Social inclusion glossary
 Active Inclusion
Active inclusion is a concept used by the EU in the framework of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion. The fight against poverty and social exclusion relies heavily on the integration of people furthest from the labour market. Persistence of large numbers of people at risk of poverty and excluded from the labour market (such as people experiencing homelessness) represents an inescapable challenge to the objective of social cohesion enshrined in the European Union treaty. The goals of the Lisbon strategy cannot be achieved if we do not make the best use of the human resources present in our societies. To promote the integration of the most disadvantaged people a comprehensive active inclusion strategy, entailing the provision of an adequate level of income support with a link to the labour market and a better access to services, is needed . This is to ensure that social protection policies effectively contribute to mobilising people who are capable of working while achieving the wider objective of providing a decent living standard to those who are and will remain outside the labour market. FEANTSA closely follows active inclusion debates (see here). >> More
Common indicators
Progress of anti-poverty measures in different EU countries is monitored and evaluated in the framework of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion through the use of common European indicators which allow for comparability of national data and trends. The broad methodological framework consists of a list of primary and secondary indicators for an overarching portfolio and the three strands (Social Inclusion, Pension, Health and Long-Term Care). Primary indicators are a reduced set of lead indicators, which cover all essential dimensions of the defined objectives. Secondary indicators aim at supporting these lead indicators by providing a greater insight into the nature of the problem. These indicators are used for the National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion and the specific National Reports on the different strands (Social Inclusion, Pension, Health and Long-Term Care) as well as for the joint report presented by the European Commission and the Council. >> More
Common objectives
The existing open methods of coordination in the fields of social inclusion and pensions, and the current process of co-operation in the field of health and long-term care, are brought together under common objectives and simplified reporting procedures. The overarching objectives of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion are to promote:
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social cohesion, equality between men and women and equal opportunities for all through adequate, accessible, financially sustainable, adaptable and efficient social protection systems and social inclusion policies;
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effective and mutual interaction between the Lisbon objectives of greater economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion, and with the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy;
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good governance, transparency and the involvement of stakeholders in the design, implementation and monitoring of policy.
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Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (DG EMPL)
The Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (DG EMPL) is a the department of the European Commission which has the task of contributing to the development of a modern, innovative and sustainable European Social Model with more and better jobs in an inclusive society based on equal opportunities. This DG plays a key role in promoting positive interaction between economic, social and employment policies, bringing in the main players who can help to achieve the EU strategic objective, viz. to make Europe the world most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, capable of sustainable economic growth, with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. DG EMPL is responsible for addressing the major challenges and formulating concrete responses in the areas of employment, structures in the world of work, social exclusion and social protection, and equal opportunities between men and women. DG EMPL is the department in the European Commission which is responsible for the developing the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion. >> More
ETHOS - European Typology on Homelessness and Housing exclusion
This typology was developed by FEANTSA to facilitate transnational exchanges on homelessness. The ETHOS typology begins with the conceptual understanding that there are three domains which constitute a home, the absence of which can be taken to delineate homelessness. Having a home can be understood as: having an adequate dwelling (or space) over which a person and his/her family can exercise exclusive possession (physical domain); being able to maintain privacy and enjoy relations (social domain) and having a legal title to occupation (legal domain). This typology was reviewed annually between 2004 and 2007. The final version is ETHOS 2007. >> More
European networks
In the framework of the EU social protection and social inclusion strategy, European networks are developed to contribute to: developing a better understanding of poverty and social exclusion, to monitor the implementation of national anti-poverty strategies, to raise awareness on the EU strategy, and to ensure participation of people experiencing poverty in EU debates on social protection and social inclusion. In this context, the European Commission has selected the following networks for core funding: Eurochild, European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN), European Social Network (ESN) ; European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), Caritas Europa, the Confederation of family organisations in the European Union (COFACE), Eurodiaconia and others. >> More
European meeting of people experiencing poverty
The annual Meeting of people experiencing poverty is jointly organised by the European Commission and the Council of Ministers to promote the participation of people experiencing poverty in EU social policy processes and debates. These meetings are about recognising the right of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion to have their voice heard and an illustration of the importance of their engagement with structured networks that facilitate their involvement in the decision making processes that shape society. FEANTSA is on the organisation committee of the Meeting. >> More
European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion
The annual European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion is meant to be a key European awareness raising event, with a view to promote dialogue between all stakeholders in the context of the open method of coordination for social inclusion. The event is jointly organised by the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission.
European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion - 2010
The European Commission has designated 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The €17 million campaign aims to reaffirm the EU's commitment to making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010. This will be an opportunity to raise awareness on different forms of poverty across the EU and different approaches to tackling this poverty. Therefore, this European Year 2010 will also provide opportunities for mutual learning across EU countries. FEANTSA will actively follow and participate in the initiatives of this European Year.
