EU local and regional authorities contributing to the Mid-term review of Europe 2020
Assessment of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion flagship initiative
Over two years after its launch, the Committee of the Regions will take stock of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion flagship initiative at a conference to be held on 29 May 2013 in Brussels. This conference will be the fourth in a series of CoR events and monitoring initiatives surrounding the mid-term review of Europe 2020 in 2014. More news on this conference can be found on the CoR website1.
By participating in this survey, you will:
- ensure that your views are taken into account in the debate held during the conference; - contribute to the fourth CoR Monitoring Report on Europe 2020, to be published in October 2013; - contribute to the CoR's consultative activity in this field over the coming months; - contribute to the mid-term review of Europe 2020 in 2014.
IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IN ANY EU LANGUAGE, USING THE SPACES PROVIDED, AND RETURN IT IN TEXT FORMAT TO: [email protected]
by 22 April 2013
For more information on this survey and for details on how to join the Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform, go to: http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/
The questionnaire is available on this website in all official languages of the EU
1 http://cor.europa.eu/en/activities/europe2020/Pages/eu-platform-against-poverty.aspx.
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Contributor information2
Name of sender: 1) Peter Stanzl, 2) Harald Bürger 1) 1080 Vienna, Buchfeldgasse 6, [email protected] Contact details: (address, telephone, email) 2) 1040 Brussels, Avenue de Tervueren 58 [email protected] +32/2/743 85 02 On behalf of: Vienna (name of local or regional authority) City/Town/Municipality Region County/Province Type of organisation Association of local and/or regional authorities Other (please specify) Country: Austria
Member of the EUROPE 2020 Yes No Monitoring Platform:
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 that the objective of reducing poverty has been identified as a quantitative target under an EU strategy. The aim of the Europe 2020 flagship initiative, the European 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" 3. In particular, it outlines actions to help Member States reach the EU target of reducing poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million by the year 20204.
Although the average at-risk-of-poverty-and-social-exclusion rate in the EU has remained relatively stable in recent years, it varies significantly among different age groups and between the Member States. It has significantly increased in a number of countries over the last three to four years 5: while the rate is under 20% in certain Member States such 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 different regions in the Member States6.
2 Privacy Statement: The follow-up to your contribution requires that your personal data (name, contact details, etc.) be processed in a file. All the answers to the questions are voluntary. Your replies will be kept for a period of 5 years after the receipt of your questionnaire. Should you require any further information or wish to exercise your rights under Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 (e.g. to access, rectify or delete your data), please contact the data controller at [email protected]. If necessary, you may also contact the CoR Data Protection Officer ([email protected]). You have the right of recourse to the European Data Protection Supervisor at any time (www.edps.europa.eu). Please note that the questionnaire with your contribution and your contact details will be published online. Your questionnaire may be transmitted to CoR rapporteurs and other EU institutions for information. Should you not agree to this, please inform us accordingly. 3 EUROPE 2020. A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, COM(2010) 2020 final, Brussels, 3.3.2010 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:EN:PDF p. 19. 4 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=961. 5 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/refreshTableAction.do?tab=table&plugin=0&pcode=t2020_50&language=en. 6 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graph&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tgs00103&toolbox=type.
CDR3048-2013_14_00_TRA_TCD - 3 - 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 initiative7.
You can find more information on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, as seen from the local and regional authorities' viewpoint, on the European Commission's Europe 2020 portal8 and in the Committee of the Regions' publication Delivering on the Europe 2020 Strategy. Handbook for Local and Regional Authorities9. General information on Europe 2020 can be found on the strategy's official website10 and on the website of DG Employment.11.
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? i) Inheritance of poverty; the increasing number of families (especially single parents and large families) reliant on means-tested basic social assistance (social safety net of last resort; used to be unrestricted social assistance) ii) Creating affordable and sufficient housing (in response to population growth) iii) In particular, poorly skilled workers (people who have only completed basic secondary education, early school leavers, etc.), immigrants, the long-term unemployed, recipients of basic social assistance (significant overlap between target groups) – increasingly excluded long-term from the labour market (tendency for people to become stuck in unemployment; long-term unemployment).
Two basic trends also need to be mentioned: falling wages (an increasing number of low-wage jobs; part-time employment; working poor) and vanishing job opportunities for unskilled job seekers.
7 http://cor.europa.eu/en/activities/europe2020/Pages/eu-platform-against-poverty.aspx. 8 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=961&langId=en. 9 The Handbook can be downloaded from http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/SiteCollectionDocuments/Europe%202020%20Handbook%20for%20Local%20and %20Regional%20Authorities.pdf. 10 http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/flagship-initiatives/index_en.htm. 11 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=961&langId=en.
