Doc. 7981

12 January 1998

Fighting social exclusion and strengthening social cohesion in Europe

Report

Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee

Rapporteur: Mr Gyula Hegyi, Hungary, Socialist Group

Summary

      At the present time, Europe faces grave social problems with a risk of social explosion. In the countries of central and eastern Europe, the transition to a market economy and the disappearance of communist social policies led to inadequate and inappropriate health-care and social infrastructures. In the countries of western Europe, social protection policies are on the decline and being called into question. Poverty has struck tens of millions of Europeans. Persistent unemployment, poverty and all the manifestations of social exclusion affecting a growing number of individuals and families pose a threat to the social cohesion of European states.

      Social exclusion goes well beyond the inadequacy of material resources and also includes the inadequacy or total lack of participation in social, economical, political and cultural life. Social exclusion is an offence against human dignity and denies people their fundamental human rights.

      Recalling its earlier recommendations, the Assembly makes several proposals in order to strengthen social cohesion and to restore the social link between the individual and society. Confidence and social dialogue must be restored if social equilibrium, an essential element of democratic security in Europe, is to be maintained.

I.        Draft recommendation

1.       Deeply concerned about the grave social problems arising in all the member states and the resulting risk of a social explosion, the Assembly notes that persistent unemployment, poverty and all the manifestations of social exclusion affecting a growing number of individuals and families pose a threat to the social cohesion of European states.

2.       In the countries of central and eastern Europe, the transition to a market economy with its accompanying economic restructuring has gone hand in hand with the disappearance of communist social policies. The ensuing dramatic social situations are insurmountable at the present time because of inadequate and inappropriate health-care and social infrastructures and the absence of appropriate legislation.

3.       In the countries of western Europe, social protection policies are declining and being called into question, with a concomitant massive disengagement of the state.

4.       The traditional concept of poverty limits itself to consider the poor as those with the lowest income levels. The Parliamentary Assembly underlines in its Recommendation 1196 (1992) on severe poverty and social exclusion, that severe poverty "relates to the possibility of living and bringing up children in minimally decent conditions", and is a cause for exclusion from normal social life.

5.       The concept of poverty refers to inadequacy or inequality of material resources, whereas social exclusion goes well beyond participation in consumer society and includes inadequacy, inequality, or total lack of participation in social, economical, political and cultural life. Exclusion extends from social isolation to a total rupture with society.

6.       However, certain specific groups are the victims of poverty, which is condemning a considerable proportion of young adults, women, children, old persons, single-parent families, large families, refugees and asylum-seekers, as well as members of ethnic minorities such as gypsies, to social exclusion.

7.       Poverty and exclusion must not be the price to pay for economic growth and well-being. Today, social exclusion is no longer a marginal problem in Europe: it is a painful and dramatic reality for millions of people.

8.       Social exclusion not only offends against human dignity and denies people their fundamental human rights; it also leads, in conjunction with social and economic instability and worsening inequality, to phenomena of marginalisation, withdrawal or violent reactions, thereby creating conditions which undermine the democratic foundations of our societies.

9.       Social exclusion clearly calls into question the principles underlying current security and social protection policies and structures, and underscores their inappropriateness.

10.       Referring expressly to its Recommendation 1196 (1992), the Assembly notes that the concerns it voiced at that time are unfortunately still topical.

11.       It also draws attention to its Recommendation 1290 (1996) on the follow-up to the Copenhagen Summit on social development, which set out the undertakings made by the heads of state and government to eradicate poverty through action at national level and international co-operation, to achieve social integration and the participation of all in society and to provide access for all to education and health care.

12.       As industrial peace and a resumption of the social dialogue are prerequisites for democratic stability in Europe, it is urgently necessary today to give fresh impetus to the fight against exclusion and to take up the challenge of strengthening social cohesion.

13.       In particular, social cohesion means promoting a Europe of social rights, these being fundamental human rights on an equal footing with civil and political rights.

14.        The Assembly fully endorses the wording of the final communiqué adopted by the participants in the Colloquy on Social Cohesion, organised jointly by its Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee and the National Council of the Slovak Republic and held in Bratislava on 16 and 17 September 1997, and calls for a "better state" based on a more just society and a new social contract.

