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Report on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion

11 March 2013

Forming part ofthe Europe 2020 strategy, the"European Platform against Povertyand Social Exclusion" initiativeis being monitored by theCommitteeof the Regions(CoR), whichwill hold aconferenceon the matter on29May 2013,in Brussels. The Autonomous Communityof Valenciais represented at theCoRbythe President of the Regional Government of Valencia, Alberto FabraPartand, as his alternate, MariaVistoriaPalauTárrega, Director-Generalfor EU Relations, and theMayor of Valencia, RitaBarberáNolla.

The Committee of theRegionsis a consultative bodyrepresentinglocal and regional authoritiesin the EU, whose main role isto statethe viewsof these authorities onEU legislationby issuingreports(opinions) on the European Commission's proposals. Similarly, the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council are obliged to consult the Committee before adopting European-level decisionsin areas that have a local or regionalimpact,such asthe 'European Platform against Povertyand Social Exclusion.

The viewsmentionedintheinitiative'sassessment, whichforms part of the preparations forthe conference,aretaken into accountwith regard to thediscussion at theconference. These views also feed into the fourthCoRMonitoring ReportonEurope 2020 (to be published in October 2013), the Committee's consultative work in this area and the mid-term reviewofthe Europe 2020 strategyin 2014.

On Thursday 28 February 2013, we received an email asking the Directorate-General to take part in the assessment of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, initiative. The following information is provided by way of response.

Contributor information[1]

Name of sender: / No contact name provided
Contact details:
(address, telephone, email) / Calle Colón, 80 46004-Valencia
Tel: 00 34 963176700 Fax: 963176701
On behalf of:
(name of local or regional authority) / Generalitat Valenciana (Regional Government of Valencia)
Ministryof Social Welfare
Directorate-General for Social Action and the Elderly
Type of organisation / City/Town/Municipality Region
County/Province
Association of local and/or regional authorities
Other (please specify)
Country: / ......
Member of the EUROPE 2020 Monitoring Platform: / YesNo
Not stated