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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). i) The means-tested basic social assistance introduced in Vienna on 1 September 2010 is a key form of support for people with little or no income. It represents an improvement on previous social assistance in terms of both procedural efficiency and level of support. The City of Vienna has also significantly increased basic social assistance benefits for children (minors). Labour market integration measures have also been developed (Step2Job, Consulting and counselling establishment for recipients of social assistance: Counselling, Qualification, Mediation, http://www.waff.at/en/projects-for-the-labour-market/for-the- unemployed-and-for-social-assistance-recipients/step2job/). Recipients of social assistance are now tied into statutory health insurance (better, and above all, non- stigmatised access to health services). ii) A strategy is being discussed to reduce the number of young recipients of basic social assistance by offering ongoing support with integration into the labour market. The plan is to link it more closely to the Vienna Training Guarantee scheme (http://www.waff.at/presse/pressemitteilungen-archiv/die-wiener-ausbildungsgarantie/) and to step up cooperation with the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS). The measures outlined in the Qualifikationsplan Wien 2020 ["Vienna Training Plan 2020"] (http://www.waff.at/qualifikationsplan-wien-2020/) are intended to significantly reduce the share of early school leavers by 2020. The Qualifikationsplan Wien 2020 is supported by the social partners and is the product of a joint effort by experts from all relevant educational and labour market institutions. The plan seeks to apply leverage in three areas: training and education; further training for adults; and provision of information and encouragement. The share of early school leavers should fall by 30 per cent by 2020. By 2015, an additional 1 000 Viennese should be able to complete their apprenticeship training. Low-skilled Viennese will be actively engaged with information and counselling on opportunities for training and education. iii) In terms of social policy, the priorities are improving or further developing housing security (preventing homelessness), implementing the "housing first" approach for the homeless; and reforming individual housing benefits. In view of demographic trends, construction of social housing is being stepped up, partly by way of new financing methods. There is discussion in Austria at the moment about ways to restrain rising rents.
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3) Are any of the policy programmes/actions described in the above question carried out in partnership with different tiers of government and/or with other 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). Basic social assistance: cooperation is based on an agreement in line with Article 15(a) of the Constitution and is mainly concentrated on professional integration (cooperation with the Public Employment Service/the federal government) and health insurance (cooperation with health insurers/social security). Under Article 15(a) of the Constitution, the federal government and the Länder can conclude agreements on matters within their areas of responsibility. Young recipients of basic social assistance: here, too, there are plans for closer cooperation with the Public Employment Service. Qualifikationsplan [Training Plan]: cooperation takes place across a number of organisations and areas of authority (including the Public Employment Service; schools; the federal social affairs department; the social partners; etc.) Cooperation is mostly of a strategic nature (coordination). There are also plans for operational coordination and cooperation regarding young recipients of basic social assistance.
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. Vienna Mobilpass: gives the bearer discounted access to public transport services in Vienna (half price) and access to training and other leisure activities (such as bathhouses in Vienna). All recipients of basic social assistance, as well as recipients of pension top-ups (people with small pensions), are eligible.
Vienna Kulturpass: Discounts on cultural events. Targeted towards people of limited means (including recipients of basic social assistance).
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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 Exclusion are12 13:
to support the eradication of child 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 inclusion in society and on the labour market of the most vulnerable groups since unemployment 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 in employment; 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 tackle financial exclusion and over-indebtedness which arise from 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 multiple deprivation.
12 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=751&langId=en. 13 COM(2010) 758 final "The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: A European framework for social and territorial cohesion", p. 4-5 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0758:FIN:EN:PDF.
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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; enhanced policy 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 children16.
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 encouraged you to set more ambitious policy goals at regional/local level? Please explain your answer......
BOX 3 – Social Investment Package17 18:
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.
The Social Investment Package is an integrated policy framework which takes account of the social, economic and budgetary divergences between Member States. It focuses on:
1. Ensuring that social protection systems respond to people's needs at critical moments throughout their lives. More needs to be done to reduce the risk of social breakdown and so avoid higher social spending in the future.
2. Simplified and better targeted social policies, to provide adequate and sustainable social protection systems. Some countries have better social outcomes than others despite having similar or lower budgets, demonstrating that there is room for more efficient social policy spending.