15.       Because it makes respect for human dignity and personal integrity paramount and enables the social link between the individual and society to be restored, the best response to the tragedy of exclusion that has struck tens of millions of Europeans is to strengthen social cohesion. Given the upheaval in our societies and the risks of social explosion, confidence and social tolerance must be restored if social equilibrium, an essential element of democratic security in Europe, is to be maintained.

16.       The Assembly welcomes the decisions taken by the heads of state and government at the 2nd Summit, in Strasbourg on 10 and 11 October 1997, to reaffirm the Council of Europe's social dimension, and in particular that social cohesion now constitutes one of the vital requirements of an enlarged Europe, an indispensable adjunct to the promotion of human rights and human dignity. It notes that the Council of Europe is the sole pan-European organisation capable of taking on the challenge of strengthening social cohesion in Europe as a factor of the continent's democratic stability.

17.       Consequently, it encourages the promotion of the key instruments of social cohesion in Europe, and in particular the European Social Charter, the revised Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security, among those states that are not yet parties thereto.

18.       As it underscored in its Recommendation 1304 (1996) on the future of social policy, it is essential to implement active employment policies at the same time, employment playing a vital role as a factor for integration. However, economic growth and technological progress constitute necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for strengthening social cohesion.

19.       Accordingly, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the governments of the member states to act and take the following measures:

      i.       give social rights the same priority as that accorded to human rights;

      ii.       reform existing social policies as a matter of priority, basing them on the principle of solidarity, with the objective of apportioning aid to the most disadvantaged in a more efficient, targeted and balanced fashion and guaranteeing everyone the right to a decent way of life;

      iii.       promote policies to prevent poverty especially aimed at groups with the highest risk factors;

      iv.       step up policies for the reintegration of marginalised or excluded persons, based on the contractual principle, by means of occupational training, literacy campaigns and the acquisition or updating of skills so as to restore their sense of social usefulness;

      v.       improve the process of participation and civil dialogue as a sine qua non of social inclusion and citizenship;

      vi.       define rapidly and jointly effective policies to fight unemployment.

20.       In particular, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers encourage the governments of the member states:

i.       in the field of town planning and housing:

a. to reinforce legal protection of tenants and sub-tenants who are victims of poverty,

      b. to establish a mechanism for rent-rebate as well as assistance for basic utilities,

      c. to stimulate the supply of low-rent housing and to develop programmes to build or renovate welfare housing;

      d. to adopt town planning policies that prevent ghettos and violence;

ii.       in the field of education and training:

      a. to put into practice positive actions to make up the educational disadvantages of the poor and excluded,

      b. to promote training programmes for unemployed of all ages;

iii.       in the field of health care:

      a. to provide free medical care for the poor, with the aim of preventing severe diseases,

      b. to fight pathological diseases prevalent among the poor, through special medical care programmes;

iv.       in the legal field:

      a. to establish free legal assistance for the poor,

      b. to set up legal advisory services for the socially excluded in need of immediate help, for example, the homeless or unemployed;

21.       The Assembly expresses its full support for the "Human dignity and social exclusion project" begun in 1995, which has drawn the attention of governments to the problems of exclusion and afforded a clear picture of the scale of the phenomenon. It intends to be closely involved in the preparation and holding of the follow-up conference, to take place in Helsinki in May 1998, and calls on the Committee of Ministers to pursue the project.

22.       The Assembly also invites the Committee of Ministers to create an Observatory of social cohesion in Europe, which could be set up on the basis of a Council of Europe partial agreement, with the task of collecting information and statistics on poverty and exclusion in the States Parties and of producing, either at their request or as requested by the steering committees or the Parliamentary Assembly, expert reports on questions relating to social cohesion as well as opinions on national and European policies to promote it. The Assembly takes note of the kind invitation of the Turkish government to host the Observatory of social cohesion in Europe in Istanbul.

