Closing session of the European Year of Combating Poverty
Philippe Courard: "The European Year of Combating Poverty has mobilised millions of people and made them aware of the problems of social insecurity in Europe. Major steps forward have been made in the fight against child poverty. A European recommendation is underway."
On 17 December, Philippe Courard – the State Secretary for Poverty reduction and Social Integration – on behalf of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union chaired the closing session of the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. On this occasion, the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, Prime Minister Yves Leterme, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs Laurette Onkelinx, the European Commissioner Laszlo Andor, State Secretary Philippe Courard and representatives of the governments of the Member States of the EU officially signed the "Final Declaration of the European Council in the fight against poverty".
From this year on – and Philippe Courard emphasised that this was a major advance – poverty reduction will become one of the five pillars of the EU policy framework as set out in the Europe 2020 strategy. This was by no means a foregone conclusion, but the efforts made by the Belgian Presidency supported by several colleagues in other states have resulted in setting this goal to reduce the number of people living in poverty by at least 20 million within the next decade. The year 2010 will have seen within the Member States the mobilisation of collective associations and associative structures, policies, public services, universities and all parties concerned in the fight against the scourge of poverty, which we regard as a genuine violation of fundamental human rights.
On 17 December last, date of the closing of the year of combating poverty, the European Council has also adopted the implementation report for the Europe 2020 strategy. Thanks to the work performed and the mobilisation of forces achieved in the course of this year, the "Final Declaration concerning the Year of Combating Poverty" has been included in the fundamental strategic objectives of the European Union for the coming decade. This is a concrete and specific step forward in the fight against poverty and definitely a welcome achievement, said State Secretary Philippe Courard.
This past year also provided an opportunity for people living in poverty to express themselves, to make themselves heard and to participate in and contribute to the major advances made in the fight against poverty. This active participation and mobilisation by the Belgian Presidency have in any case influenced the agenda of the Commission: Commissioner Laszlo Andor announced the realisation of a recommendation concerning child poverty that should be completed by the year 2012 at the latest.
State Secretary Philippe Courard was pleased that the three priorities set by the Belgian Presidency – namely combating child poverty, the implementation of the recommendation on active inclusion and the fight against homelessness – are now part of the "European platform for poverty reduction" set up to ensure the follow-up of the implementation of these policy objectives.
Much work remains to be done to translate these goals in tangible results. The coming years will not be easy, especially with the budget decisions to be made by the Member States. But in the fight against poverty, the Belgian Presidency has given a new boost and put the process on track. Concrete, pragmatic and quantified commitments have been made. These advances will help to improve respect for fundamental human rights and particularly children’s rights, Philip Courard concluded.
