EESC opinion: European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010)

EESC opinion: European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010)

Key points

The European Economic and Social Committee welcomes the Commission proposal establishing the European Year 2010 for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010).

In order to get more effectively across the message of intolerability of poverty and social marginalisation, as well as to win public support, the events of the European Year 2010 should be based on measures of poverty reflecting the scale of actual deprivation, the areas affected and the depth of the problem, while taking into account disparities across the EU.

The European Year 2010 should have clear, select, overarching themes.

The European Year 2010 should be an opportunity to raise public awareness of the need to modernise and strengthen the European social model and of the resulting consequences.

The European Year 2010 should also provide a platform for public debate on the ways of protecting and advancing social cohesion amidst growing income disparities among Europeans.

The EESC believes that the operational side of the planned initiative is well thought-out.

The EESC welcomes the fact that the funding earmarked for implementing the goals of the Year is the largest amount ever assigned to such an initiative in the EU.