23.       The Assembly welcomes the decision of the Committee of Ministers to launch a campaign on « Global interdependence and solidarity: Europe against poverty and exclusion », and hopes that the Council of Europe’s wide experience in the field, in particular through the "Human dignity and social exclusion project", will benefit the substance of this campaign. It asks the Committee of Ministers to include representatives of the competent committees of the Assembly in the campaign as from the preparatory stages.

24.       Finally, aware of the current redefinition of the Council of Europe's goals and working methods in the social sphere, the Assembly urges the Committee of Ministers to give practical effect to the decisions taken at the 2nd Summit of Heads of State and Government, and to keep it informed of progress made in stepping up activities relating to social cohesion, including the relevant restructuring within the secretariat.

II.        Explanatory memorandum by Mr Hegyi

INTRODUCTION

1.       The right to housing, the right to work, the right to health, the right to a decent way of life... in recent years, these demands have been made by millions of excluded persons in Europe. They are a reminder that human rights are not just about the so-called fundamental freedoms affirmed in the European Convention on Human Rights; they are also, and perhaps especially, about rights relating to human dignity at its most basic material level: having a roof over one's head and enough to eat, being able to wash and having access to healthcare - in short, the right to participate in social life in its simplest forms.

2.       This may seem to some to be oversimplifying the issue of human rights. However, today's crisis situation in all European countries, whether in the West or in central and eastern Europe, has unavoidably focused attention on these core liberties. Millions of people, including children, women and the old, lead a hand-to-mouth existence in extreme poverty. Social problems are the greatest challenge facing us at the end of this twentieth century.

3.       The motion for a Recommendation on the struggle against exclusion (Doc. 7675) presented by Mr Gusenbauer on 2 October 1996 noted in particular that exclusion is an affront to human dignity, denies individuals their rights and creates the conditions that lead to a weakening of the democratic foundations of society.

4.       To correspond to this fresh view of society, there must be a new approach to defining and recognising fundamental human rights. To quote the words of Father Joseph Wresinski, Founder of ATD Fourth World, which are inscribed on the stone in front of the Palais de l'Europe: "Wherever men and women are condemned to live in poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty."

5.       Because the strengthening of social cohesion gives prominence to human dignity and personal inviolability and enables the social link between the individual and the community to be restored, it is a sure remedy to society's ills, and especially the disturbing issue of exclusion, which is the fate of tens of millions of Europeans. Given society's upheaval and the risk of social explosion, the way to maintain social harmony in Europe as a key element of democratic security is to rebuild confidence and social tolerance.

6.       We are witnessing the birth of a "Social Europe", and the Council of Europe is without a doubt the organisation best suited to lay the foundations of a new European "social contract". The strengthening of social cohesion is therefore a priority aim for the Council.

7.       In 1995, faced with increasing poverty and exclusion in member states, the Council launched a major project on "Human dignity and social exclusion". The project has put exclusion on government agendas and given a good indication of the extent of the problem; it is due to be concluded at a conference in Helsinki from 18 to 20 May 1998.

8.       In conjunction with this project, the Parliamentary Assembly Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee organised a Colloquy on social cohesion in Bratislava on 16 and 17 September 1997.

9.       On behalf of all committee members, I should like to thank the Slovak Parliamentary delegation for hosting the Colloquy.

10.       The Final Communiqué of the Colloquy on social cohesion sums up its discussions and conclusions, and calls for a new European Social Model to consolidate democratic stability on the continent.

11.       However, the true issue is the indivisibility of human rights. The right to a decent way of life, the right to housing, to healthcare, to employment, to education and to a say in the community and in political affairs, must also be seen as fundamental human rights.

12.       This report does not set out to give an exhaustive overview of poverty in the different European states. However, it will follow the Bratislava colloquy's example by highlighting the most notable features of social exclusion and suggesting some remedies.

13.       The Parliamentary Assembly shows enthusiastic support for the Action Plan adopted by the 2nd Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government. The Action Plan already betokens considerable progress in the struggle against exclusion in Europe.

14.       Indeed, there is a considerable amount at stake for Europe. First, the political stakes: given the risk of undermining the fabric of society, the very survival of society depends on the solutions found to the problem of exclusion.