Policy challenges and responses at regional and local level

BOX 1 – European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: basic information
This is the first time ever thatthe objective of reducing poverty has been identified as aquantitative targetunder an EU strategy. The aim of the Europe 2020 flagship initiative, theEuropean Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion,is "to ensure economic, social and territorial cohesion in order to raise awareness and recognise the fundamental rights of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, enabling them to live in dignity and take an active part in society"[2].In particular, itoutlines actions to help Member States reach the EU target of reducing poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million by the year 2020[3].
Althoughthe average at-risk-of-poverty-and-social-exclusion rate in the EU has remained relatively stable in recent years, it varies significantlyamong different age groups and between the Member States. It has significantly increased in a number of countries over the last three to four years[4]: while the rate is under 20% incertain Member Statessuch as Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg,it recently increased to 47% in Bulgaria, 40% in Latvia and 31% in Greece (2011). Furthermore, considerable differences exist between differentregionsin theMember States[5].
Today, the inhabitants of around one fifth of the EU's regions are particularly exposed to risks of poverty and social exclusion.
The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion feeds into the Europe 2020 objective of inclusive growth along with the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs flagship initiative. It will also help to achieve the other objectives of smart growth (alongside the Youth on the Move flagship initiative). In particular, it contributes to the objective of achieving the Europe 2020 headline target to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and social exclusion.
The main objectives and lines of action of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion are highlighted in Box 2 below.
EU regional and local governments are responsible for about one fifth of total government expenditure for social protection and services and therefore play an important role in helping to achieve the objectives of the flagship initiative[6].
You can find more information on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, as seen from thelocal and regional authorities' viewpoint, on the European Commission's Europe 2020 portal[7] and in the Committee of the Regions' publication Delivering on the Europe 2020 Strategy. Handbook for Local and Regional Authorities[8]. General information on Europe 2020 can be found on the strategy's official website[9] and on the website of DG Employment.[10].
1)What are the main challenges currently facing your region/city in terms of (i) preventing child poverty (ii) providing decent housing conditions and (iii) combating the social exclusion of vulnerable groups?
Irrespectiveof thespecific powersconcerning children, education, housing, etc. held byother departmentsof theRegional Government of Valencia, the Ministry of Welfare'sDirectorate-GeneralforSocialActionandthe Elderlyis responsibleforthe design,planning, monitoring andimplementation of plansand programmesforgroupsthat are disadvantagedor at riskof socialexclusion. TheValencian Autonomous Community's 2nd Plan forInclusionand the Prevention ofSocialExclusion 2011-2013 is applicablein this areaand the one referred to inour subsequentresponsesin this assessment.
One ofthePlan's methodological challengeswas toaccuratelyidentify thevulnerable groups andcommunitiesat riskof exclusion andthosethat werealready excluded. Unfortunately, we did not havesuitable data, either when drawing up theplanornow, since the indicatorswe are working with were not designedor compiledspecifically forthis purpose.
Tomap therisk of exclusion(last updated2010), we usedthedata anddisaggregations of surveys conducted bytheNational StatisticsInstitute(INE) and the Valencian Instituteof Statistics(IVE), specifically: indicator tablesfromthe INE's Living ConditionsSurvey(ECV) and the indicatortablesfrom theLabour Force Survey(EPA).
2) Please briefly describe what type of policy programmes/actions are being implemented in your city/region in the policy areas covered by the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, highlighting their specific contribution to the above targets (see Box 1).
Within the Regional Government of Valencia, the Ministry of Welfare's Directorate-General for Social Action and the Elderlyholds responsibility for matterssuch as proposing,planning and implementing social action measures aimed at fosteringthe integration into society of groups that are disadvantaged or at risk of social exclusion. The Valencia Region's 2nd Plan for Inclusion and the Prevention of Social Exclusion (PIPES) is therefore driven by this department for the period 2011-2013.
In line with European and national benchmarks, the Plan's objectives are to prevent social exclusion and promote social inclusion and integration. Therefore, the overall aim was to eradicate poverty and ensure the properattention to and protection of socially dependentindividuals.
The Plan was developed along five strategic lines:
Line 1. - Working to achieve a more cohesive society
Line 2. - Ensuringfairness in education
Line 3. - Promoting access to employment
Line 4. -Making progress on health as a social good
Line 5. –Making use of R+D+i intackling social inclusion
The measures carried out under these strategic lines are intended to boost, both overall and transversally,actions that are:
integrated, directly aimed at reducing and weakening structural factors that cause or help to create social exclusion processes;
preventive and inclusive within the region and the community, to support individuals and family and social networks and make social cohesion visible and feasible;
inclusive, through involvement in employment processes that combinetraining, access andjob support through integrated networks that are both transversal and local, created and developed jointly byall public, private and third sector stakeholders;
participatory, to ensure substantialpublic involvement through education, information, discussions, action planning or the assessment ofoutcomes, making it possible to shape and develop measuresfor inclusion;
innovative, byadopting an open approach to social exclusion, generating new opportunities for reflection, conceptualisation, training and the transfer of knowledge and workexperiences in relation to social inclusion;
3)Are any of the policy programmes/actions described in the above questioncarried out in partnership with different tiers of government and/or withother stakeholders (regional or local NGOs, representatives of the social partners, the business sector or service providers). If yes, please state (a) the administrative levels involved (b) the practical arrangements taken to manage such joint action (c) who the main partners were and (d) how you worked with them (work organisation and time).
From the development stage (consultation, amendments) to the approval and subsequent monitoring and assessment of the 2nd Valencian Plan for Inclusion and the Prevention of Social Exclusion, the approach has been to involvea range of different actors, both public (government, universities, etc...) and private (third sector, unions, etc...).
Atthe regional government level, two cross-cutting committees were set up, comprising representatives of all the regional ministries: one high-level political committee and one committee of technical experts (professionals). The most representative third sector bodies and organisations working in the field of social services were also involved.
From the outset, it was accepted that working groups needed to be set up for the drawing-up and technical coordination of key aspects of the Plan's implementation and development. The possibleareas of study suggested are set out below, divided into three groups:
  • Prospects and diagnosis of the social situation in the Valencia Region of the groups most affected by the Plan and the Plan'sAssessment through the development of indicators.
  • Training and awareness-raising, not only of the professional staff involved inthe social actions, but also in other fields (the media, police, politicians, etc).
  • The municipal approach: driving forward municipal plans for inclusion and the prevention of social exclusion.
Other fields of study, in which working groups have not yet been set up, in sector-specific areas such as:
  • Education
  • Employment and
  • Health.
Work ondeveloping, monitoring and evaluating PIPES is currently in a period of "stagnation", which is making it difficult for the original participatory methodology to help:
  • maintain the agreed executive management structure of the responsible departments.
  • set up working bodies with other regions in Spain.
  • establish criteria for action andthe roles and procedures to be allocated and implemented between and within governments,in line with the social bodies' needs and the resources on which they depend.
  • set up inter-ministryworking groups and groups with the third sector and develop participatory procedures andmechanismsfor the affected groups and situationanalysis in areas of research, training and operational work.
  • create a well-structured forum for collaboration and relationships between municipalities and regional ministries,in whichthe municipal action plans and key processes to be carried out are drawn up.
  • construct a rigorous work methodology that covers all aspects, from detecting and assessing exclusionto allocating benefits or resources for inclusion.
  • detail aspects concerning the design, development and management of information systems for both the people and the resources involved in managing the Plan.
  • draw upthe training plans needed to ensure the proper guidance of all staff, both professional and voluntary, involved directly or indirectly in the Inclusion Plan.
  • establish lines of joint work (research and training) with universities on exclusion-related issues.
  • develop mechanisms for reviewing and evaluating actions, indicators of their quality and results in terms of assessingintegration.
As a result, the basic management support tools are also going through a difficult time, which means that the following are currently suspended:
  • maintaining systems that coordinate work among the different operators involved.
  • improvingpublic services by developing resource guides and creating a database on the benefits, programmes, services and centres provided by government departments or social initiatives.
  • developing tools for information-sharing between different departments (education, health, employment, social services, for example) and the third sector and drawing upworking protocols for identifying social risk situations.
  • improving needs detection systems in order to identify the individuals or groups that should benefit from the measures put in place.

