…and still actual for a post-2010 strategy! FROM LISBON 2000 TO LISBON 2007: BACK TO THE FUTURE ! …and still actual for a post-2010 strategy!

General recommendations - 1 Reinforcement of the role of the European Union in the fight against poverty in a global context Main actions / Objectives: - To foster the exchange of experiences and knowledge at a global level, by creating new transnational cooperation programs and reinforcing the ones already implemented, in a perspective of true mutual learning and cooperation; - To control in an institutional manner and with adequate instruments the potential impact on poverty and exclusion of the external EU negotiations (trade agreements for example); - To include medium and long term criteria on the impact on poverty and exclusion of the programmes of international cooperation. - To improve the coordination among the different departments and services of the European Commission (e.g. the Directorates-General) in order to achieve greater effectiveness and mainstreaming of cooperation policies.

General recommendations - 2 Reinforcement of the poverty dimension in the National Reform Programs (NRPs) Main actions / Objectives: - To increase the pressure on Member-States to accomplish the objectives set for social cohesion (the establishment of goals and penalizations in order to make the monitoring and assessment of the NRPs more consequent and effective); - To draw up new and more effective methods of analysis and public evaluation of the National Reform Plans; - To ensure that social inclusion and the fight against poverty are not the “poor relatives” of the NRPs and that there is a bigger confluence, connection and articulation between national employment strategies and national poverty and social inclusion strategies. - To guarantee that the principles on flexicurity lead to more social cohesion, preventing its potential perverse effects (greater competitiveness = more exclusion and poverty);

General recommendations - 3 Structural Funds as “driving force” on the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy and the achievement of the overall goal to eradicate poverty Main actions / Objectives: - Within the framework of the OMC, the Commission should have the authority to monitor this guideline more effectively, not only in the agreement of the national strategic guidelines but particularly in its monitoring, having at its service efficient mechanisms to correct potential deflections or negative effects of the guidelines initially agreed. - In the scope of the National Strategic Reference Framework Member-states should promote broad social pacts, counting on the highest possible participation of all relevant actors in all stages of the process (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation). The main objective is to achieve mainstreaming and a co-responsible approach to eradicating poverty and social exclusion;

General recommendations - 4 Reinforcement of participation in order to improve the governance levels Main actions / Objectives: - To deepen the establishment of participation methodologies aimed at people experiencing poverty, in the framework of the Open Method of Coordination and through the implementation of processes similar to those that are currently taking place at European, national, regional and local levels; - To implement minimum standards of participation with indicators that can be monitored and assessed. - To recognize in the policy instruments the structural inequalities between organizations and people, in relation to ‘the capacity to deliver full participation in the new forms of governance; - Establishment of an inter-institutional interlocutor at the European Commission level to link the organizations of the third sector and the social economy in order to develop policies and programmes capable of impacting on social exclusion; - The drafting of a European white book on the contribution of the Third Sector and Social Economy for citizens well-being, quality of life and participation.

Specific recommendations - 1 The creation of a European anti-poverty structure (Observatory /Agency) Main actions / Objectives: - To overcome the current knowledge gaps and the “loss of historical memory” by systematizing the acquired heritage; - To provide a common platform to produce, organize and disseminate knowledge (both statistical and qualitative data) to allow a better coordination of the efforts made by the different actors in the research field; - To develop a critical capacity of analysis and dissemination of poverty policies (at different levels: national, regional and local) capable of making proposals in relation to models and differentiated social intervention patterns (different contexts and target groups); - To create conditions for systematic monitoring (with the capacity to produce qualitative and comparable information) of the progress achieved in the fight against poverty in the EU, enabling the comparison of good and bad practices and leading the dissemination processes; - To promote exchange with similar bodies at transnational level; - To permanently produce information, in order to disseminate results capable of mobilizing European opinion in a positive way.

Specific recommendations - 2 The establishment of a new European Poverty Programme within the framework of the Open Method of Coordination capable of reinforcing this strategy and overcoming some of its main handicaps Main actions / Objectives: - To overcome the current lack of measures and specific actions to tackle poverty (within the framework of the Social Inclusion Strategy) the programme should be developed from the common objectives, within the scope of the OMC and in accordance with the specificities of each Member State. This will encourage the development of adequate, innovative and transferable answers and of mutual learning; - To reduce the negative effects of the lack of European initiatives in the current round of structural funds which may lead to the isolation of Member States concerning the fight against poverty; - To create a laboratorial capacity (currently missing) that could help to accomplish the goals set in the Lisbon Strategy; - To support crucial training and qualification of the actors.

Specific recommendations - 3 The development of a “package” of common minimum standards (benefits and services) in order to make social rights effective Note: This recommendation was more or less followed and taken on board with the Active Inclusion Recommendation. Anyway it’s still not clear how it is being implemented. So, clearly, there still some space for deepening this proposal. At that time we were asking for a Directive… could this still be possible?

Specific recommendations - 4 Preparation of 2010 as the European Year for the Eradication of Poverty Main actions / Objectives: - To assure that the celebration of this year is backed by a consistent commitment to reach the Lisbon goals and to the future of this European Strategy; - To ensure that the year 2010 is both an arrival and a departure point and is committed to tackle new challenges in the medium and long term. - To draw up a strategic programme (measures and actions) to organize the European Year which should have the participation of all relevant actors, particularly those who are more directly involved in the implementation of the Social Inclusion Strategy; - To set up a high-level Organizing Committee of the European Year, mobilizing different experts and simultaneously involving the different stakeholders, such as people who are experiencing poverty and the media. Additional to its active involvement in the organization of the European Year, this Committee should also be responsible for reporting the outcomes intended: setting new objectives and strategies for the renewal and effective implementation of the commitments agreed in Lisbon in 2000.