15.       The economic stakes are just as clear: from the macroeconomic standpoint, exclusion removes a large number of households from the economic and business arena, which can equally lead to social upheaval.

DEFINITIONS

16.       First of all, an attempt should be made to define the notions of poverty, precariousness and social exclusion. The concept of poverty is still largely taboo today, both in western consumer society and in central and eastern Europe, where it seems to have appeared from nowhere after decades of communist denial of its existence. Generally speaking, poverty refers to a lack of financial or material resources.

17.       There are three approaches to measuring poverty: it can be assessed in terms of the income gap between the rich and the poor, in terms of a low level of consumer spending, and in terms of a fall in living standards below subsistence level. It is the poor who occupy the lowest strata of income distribution. Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1196 (1992) states that "severe poverty ... relates to the possibility of living and bringing up children in minimally decent conditions", and that it is a cause of exclusion from the normal processes of society.

18.       The traditional approach to poverty, which does no more than categorise poor people as a distinct group from the better-off, is quite plainly unsatisfactory in its excessive narrowness. In contrast, it is important to identify the groups concerned (children and young people, single-parent families, large families, old people, the long-term unemployed and so on), their problems and their needs (employment, housing, healthcare, etc.). In terms of public policy, therefore, a single, all-encompassing poverty indicator is of no use at all.

19.       Precariousness can be defined as the absence of one or more of the forms of security which enable individuals and families to meet professional, family and social obligations, and enjoy fundamental rights (French Economic and Social Council definition, 1994).

20.       Social exclusion, for its part, is a much broader concept than that of poverty, because it is not solely a matter of material resources. Poverty implies exclusion from access to goods and services and relates to a shortage or imbalance of material resources. Social exclusion means not only the inability to be part of the consumer society but also the inadequacy, inequality or indeed total absence of participation in social, economic, political and cultural life. Consequently, it is possible to be poor without being excluded, and the reverse is also true. Nonetheless, the risk of social exclusion is greater in the case of groups or individuals with insufficient resources. What is at issue here is the individual's place in society.

21.       The concept of social exclusion, whether manifested by social isolation or by a complete break with society, has four dimensions: the social, the economic, the political and the cultural.

22.       Broadly speaking, exclusion can take four forms:

-       exclusion from the rights of citizenship;

-       economic exclusion, that is lack of financial resources or marginalisation because of long-term unemployment, job loss, lack of job security, etc.;

-       exclusion from political processes or educational and cultural opportunities;

-       exclusion from social safety nets, leading to eviction, excessive debts, sleeping rough, etc.

23.       As a response to all these areas of exclusion, social cohesion does far more than fight against poverty: it not only implies specific social policies to combat unemployment and poverty while improving access to housing, healthcare and education, but it aims above all to restore the social link between the individual and the community, and the political link between citizens and the State.

24.       It is worth noting that the concept of social cohesion has been much debated in the European Union. Title XIV (Articles 130a to 130e) of the Treaty on European Union is devoted to economic and social cohesion, although the approach followed is very different from that of this report.

POVERTY AND EXCLUSION IN EUROPE TODAY

25.       This report aims to give neither a full description nor an exhaustive list of statistics on poverty, precariousness or unemployment in Europe. In the first place, even where they are available the statistics are difficult to interpret, especially in the central and eastern European countries, which find themselves in very different situations. On the basis, however, of European Union statistics, in 1993 one person out of six and one household out of six lived below the poverty line, making a total of 57 million people in the twelve member states, and every fifth child came from an impoverished household. In 1996, an estimated 31 million people in the 15 member states were on welfare, and 18 million received unemployment benefit; nearly 35% of households were below the poverty line, and there were 3 million homeless people in the European Union. In my own country, Hungary, nearly 10% of the population lives below the poverty line. In Russia some 70 million people are thought to be in the same situation.

26.       Nonetheless, the statistics do not reveal the true complexity of exclusion. According to the Bratislava Colloquy, specific groups in the European population are victims of poverty leading to social exclusion. There is a sizeable proportion of young adults, women (the unemployment statistics are revealing here), children, old persons, disabled people, refugees and asylum-seekers, as well as people from ethnic minorities such as Roma. Some colloquy participants also pointed to the existence of other excluded categories, such as drug users, alcoholics and even former prisoners.