4)Ensuring effective access to and participation in cultural activities for all is an essential part of promoting an inclusive society. In what way can participation in cultural and creative activities be instrumental for helping people and communities overcome poverty and social exclusion? Please refer to specific examples and existing initiatives.
Underthe PIPES, one of the actions that the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport is carrying out, through the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, is "Promoting the cultural activities of the Roma". In 2011, it allocated EUR3650 to this measure and in 2012, EUR9560 was earmarked for this purpose.

How is the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion relevant to your city or region?

BOX 2 -European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: main objectives and actions
The specific objectives of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusionare[11][12]:
  • to support theeradication ofchild poverty. Over 20 million children are at risk of poverty in Europe today. This risk rises to 25% for children who live in large families and is over 30% in the case of children who live in single parent families;
  • to promote the active inclusionin society and on thelabour market of the most vulnerable groupssinceunemployment is the principal cause of poverty among the working-age population. The risk of poverty for the unemployed is more than five times greater than in the case of people inemployment;
  • to provide decent housing for everyone. Homelessness and housing exclusion represent one of the most extreme forms of poverty and have increased in recent years. Fuel poverty, which risks depriving households not only of heating or air conditioning but also hot water, light and other essential domestic necessities, is another example of severe deprivation;
  • to overcome discrimination and increase the social integration of people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, immigrants and other vulnerable groups. For example, older people face a higher risk of poverty compared to the overall population; moreover, in some countries older people are at particular risk of material deprivation;
  • to tacklefinancial exclusion and over-indebtednesswhich arisefrom a lack of access to basic banking services, a situation which has been aggravated by the recent crisis. It can also be an obstacle to finding a job and thus lead to persistent marginalisation and poverty;
  • to promote the integration of Roma. Certain ethnic minorities, of whom Roma are the largest group, and migrant people in general, are disproportionately affected by multipledeprivation.

The specific actions and tools at EU level are structured as follows[13][14]:
  • improved access to work, social security, essential services (healthcare, housing, etc.) and education;
  • better use of EU funds to support social inclusion and combat discrimination;
  • social innovation to identify smart solutions in post-crisis Europe, especially in terms of more effective and efficient social support;
  • new partnerships such as those between the public and the private sector;
  • enhancedpolicy coordination among the Member States;
  • provision of food to the most deprived people, as well as clothing and other essential goods to homeless people and materially-deprived children[15].

5)Which of the objectives and lines of action of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion(listed in Box 2) are most relevant for the current situation in your region/city? To what extent have they encouragedyou to set more ambitious policy goals at regional/local level? Please explain your answer.
To be able to set goals and lines of action, you have to know what target population needs assistance. As mentioned above, one of the methodological challenges facing the Plan was to accurately identify the communities and groups at risk of exclusion.
We approached our diagnosis of Valencia's socio-economic situation on the basis of indicators obtained from the INE and the EVI and from the annual reports of the Economic and Social Council (a consultative body of the Regional Government of Valenciadealing with economic, social and employment-related issues). The latest information compiled from a report is for the year 2011, which can be consulted at:

The report is divided into three chapters, which provide data demonstrating thatthe following objectives are relevant to the Valencia Region:eradicating child poverty, promoting theactive inclusionof the most vulnerable groups in society and on the labour market, ensuring decent housing for all, ending discrimination and improving the social integration of people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, immigrants and other vulnerable groups, finding solutions tofinancial exclusion and over-indebtedness andpromoting the integration of Roma.
6)How relevant is the new Social Investment Package adopted by the European Commission on 13February 2013 (Box 3) for your local/regional policies? Has it encouraged or helped you to set more ambitious policy goals at regional/local level? Please explain your answer.
The Directorate-General for Social Action and the Elderly has no responsibility in this area

BOX 3 –Social Investment Package[16][17]:

The Social Investment Package (SIP) aims to give guidance to Member States on more efficient and effective social policies in response to the significant challenges they currently face such as financial distress, increasing poverty and social exclusion,unemployment, especially among young people. These are combined with the challenge of ageing societies and smaller working age populations, which test the sustainability and adequacy of national social systems.

The Social Investment Package includes a Commission recommendation against child poverty, calling for an integrated approach to child-friendly social investment. Investing in children and young people is especially effective in breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and social exclusion and improving people's opportunities later in life.