POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION ROUND TABLE

15/10/2008: The seventh round table on poverty and social exclusion, organised by the French Presidency of the EU, was held on Wednesday 15 October 2008 in Marseille.
This meeting comes ahead of the so-called P7, a meeting of EU Ministers responsible of poverty and social exclusion.

Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP, author of Parliament's report on the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion 2010, represented Parliament at the event's plenary session.

The French Presidency representative, Martin Hirsch, High Commissioner for active inclusion against poverty, welcomed the guests by presenting the Round Table's objectives. His intervention was followed by a presentation of the three pillar approach to active inclusion, and by speeches of various stakeholders, such as D.Jarre, Vice-President of the Social Platform, J.Niemec, Confederate Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation, I.Nouhoum, Representative of the delegations appointed during the 7th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty, L.Van Embden Andres, President of the workgroup social welfare, Business Europe, and J. Vignon, Director of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission.

Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, presented her report on the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion, which constitutes a further step towards reinforced social solidarity. This European Year embodies the EU's commitment to eradicate factors obstructing the full realisation of the Lisbon Strategy's goals and to create a more egalitarian society. The activities of the European Year will advance the progress made with the Open Method of Coordination on social protection and social inclusion, launched in Lisbon.

Furthermore, the decision to establish the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion, recently accepted by the Council, aims at proposing concrete actions financed by the EU and Member States. The allocated budget to these actions amounts to €17m, and the priorities are, amongst others, the promotion of integrated approaches of social inclusion and the eradication of disparities and poverty, especially affecting children and families in distress.

"The ongoing economical crisis in Europe has given us the opportunity to stress the importance of solidarity, responsibility, transparency and structural reforms to increase employment." declared the Greek MEP.
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For further information:
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP
Tel: +32-2-2847447 - Fax: +32-2-2849447
E-mail: marie.panayotopoulos-cassiotou@europarl.europa.eu