27.        Moreover, central and eastern countries do not constitute a homogenous bloc with uniform problems. Hungary, for instance, has a mechanism for taking over retirement pension payments if the paying organisation is unable to meet its commitments. On the other hand, everybody knows the catastrophic situation of the majority of public sector workers and retired people in a number of states of the former Soviet Union who have not received their wages or pensions for several months.

28.        The central and eastern European countries have reformed their social systems to bring them into line with the structures and needs of market economy. This reform has not been without its contradictions. In most cases whole sections of the old "communist" social system still exist alongside new and more liberal social regimes. However, certain social groups have usually had to pay the price of this transition and the resulting inconsistencies. In most cases however, it is not retired people, or at least not those who get a decent pension, but large families and/or single-parent families, refugees or certain minorities such as Roms who have been left out of account in this reform of the social system.

29.       The most worrying affliction of European society is unemployment, and in particular unemployment among young people and long-term joblessness. Loss of income is the main factor in exclusion, because it marks the point where a normal social lifestyle is no longer possible.

30.        In the European Union, the average unemployment rate in July 1997 was 10.6%. Some states traditionally have low unemployment, but the situation is nearing crisis in most countries, where the rate is above 10% (Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Finland, France) and critical where it approaches 20% (Spain and Greece). In central and eastern Europe, although some countries (the Czech Republic, Slovenia, the Baltic States) enjoy low unemployment, the rate in other countries (Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Russia) is approaching that of the west. And yet exclusion is a common syndrome even in those countries with low unemployment.

31.        However, unemployment in itself does not lead to exclusion. The connection between unemployment and poverty is consequently more complex than has been thought: not all the unemployed are "excluded". In the European Union, a little more than one-third of impoverished households are in work, but they are designated as being on "very low wages". Certain people, such as those receiving unemployment benefit, are lucky enough to have a guaranteed income, and are not in dire need. A large number of workers have been marginalised because of in the 1990s to the employment market. Factors include the decline in job security and the rise in temporary employment, but also the restructuring of some primary and secondary economic sectors, leading to massive job cuts above all in central and eastern Europe. Moreover, it is remarkable that rapid economic growth is combined in certain countries with an equally spectacular increase in poverty.

32.        Employment itself may thus be a factor for exclusion in a situation where undeclared work, part-time work and precarious jobs lead to inadequate incomes and inadequate or no social protection.

33.       Another factor making for social exclusion is the difficulty of housing. The housing problems of people on low or insecure incomes are indeed critical. In the European Union, an estimated 15 million people live in dirty or crowded housing, 2.5 million are in unconventional housing (caravans, mobile homes, etc.) and 1.6 million face eviction. In many countries, private rents are unaffordable and public rented accommodation is diminishing. In central and eastern Europe, state withdrawal from the construction of moderately-priced housing has led to its collapse. Urban renewal and the destruction or renovation of older buildings have led to a shortage of moderately priced accommodation; they have been replaced by more expensive new or restored buildings.

34.       In every part of Europe, the failure to pay rent leads to eviction. While there is legislation to protect people threatened with eviction in some western European countries, in central and eastern Europe where there is no such legislation in this area it can have tragic results. The number of homeless people in Europe has greatly increased. For example, there were approximately 930 000 of them in Germany in 1996. Most of the time, the homeless are single people, single-parent families and, to an ever greater extent, women and children.

35.       Social security and access to health care are another cause for concern. In trying to reduce the cost of benefits, the majority of governments are increasingly leaving health cover to private insurance providers. Consequently, most of the excluded have difficulties getting treatment, and the simple upshot is that the death-rate among poor people is five times higher and their life expectancy much reduced.

36.       To counter this trend, some states (for example Spain, France and the United Kingdom) have gone so far as to introduce extremely costly social policies. The example in France of the RMI (Statutory Minimum Income), which was introduced in 1989, illustrates not only the political goodwill, but also the ponderousness and imperfection of such systems.

THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

37.       The Parliamentary Assembly has attempted on numerous occasions to draw the attention of governments to the problem of poverty and exclusion, especially in Recommendation 1196 (1992) on severe poverty and social exclusion. In more general terms, the Assembly stressed the importance of Council and member state initiatives to restore social confidence by endorsing a number of action proposals in Recommendation 1290 (1996) on the follow-up to the Copenhagen summit on social development, and Recommendation 1304 (1996) on the future of social policy. In any case, the fight against social exclusion and the strengthening of social cohesion have formed one of the principal goals of intergovernmental activity.

38.       Neither should the effect of Resolution 243 (1993) on citizenship and extreme poverty be overlooked: this was adopted in March 1993 by the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and is based on the Charleroi Declaration.

1.       The "Human Dignity and Social Exclusion" Initiative

39.       In 1995, the Council of Europe responded to the acute situation in member states and the concern of voluntary organisations and NGOs about the rise in social exclusion by launching a large-scale intergovernmental project under the aegis of the Steering Committee on Social Policy (CDPS). The project targets five issues (employment, housing, health, social protection and education and training), with three objectives:

-       to review the main trends in poverty and social exclusion across Europe and analyse the main processes involved in the context of the rapid economic, political, social and cultural changes taking place;

-       to describe and analyse the connection between poverty and social exclusion and the denial of basic rights within a clear framework of social rights to counter poverty and social exclusion;

-       to establish concrete principles for successful action to combat poverty and social exclusion.

40.       In addition, the project aimed to:

-       set up a network of seventeen research correspondents to determine the scale of social exclusion and poverty in Europe by collating quantitative and qualitative information on pan-European trends;

-       assist governments to develop more effective policies, programmes and structures for preventing and combating exclusion;

-       support the initiatives of NGOs and society at large.

41.       The action plan has been designed to promote national programmes, help governments to develop more effective policies, encourage NGO initiatives and strengthen the Council's role in combating poverty and social exclusion. More specifically, it aims to incorporate the fight against social exclusion into the theme of social rights, and give these the same status as human rights. The action plan is the Council's way of making social cohesion central to debate on society's future.

42.       The Phase Three Conference, to be held in Helsinki in May 1998, will consider the issues of legal protection for vulnerable groups, assistance for families and networks of the most underprivileged, the role of society at the local level and more especially the role of local authorities and municipalities.

2.       The 2nd Summit of Heads of State and Government

43.       The 2nd Summit on 10 and 11 October 1997 was an opportunity to examine how best to set up powerful mechanisms to fight effectively and resolutely against social exclusion. This was one of the main issues on the Summit agenda.

44.       The Heads of State and Government, "recognising that social cohesion is one of the foremost needs of the wider Europe and should be pursued as an essential complement to the promotion of human rights and dignity: [...] [agreed] to review ... legislation in the social field with a view to combating all forms of exclusion and ensuring better protection for the weakest members of society".

45.       Under the Summit's Action Plan "the Heads of State and Government undertake to promote social standards as embodied in the Social Charter and in other Council of Europe instruments, and call for the widest possible adherence to these instruments; they resolve to improve the exchange of good practice and information between member states and to intensify their co-operation in this field".

46.       In addition, they "instruct the Committee of Ministers to define a social strategy to respond to the challenges in society and to carry out the appropriate structural reforms within the Council of Europe, including the setting up of a specialised unit for monitoring, comparing and handling issues linked to social cohesion."

47.       The last decision seems to be a concrete response to the concerns of some member of the Assembly, who, anxious to make the European social dimension central to future Council activities, recently tabled a motion for a recommendation on the establishment of a European centre for social cohesion (Doc. 7870 - see below).

48.       As provided for in the Action Plan, therefore, the HDSE project should concentrate henceforth on developing additional instruments.

EXPERIMENTAL POLICIES AND ACTIONS

49.       The Bratislava Colloquy concluded that any solution to the issue of social exclusion would have to include a long-term redistribution process entailing greater solidarity between different generations, social classes, countries and regions. The concept of solidarity must replace the outmoded concept of charity in people's thinking. The response to exclusion is social tolerance, by which the risk of social explosion will be averted and confidence and security will re-establish themselves in society. Firstly, then, citizens must learn again to trust one another.

