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The EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions will meet in Poznan on 18 June 2010 to develop its views on the role of cohesion policy in reducing disparities between Europe's regions within the context of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. This meeting comes at a time when the European Commission has revealed shocking numbers stating that approximately 78 million people in the European Union live at risk of poverty and that 19 million of these are children. The EPP Group in the CoR therefore seeks to evaluate how the Cohesion Policy uses appropriate instruments for reducing these figures and ensuring social inclusion for citizens throughout the European Union.
Poverty and social exclusion have complex and multi-dimensional results on incomes, general living standards, education, decent work opportunities, effective social protection systems, housing, access to good-quality healthcare and other public services. The responsibility to provide public services, education and many of these social requirements falls to Europe's local and regional authorities. Within this context, the EPP Group specifically calls for initiatives to be taken to prevent the transmission of poverty from one generation to the other, prevent child poverty, address housing exclusion and homelessness, increase labour market participation of people with disabilities and to promote healthcare and long-term care. In order to achieve these goals, the EPP Group considers it crucial that all European citizens have a guaranteed general education and vocational training and believes that the levels of pupils leaving school early needs to be reduced as much as possible. Moreover, being the closest political representatives to citizens, the EPP Group believes that they represent the driving force for developing and implementing an adequately direct and supportive strategy to reduce poverty and social exclusion. I would therefore like to see a more multi-level dimension to the EU's approach to this policy area by involving local, regional, national and European representatives and respecting the principle of subsidiarity reinforced by the Lisbon Treaty.
Following the economic and financial crisis, unemployment and territorial disparities have steadily risen throughout the EU. Europe's cohesion policy has played an important role here by providing robust support for budgetary stability and public investment in the EU regions during this time of particularly heavy budgetary constraints. Cohesion policy also forms a key part of the European Economic Recovery Plan. By supporting investment in infrastructure, business and jobs, it can help Europe’s regions and Member States tackle the challenges brought on by the global economic crisis. The EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions also believes that, in the same way, Cohesion Policy could be a means acting horizontally and profoundly to reduce poverty and social exclusion in the regions and cities hit hardest by the crisis.
Through the implementation of an ambitious Cohesion Policy in the next financial period, the EU has an opportunity to promote a more cohesive society, showing the added value of territorial, social and economic cohesion by facilitating a sustainable distribution of wealth and reducing marginalisation to a minimum. Moreover, the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions welcomes the European Commission proposal to set poverty reduction targets to 25% within the Europe 2020 strategy. However, it is essential that these targets go beyond the working population to improve the living conditions of children and the elderly. Given that Cohesion Policy is the main tool for a harmonious and sustainable development of the EU territory on a broad scale, we would like to ensure that it keeps its cross-sectoral approach and tailor made objectives whilst incorporating some of the elements to fight poverty and social exclusion.
Marek Wozniak is the Marshal of Wielkoposka Region and the CoR's 1st Vice President for its Commission for Territorial Cohesion
"Imagine a life of poverty – can you picture a way out?"
The EPP Group firmly believes that all young people should have the possibility to fully develop their talents and potential, including those living in poverty or suffering from social exclusion. At a period when young people are suffering from increased vulnerability and uncertainty, we believe that they can not only develop their skills in schools, but also in the family, through social work, non-profit associations, youth organisations, non-formal groups and throughout their local areas. For this reason, the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions has teamed up with the European People's Party to hold a 60 second film competition for young people. The idea is to give youngsters between the ages of 15 and 30 a chance to voice their opinion on poverty and social exclusion and to highlight the work that local and regional authorities can do to improve the situation throughout Europe.
The closing date is 15 July so visit www.eppcompetition.eu for more information
Author: CoR
