Social exclusion: Community action programme 2001-2005 to encourage cooperation between Member States

PURPOSE : to establish a programme of Community action to encourage cooperation between the Member States to combat social exclusion. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Decision 50/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a programme of Community action to encourage cooperation between Member States to combat social exclusion. CONTENT : this Decision establishes a programme of Community action to encourage cooperation between Member States in order to combat social exclusion for the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006. The financial framework for the implementation of the programme for this set period is set at EUR 75 million, including technical and administrative measures. The programme shall be part of an open method of coordination between Member States to give a decisive impetus to the elimination of social exclusion and poverty by setting appropriate objectives at Community level and by the implementation of national actions plans. The programme and the national action plans shall contribute to a better understanding of social exclusion, the mainstreaming of the combating of exclusion in Member States' and Community policies and measures, and the development of priority actions chosen by Member States in accordance with their particular situation. In designing, implementing and following up the activities under the programme, account shall be taken of the experience of Member States at all levels involved and of people exposed to social exclusion and poverty, as well as social partners, non-governmental and voluntary organisations, bodies providing social services and other actors involved in the fight against social exclusion. In the context of the open method of coordination, the programme shall support cooperation which enables the effectiveness and efficiency of policies to combat social exclusion by: - improving the understanding of social exclusion and poverty with the help of in particular comparable indicators; - organising exchanges on policies which are implemented and promoting mutual learning inter alia in the context of national action plans, with the help in particular of comparable indicators; - developing the capacity of actors to address social exclusion and poverty effectively, and to promote innovative approaches, in particular through networking at European level, and by promoting dialogue with all those involved including at national and regional level. With a view to achieving these objectives, the following Community actions may be implemented within a transnational framework: 1) analysis of characteristics, causes, processes and trends in social inclusion, including the collection of statistics on the various forms of social exclusion in order to compare these data, the study of quantitative and qualitative indicators, the development of common methodologies and thematic studies; 2) exchange of information and best practices encouraging the development of quantitative and qualitative indicators, based on these objectives as agreed by the European Parliament and the Council, assessment criteria and benchmarks and monitoring, evaluation and peer review; 3) promotion of dialogue involving the various actors and support for relevant networking at European level between organisations active in the fight against poverty and social exclusion, in particular NGOs. Arrangements for the implementation of the Community actions are set out in the Annex to this Decision. As regards the implementation and cooperation with the Member States, the Commission shall ensure the implementation of the Community actions covered by the programme and will have a regular exchange of views with the representatives of NGOs on the design and implementation of and follow-up to the programme and on related policy orientations. The Commission shall also, in cooperation with the Member States, take the necessary steps to promote the involvement in the programme of all parties concerned and ensure the dissemination of the results of the Community actions undertaken within the framework of the programme. The programme shall be open to the participation of : - the EFTA/EEA countries in accordance with the conditions establisehd in the EEA Agreement; - the associated central and eastern European countries; - Cyprus, Malta and Turkey in accordance with procedures to be agreed by the country. Lastly, the Commission shall regularly monitor this programme in cooperation with the Member States. It shall report on the overall consistency of policies with social cohesion, including progress achieved under this programme in its annual summary report to the Spring European Council, on which the European Parliament shall express its views in due course. The programme shall be evaluated by the Commission by the end of the 3rd year of the programme with the assistance of independent experts. The evaluation will also examine the complementarity between action under the programme and that pursued under other relevant Community policies, instruments and actions. The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a final report on the implementation of the programme by 31 December 2006. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 12/01/2002.