50.       The "three Ds" of exclusion - demography, dependence and distress - must be met by social cohesion's "three As": adequate social protection, access to social services, rights and advantages, availability of goods and services. So action must be taken on several fronts.

51.       There are three areas where individuals and groups must be integrated into the life of society: the state, the economic markets (especially the labour market), and the community at large. It is the state's job to establish social policies and focus social assistance. The labour market is responsible for increasing job opportunities. And lastly, it is society's duty to increase solidarity and improve security, which up to now has been done with the financial backing of the state.

52.       A number of recommendations can already be made. Firstly, more precise definitions of poverty and exclusion are called for, so that these concepts are not oversimplified. The HDSE project should clarify what is meant by poverty and social exclusion, and improve identification of the most marginalised groups. So as to give a precise grounding for any proposed policies, statistics must be updated and information collected on excluded groups. Secondly, there should be an analysis of socio-economic mechanisms, for example the extent to which education and training match job vacancies. Finally, there should be evaluative studies of existing social policies.

53.       Action must be taken at three levels: locally, nationally, and internationally. It should also focus on at least five areas: health and access to treatment, social protection, housing, employment, and education and training. The weakest and neediest groups must be first identified then targeted under specific policy programmes. In addition, the colloquy stressed the importance of preventative measures in respect of these target groups.

54.       At the local level, the colloquy referred to a number of specific sectoral initiatives to combat exclusion, many of them of an experimental nature. The following measures were given particular emphasis:

-       promoting citizenship;

-       reintegrating individuals into working life;

-       strengthening health and welfare facilities, and extending social protection and access to health care;

-       preventing excessive debts;

-       developing local amenities in urban areas;

-       subsidising private construction of low-cost housing;

-       developing basic schooling and vocational training for young people.

55.       A number of principles underlie these initiatives; the most important is that they should be established on the basis of contracts.

56.       At national level, and in particular in the central and eastern European countries, there is an urgent need for serious consideration of a reform of the social protection system aimed both at providing the most vulnerable and destitute people with a certain minimum of social coverage, particularly as regards family allowances, pensions and health insurance, and at the most efficient and equal distribution of assistance.

57.       At the European level, the Intergovernmental Conference has led to much debate in the European Union on extending European activity in the social domain, which should lead to a greater response to unemployment and precariousness. Such efforts must of course be supported. For its part, the Council of Europe must continue to push for ratification of the Social Charter and the revised Social Charter.

58.       In addition, the achievements of the HDSE project could be given lasting effect by the establishment of a permanent body such as a European Observatory for Social Cohesion, which would be set up on the basis of a Council of Europe partial agreement. The Observatory would be located in a member state prepared to accommodate it and suffering from severe problems of exclusion, and be open to delegates from participating states (whether members or not of the Council) from the Parliamentary Assembly and the CLRAE.

59.       The possible tasks of such a body are outlined in the motion for a Recommendation (Doc. 7870) on the establishment of a European centre for social cohesion, presented by Mr Dinçer and others. The following proposals draw on this document.

60.       The centre would serve as a focal point for Council of Europe activity in the social field. Its specific tasks would be:

-       to collect and disseminate information and statistics on the development of poverty and precariousness in member countries;

-       to carry out studies on the different aspects of poverty and social exclusion in the member countries, including their part in the denial of human rights;

-       to give advice when specifically requested by member states, the Secretary General, the Parliamentary Assembly or the CLRAE, and to draw up recommendations;

-       to establish the core principles for a plan of action against poverty and social exclusion;

-       to assist governments when requested in implementing policies and programmes and setting up national structures for combating exclusion;

-       to assist foundations and NGOs in promoting aid initiatives for victims of poverty and exclusion.

61.       Whatever the case, close co-operation should be sought with the Council's Social Development Fund so as to guarantee financial support for the activities of the Observatory.

Appendix

COLLOQUY "Towards a better social cohesion in Europe: today and tomorrow" (16-17 September 1997, Bratislava)

FINAL COMMUNIQUÉ

      Ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials, local authority representatives and representatives of international and non-governmental organisations, as well as some eminent experts have attended a two day colloquy on Social Cohesion in Bratislava (16-17 September) organised by the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly in partnership with the National Council of the Slovak Republic.

      There was a consensus among the participants that both at national and European levels social cohesion is the key to strengthening democratic rights and building a more solid union. At a time when the Council of Europe is passing from the stage of enlargement to the stage of consolidation, the neglect of social cohesion could send wrong messages to new member states, and thus threaten co-operation and democratic stability.

      Today, it is high time to develop a new concept of "better state", as opposed to, or in complement of "smaller state", as advocated by neo-classical liberal economy. This would require a new social contract within our societies which may pave the way for a new European Social Model in the future.

      The participants noted that:

1.       Social exclusion and poverty are no longer marginal problems and continue, more than before, to be a painful reality, and thus, pose a tremendous challenge to European venture

2.       Economic growth and technological progress are necessary but not sufficient conditions for a better social cohesion

3.       Phenomena such as the transition to democracy and globalisation of the economy accentuate the handicaps of the poor and the excluded.

      The Colloquy launched an appeal to the Heads of State and Government of the member states who will meet next October during the 2nd Summit of the Council of Europe - likely to produce a new action plan for the organisation in the years to come - to consider following measures as a matter of priority and urgency:

-       to pledge to give as high a priority to social rights as to human rights recognising the importance of social inclusion and citizenship;

-       to identify a minimum core of fundamental social rights as an indispensable condition of harmonious cooperation between the member states in the Council of Europe, and to support, in this connection, the campaign for ratification of the European Social Charter and its protocols, launched recently by the Parliamentary Assembly;

-       to take steps in order to improve the participatory process and the civil dialogue, from state authorities down to community and neighbourhood self-help associations;

-       to create a new tool in the framework of the Council of Europe, in a form to be determined once the Human Dignity and Social Exclusion project reaches its final stage, with the view to develop strategies, standards and policies as regards social cohesion, to monitor changes in different countries, to exchange experience and to share conceptual and practical progress.

Reporting committee: Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee

Budgetary implications for the Assembly: none

Reference to committee: Doc. 7675 and Reference No. 2131 of 7 November 1996

Draft recommendation unanimously adopted by the committee on 7 January 1998

Members of the committee: Mr Gusenbauer, Chairman, Mrs Ragnarsdottir, Mr Gross (Vice-Chairmen), Mrs Albrink, Mr Alis Font, Mrs Andnor (Alternate: Mrs Wärnersson), Mr Arnau, Mrs Aytaman, Mrs Belohorska, Mrs Biga-Friganovic, MM. Boka, Bugli, De Carolis, Christodoulides, Chyzh, Cox, Dees, Dhaille (Alternate: Mr About), Dinçer, Evin, Mrs Fleetwood, Mr Flynn (Alternate: Ms Angela Smith), Mrs Gatterer, MM. Györivänyi, Haack, Hancock (Alternate: Mr Naysmith), Hegyi, Mrs Høegh, Jane_ek, Mrs Jirousova, MM. Kalos, Keller, Kotlar, Mrs Laternser, Mrs Lucyga, Mrs Luhtanen, MM. Lupu (Alternate: Mr Popescu), Ma_achowski, Marmazov, Martelli, Mattei, Mrs Maximus, MM. Mozgan, Nestor, Niza, Mrs Oleinki, MM. Pattison (Alternate: Mr Gregory), Poças Santos, Mrs Poptodorova, Mrs Pozza Tasca, Mrs Pulgar, MM. Raskinis, Regenwetter, Sceberras Trigona, Sharapov, Sincai, Skoularikis, Mrs Stefani, MM. Tahir, Valk, Valkeniers, Mme Vermot-Mangold, MM. Volodin, Wielowieyski

N.B. The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics

Secretaries to the committee: Mr Perin, Ms Meunier and Ms Clamer