"Multiple disadvantages require multiple, integrated solutions," said Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimír Špidla. "To help Member States mobilise those who can work and provide adequate support to those who cannot, we are proposing a holistic strategy of active inclusion. Social inclusion and labour market participation go hand-in-hand. Our approach combines three key elements: adequate income support, access to inclusive labour markets and quality social services."
The EU strategy for growth and jobs is showing results: growth and employment are rising and unemployment is falling across Europe. Yet there is little doubt that Europe needs to do more to fully achieve the objective, set by EU leaders at Lisbon in 2000, of making a 'decisive impact on the eradication of poverty'. 16% of Europe's population is at risk of financial poverty, one in five lives in sub-standard housing, 10% live in households where nobody works and the proportion of early school leavers is over 15%.
To ensure that disadvantaged people are integrated in the job market in the long term, a more strategic approach is needed. They first need to be supported with sufficient resources and personalised employment and social services, to help them participate in society and become more employable. Once in employment, job retention should be promoted to avoid a "revolving door" situation: the process of social reintegration does not end at the employers' doors. And employment is not always a guarantee against poverty: 8% of workers in the EU are at risk of poverty, so promoting quality in work is also important.
The full involvement of public authorities at all levels - including, and crucially, at the regional and local level - will be key to successfully implementing this approach. In addition, social partners have a key role to play in improving the availability of jobs for disadvantaged people, by putting in place suitable recruitment procedures and in promoting job retention.
Following a public consultation carried out in spring 2006, the Commission is proposing to deepen social policy cooperation at EU level by adopting a set of common principles. These principles would guide implementation of the three strands of active inclusion and their subsequent monitoring and evaluation, while fully respecting the different situations and needs of the Member States.
The Commission plans to propose a set of common principles in the form of a Recommendation, which would constitute the basis for Council conclusions and a European Parliament resolution. EU financial instruments, such as the European Social Fund - which invests over EUR 10 billion a year in people - are also available to support the active inclusion approach.
Responses to the consultation can be submitted to
empl-active-inclusion@ec.europa.eu
by 28 February 2008.
Communication and consultation: Taking forward the active inclusion of people furthest from the labour market
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/consultation_en.html
First stage consultation
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_inclusion/active_inclusion_en.htm
Link to Communication
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/news/2007/oct/active_inclusion_en.pdf