1 Monitoring progress towards the objectives of the European Strategy for Social Protection and Social Inclusion Bucharest, 17 November 2009 EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Walter WOLF Social protection and inclusion policies

22 ‘Open Method of Coordination’ (OMC) Definition of common Objectives and agreed indicators Reporting to national partners and to the EU (EC, Council, EP) Facilitating mutual learning and exchange of good practices How does the EU work in the social area?

3 EU social protection and inclusion strategy Overarching Objectives social cohesion, equality between men and women and equal opportunities for all through adequate, accessible, financially sustainable, adaptable and efficient social protection systems and social inclusion policies. effective and mutual interaction between the Lisbon objectives of greater economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion, and with the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy. good governance, transparency and the involvement of stakeholders in the design, implementation and monitoring of policy

4 The 2006 Social Inclusion Objectives access for all to the resources, rights and services needed for participation in society, addressing exclusion, and fighting all forms of discrimination the active social inclusion of all, both by promoting participation in the labour market and by fighting poverty and exclusion that social inclusion policies are well coordinated and involve all levels of government and relevant actors, including people experiencing poverty, that they are efficient and effective and mainstreamed into all relevant public policies Making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and social exclusion by ensuring:

5 5 5 Expenditure on social protection as % of GDP in the EU in 2006 Data Source: Eurostat, ESSPROS 2006

666 Expenditure on social protection in PPS per capita, 2006 Data Source: Eurostat, ESSPROS 2006

7 Child poverty within the “Social OMC”: Key policy developments National Strategy Reports 2006 oChild poverty as an important challenge for many EU countries March 2006 Council conclusions oMember States are asked “to take necessary measures to rapidly and significantly reduce child poverty, giving all children equal opportunities, regardless of their social background” 2007 thematic year on child poverty oSPC Report on Child Poverty and Well-Being (adopted in 2008) oSpecific reporting by MS on strategies to fight child poverty oPeer Review of the Social Protection Committee 2008 National Strategy Reports A key priority in 24 Countries Many have set quantified targets in relation to child poverty

8 Key policy conclusions endorsed by all Member States (Joint Report ) Policies promoting equal opportunities for all and improving educational outcomes are key to tackle child poverty Fighting child poverty requires a combination of adequate income support, quality jobs for parents and enabling services for children and their families The best performers combine universal support towards all children with measures targeted at the most disadvantaged (Roma children!) Efforts to tackle child poverty will gain leverage from an evidence- based diagnosis of the main causes of poverty and exclusion in each Member State Quantified objectives can be instrumental in making a decisive impact on the eradication of child poverty

999 At-risk-of poverty rate in the EU (%), total, children and elderly, 2007

10 Material deprivation and risk of poverty, 2007 Source: Eurostat SILC 2007

11 Source: Zsuzsa FERGE (2009)

12 At risk of poverty rates, 2007 Source: Eurostat SILC 2007

13 Children living in jobless households, 2007 Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey 2007, spring results, data missing for SE

14 In work poverty: at-risk-of-poverty rate of people in employment 18 and over, 2007 (%)

15 Impact of social transfers (excl. pensions) on at- risk-of-poverty rate, total and children 2007 (%)

16 Main achievements of the “Social OMC” in the fight against child poverty Importance of child poverty on national agendas increased Broader understanding of the multidimensional nature of the issue Common indicators have been made available and further work is being done, notably on material deprivation and on child well being The target-setting approach has gained relevance Mutual learning has taken place (e.g.: in the areas of pre-school education) Stakeholders involvement in policy making has improved, although in uneven manner across MS

17 From processes to results: Is there evidence of improvements? Latest data on child poverty give more than one reason for concern, not only when we look at the most recent figures, but also when we look at trends On average, in the period at-risk-of-poverty rates for children have remained broadly unchanged at EU level (19%) While the risk of poverty has declined in the ‘new’ MS (from 25% to 21%), it has slightly increased in the EU 15, and some countries that were traditionally ‘good performers’ have not managed to keep their good record Even more worryingly, available data refer to 2007 and do not still reflect the impact of the crisis

18 Social impact of the economic crisis and of policy responses labour market (flexible working time arrangements: maintain workers in employment; activation/re-integration) income support (minimum income/wage) measures to mitigate the direct impact of the financial crisis on households (protect mortgage holders/access to credits) investments in social and health infrastructure 2 nd Joint Assessment by the SPC and the EC

19 Main areas for improvement Boosting analytical capacity, more and more timely data, broader use of indicators and target Reinforcing horizontal and vertical coordination in policy making Strengthening the mutual learning process Sustaining quality and continuous stakeholders' involvement

20 Child poverty in the Commission work programme for 2010 Follow-up on key policy messages endorsed by MS 1.New data 2009 SILC module on material deprivation includes 20 child specific items Developing indicators of child well-being 2. New analytical evidence Seminar on child poverty and well-being (26 November 09 in Brussels) – presentation of a study financed by the European Commission Commission staff working paper on child poverty, with a strong focus on target setting 3. Focus on vulnerable children Within the context of thematic focus on migrants and ethnic minorities

21 EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Further Information: DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities website: