Child poverty in the EU’s social inclusion agenda

2. Child poverty in the EU’s social inclusion agenda Intervention by Marie-Anne Paraskevas, European Commission

3. CONTENT OF INTERVENTION • Child poverty as a priority in the OMC • Child poverty in the streamlined OMC • - The way ahead

4. Child poverty in the OMC • Lisbon 2000: Open method of coordination on social inclusion • Children as target group: objectives • National action plans on social inclusion • 2001: EU 15 limited • 2003: 7 out of the EU 15 priority • 2004: 7 out of EU 10 priority

5. Joint report on social protection and social inclusion • 2002: growing up in a vulnerable family+ transition from school to work: key risks for causing poverty and social exclusion • 2004: break interegenerational inheritance of poverty in order to make long-term progress on the eradication of poverty • 2006: eliminate child poverty and enhance assistance to families becomes one of the key priorities for EU 25

6. Indicators Sub-group of the Social Protection Committee • -2001: set of agreed indicators on poverty and social exclusion; need to breakdown indicators by age • 2004 JR: as far as possible, children(and elderly) must be given special focus within indicators of social exclusion and poverty

7. Community Programme against poverty and social exclusion • Preparatory actions 1998-2001 • Reports from Euronet and EFCW • Projects • Action Programme 2002-2006 • Comparative study on child poverty • Study on lone parent households • Projects • Peer review

8. Spring 2006 European Council • Heads of State and Government ask « member states to take necessary measures to rapidly and significantly reduce child poverty, giving all children equal opportunities, regardless of their social background »

9. The streamlined Open Method of Coordination • 2006 - new objectives and new arrangements • Guidelines for national strategic reports - action plans on social inclusion • Priorities include prevention and eradication of poverty and social exclusion of children

10. 2006 National strategic reports- NAPS inclusion • Members states respond with clear commitments to the European council’s mandate. Hence: • MS select as a priority the need to develop an integrated and long term approach to preventing and addressing poverty and social exclusion among children

11. Why we need to address child poverty • JR 2007 • In most EU MS, children are at graeater risk of poverty (19%) than the overall population( 16%) • Children growing in poverty and social exclusion are less likely than peers to do well in school, enjoy good haealth and stay out of dealings with criminal justice system

12. continued • Child poverty and social exclusion have scarring effects on children’s future life opportunities and on their capacity to contribute to tomorrow’s society; they are likely to face greater difficulties in integrating labour market and find their place in society

13. 2007 focus on child poverty • ISG • in-depth evaluative review on the basis of existing commonly agreed indicators and related statistics • assessment of existing monotoring mechanisms with a view to proposing recommendations for a common framework for analysing and monitoring child poverty

14. continued • MS within the SPC • Response to Commission’s questionnaire on national policies to combat child poverty and promote child well-being • In depth examination of responses within the SPC, with focus on policies towards children and families in particularly vulnerable situations

15. continued • Independent experts • Assessmentof child poverty situation in 27 MS and of the overall policy framework in place to address the issue • EU networks • Eurochild • European Social Network • European Anti- Poverty Network • FEANTSA

16. Key elements resulting from the 2007 exercise • Improving children’s material situation by improving family income through • direct – financial or in kind- support • measures to facilitate parents’ , including lone parents’, acces to labour market and to basic social services

17. continued • For the benefit of children independently of their parents • need to improve access to quality education, including early schooling, aspecially in deprived areas and for for children from disadvantaged background • early school leaving addressed by measures responding to different profiles

18. continued • Good governance arrangements • Still unexploited synergies between anti-poverty strategies and children’s rights policies; hence the need to improved coordination within MS as regards their UN and EU obligations • MS are developing mechanisms to monitor and analyse the situation

19. continued • Financial resources • Insufficient in cases where there are too many needs to be addressed • Yet, efforts to use support opportunities provided in particular through the Structural Funds, in particular the European Social Fund

20. The way forward • 2007 child poverty focus • Improved understanding with regard to different factors that determine social inclusion and well-being of children • Identified knowledge gaps: need to look futher in cases of disadvantaged and at-risk children • Confirmed that child poverty should remain on top of social agenda