people living in poverty also delivered their common message to Heads of State.

AGE issued a Press Release on the eve of the closing conference with comments to the Commission’s Communication on the Platform against Poverty. We asked Member States and the Commission to translate this proposal into practice, in particular to introduce concrete measures to prevent all aspects of poverty and social exclusion in old age such as lack of adequate pension, severe material deprivation which prevents older people from living in dignity, and shrinking access to basic services such as healthcare and long-term care or decent housing. For more information, please see:

http://www.age-platform.eu/en/age-a-the-media/age-communication-to-the-media-press-releases/1150-eu-platform-against-poverty-is-out-time-to-make-a-real-change-for-our-most-vulnerable-older-people

Outcome of INCLUSage final seminar on 7 December 2010

To mark the end of our social inclusion project, INCLUSage – Debating Older People’s Need, AGE held a seminar on “Promoting Adequate Income and Dignity in Old Age through Civil Dialogue” on 7 December. The seminar got an active support from the Committee of Regions and the European Parliaments and was co-chaired, respectively by Arnoldas Abramavicius, President of the CoR’s Commission for Economic and Social Policy and Kartika Liotard, MEP and Co-President of the Intergroup on Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity.

The focus of the seminar was twofold:  regarding social policy, the participants discussed on how to guarantee an adequate old-age income, while regarding governance aspects, the seminar looked at the issue of promoting a broad civil dialogue involving stakeholders from all levels, as a way to combat poverty and ensure social inclusion among older people. Older persons coming from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Italy, Poland and Slovakia actively contributed along the seminar, by bringing their testimonials of what it means to live on a minimum income. They also addressed their requests to the invited representatives from the Commission, European Parliament and the Belgian Presidency, asking for concrete measures to enable older people live in dignity.

In conclusions of the seminar, it was commonly agreed that an adequate old-age income must not only cover the monetary aspects, but should also guarantee universal access to essential services, such as quality health and long-term care, education and long-life learning or decent housing, and will allow older people’s social integration through leisure, social activities, civic participation etc.

The INCLUSage project partners presented the results from the two-year work, in particular their methodology “Promoting Older People’s Social Inclusion through Civil Dialogue”. The methodology includes some good practices of public participation frameworks across the seven partner countries. It also presents recommendations on how civil dialogue should be promoted by institutional actors and on how older people organisations within their own constituencies can empower members to take active role in civil dialogue. The methodology, which will be translated into seven languages, is eventually meant to be used by both older people organisations and public authorities in order to facilitate the organisation and implementation of dialogue at all levels. The ultimate objective is to enhance national debates on welling and social inclusion in old age.

For more information on the INCLUSage project, please see:

http://www.age-platform.eu/en/action-name-02

Please find here below the presentations that were made during the seminar:

INCLUSage general presentation

Presentation of Joachim Ott 

Presentationa of Stella Hoff

Presentation of the INCLUSage Polish partner

AGE issued a Press Release INCLUSage Seminar: Do policy makers really know what an adequate income to live in dignity mean for older people? :

http://www.age-platform.eu/en/age-a-the-media/age-communication-to-the-media-press-releases/1146-inclusage-seminar-do-policy-makers-really-know-what-an-adequate-income-to-live-in-dignity-mean-for-older-people

Mise à jour le Mardi, 21 Décembre 2010 15:44

AGE letter to Commissioner Andor to renew and strengthen the OMC

On 29th November 2010, AGE secretariat sent a letter to the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor, calling him to renew and strengthen the Open Method of Coordination on social inclusion, pensions and health and long-term care as part of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

AGE hopes the governance rules of the Europe 2020 Strategy, including the European Platform against Poverty, will address the need for a greater cooperation and coordination among Member States on social protection and social inclusion and that our perspective will be taken into account.

Mise à jour le Lundi, 29 Novembre 2010 16:14