14 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=961. 15 COM(2010) 758 final "The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: A European framework for social and territorial cohesion", p. 5 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0758:FIN:EN:PDF. 16 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/andor/headlines/news/2012/10/20121024_en.htm. 17 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=751&langId=en. 18 COM(2010) 758 final "The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: A European framework for social and territorial cohesion", p. 4-5 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:0758:FIN:EN:PDF.
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3. Upgrading active inclusion strategies in the Member States. Affordable quality childcare and education, prevention of early school leaving, training and job-search assistance, housing support and accessible health care are all policy areas with a strong social investment dimension.
6) How relevant is the new Social Investment Package adopted by the European Commission on 13 February 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......
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7) What are the strong and weak points of the EU's policies addressing poverty and social exclusion? Were they sufficient in view of the challenges you are facing in this area? If not, would you recommend making any specific changes to the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion flagship initiative after the mid-term review of Europe 2020 in 2014, especially with regard to local and regional authority involvement? Strong point: increased public awareness Weak point: no immediate effects/action
Are your country's policies relevant to your city or region?
8) To help meet the headline targets and objectives (see Boxes 1 and 2), your country has set its own country targets, which you can find at http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/pdf/targets_en.pdf19. To what extent are the targets set by your country appropriate to your local situation? Please explain. The targets are very general and can therefore be applied to our local situation.
9) Does your country's 2012 (current) National Reform Programme20 (NRP) for Europe 2020 adequately respond to your regional/local needs in the policy areas covered by the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion (see Box 1)? If not, would you suggest any changes in your country's NRP for 2013? ......
10) Do you have the opportunity to contribute to the drafting of your NRP, or your National Job Plan, in the policy areas covered by the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, even if this takes place indirectly through the organisations that represent cities and regions in your country? If yes, please state how in brief. Yes, the Austrian Länder are involved in drafting our NRP. They are represented via the joint representation of the Länder. Appended to the Austrian NRP are examples of best practice in individual Länder, towns and local authorities. The Austrian Association of Cities and Towns and the Austrian Association of Municipalities are also represented on the committees that draw up the NRP.
Policy and funding issues
11) What sources of funding are used to finance your actions under the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion (as provided under question 2)? In particular: what is the role of the EU Structural Funds in funding actions relating to the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion? Efforts to tackle poverty will be a priority in the ESF from 2014. The Länder will be responsible for implementation.
Already in the current period, the ESF is a key tool in efforts to tackle poverty (support for people at risk of marginalisation). It also supports coordination among the partners of the Territorial Employment Pact (TEP) for Vienna and the campaign to raise awareness of the importance of life- long learning, first vocational training and support for immigrants. Vienna has set itself the goal (overarching objective 9 of its ERDF programme for 2014-2020) of "promoting social integration and tackling poverty", with a particular focus on the investment priority
19 Please note that some Member States have not set targets in the field of poverty eradication. 20 All available here: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/making-it-happen/country-specific- recommendations/index_en.htm.
CDR3048-2013_14_00_TRA_TCD - 10 - "supporting renovation and regeneration of disadvantaged urban and rural communities".
12) Have any of the goals pursued in fighting poverty and social exclusion been jeopardised due to fiscal consolidation policies and subsequent financial difficulties? ......
13) Were you directly or indirectly involved in the preparation of the forthcoming Partnership Agreement which is to be signed between your national government and the European Commission for the management of the Structural Funds under the Common Strategic Framework 2014-2020? If yes, please explain how in brief. Yes, both the Austrian Länder and towns and local authorities are involved in preparing the Partnership Agreement. They are represented in the relevant working groups. The process as a whole is facilitated by the Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning (ÖROK). The objective of the process is a joint, partnership-based approach to drawing up the Partnership Agreement. For more information (in German), see: http://www.oerok.gv.at/eu-regionalpolitik/eu-kohaesionspolitik-2014/nationale- strategie-stratat-2020.html
14) How should poverty issues be addressed in the forthcoming Partnership Agreement mentioned in the above question? ......
15) Please add any further comments you wish to make on the issues covered in this questionnaire......
SHARE YOUR GOOD PRACTICE
As part of the preparations for the CoR conference to be held on 29 May 2013 and to showcase good practices in areas covered by the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, you are invited to submit examples of good practice from your local area. Please complete the form available on our website: http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/MonitoringFlagships/Pages/Welcome.aspx
JOIN THE EUROPE 2020 MONITORING PLATFORM
To help convey the voice of EU cities and regions in the implementation of Europe 2020 at EU level and in your country, join us. For details on how, see: http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/Knowledge/Pages/BecomeaMember.aspx
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!
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