EU-SILC : EU statistics on income and living conditions
This is a survey of households which covers all 27 member states of the EU which aims to gather information on incomes and living conditions of EU households. This survey also collects data on poverty and social exclusion, which is then used to develop common European indicators on social inclusion. This survey does not collect data on homelessness. >> More
EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion
The EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion enables the EU to support and coordinate national action to promote social protection and social inclusion, and facilitate learning and exchanges between countries in this policy field (using the soft law methods of the Open Method of Coordination). This EU action is to contribute to the implementation of the EU's objectives on promoting sustainable economic growth, creating more and better jobs, and ensuring greater social cohesion by 2010. In 2006, the EU social inclusion strategy was merged with two other strategies - one on pensions and one on health and long-term care - to create one single strategy for social protection and social inclusion. FEANTSA's transnational exchanges and action on homelessness are supported in the framework of this EU strategy. >> More
Joint Inclusion Memorandum - JIM
As part of the process of preparing their membership of the Union, all EU candidate countries are invited to draft in co-operation with the European Commission a Joint Inclusion Memorandum (JIM). The JIM identifies and outlines the principal challenges which the candidate country faces in tackling poverty and social exclusion. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses of existing policies and identifies future challenges and policy priorities. It also analyses how to mainstream and co-ordinate concerns about poverty and social exclusion across all relevant policy fields. The process of drafting the JIM has proved to be an important means of preparing candidate countries for full participation in the Open Method of Coordination on social inclusion. FEANTSA monitors the social inclusion policies of candidate countries through the JIM process (see here). >> More
Joint reports
A key feature of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion is the joint analysis and assessment by the European Commission and the Council of the National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion submitted by the Member States. The Joint Reports assess progress made in the implementation of the OMC, set key priorities and identify good practice and innovative approaches of common interest to the Member States. Until 2005, there were Joint Reports on Social Inclusion. Since 2005, a Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion is published annually covering the areas of social inclusion, pensions and healthcare. >> More
Mphasis 2008-2009
Mphasis stands for "Mutual Progress on Homelessness through Advancing and Strengthening Information Systems". This is a two-year mutual learning project on developing homelessness information systems, which will build on the results of the 2007 Study on the measurement of homelessness at EU level (see here). Mphasis is coordinated by the University of Dundee, and involves 20 countries. Homelessness strategies are currently being developed in most EU member states, and discussions on homelessness measurement are an integral part of this process. Therefore Mphasis will serve to facilitate discussions by providing a European perspective and information on homelessness measurement methods used in different EU countries. The project is divided into two strands. The first strand is the Dissemination strand, which will focus on mutual learning on homelessness measurement and will be implemented through 20 national Mphasis meetings organised in all the countries involved in the project. The second strand is the Research strand, which will examine different measurement methods in depth and feed into national Mphasis meetings. >> More
Mutual Learning
Mutual learning is a concept used at European level to indicate a process whereby EU countries exchange information and learning from each others' national or local policies. Countries aquire knowledge from this process which can, in some cases, even be transferred to their respective national contexts. There are different tools used for mutual learning in the framework of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion, namely the peer reviews, the conferences, the European networks, the transnational exchange projects, and the OMC thematic light year. FEANTSA, as a European network, promotes mutual learning in the homeless voluntary sector in Europe, but also between other organisations (public, research, medical) which are also interested in mutual learning on homelessness issues and policies. Most mutual learning activities on social inclusion and social protection are funded under the PROGRESS programme. >> More
National strategic reports on social protection and inclusion
Following the merging of three strategies into one EU strategy on social protection and social inclusion, EU countries are invited to translate common EU social objectives into National Strategic Reports (NSRs) in the three policy areas: social inclusion, pensions, health and long-term care. The NSRs have replaced the original National Action Plans on social inclusion (NAPsIncl) which were prepared in the framework of the Social Inclusion Strategy (2001-2005). The NSRs are submitted to the European Commission every three years. FEANTSA monitors this national reporting process closely (see here), namely for references to measures to tackle homelessness. >> More
Network of non-governmental experts
This European network is composed of one independent researcher from each country. These researchers regularly evaluate the national social inclusion policies of the EU countries, providing independent and objective feedback which the European Commission can make use of in their reports and evaluations. The reports published by the network are available online. >> More
OMC Thematic "Light year"
This thematic year is organised in the framework of the OMC/Strategy for social protection and social inclusion. It is a "light" year in terms of the national reporting since it is a year during which the EU countries are not expected to submit a National Strategic Reports. This "light" year through the absence of national reporting is used to develop exchanges of knowledge and mutual learning on a specific theme. In 2007, the theme was child poverty, in the 2008 the theme will be inclusion of migrants.
Open method of coordination (OMC)
For policy areas where the European Union cannot adopt European legislation (i.e. areas which remain the responsibility of national governments), there are soft law methods which are used to promote cooperation between EU countries. The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) is one of these soft law methods. The OMC provides a new framework for cooperation between the Member States, whose national policies can thus be directed towards certain common objectives. Under this intergovernmental method, the Member States are evaluated by one another (peer pressure), with the Commission's role being limited to monitoring and facilitating. The European Parliament and the Court of Justice play virtually no part in the OMC process. The OMC is used in policy areas which are developed at national level such as employment, social protection, social inclusion, education, youth, vocational training. The EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion uses OMC soft law mechanisms. These are based principally on:
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jointly identifying and defining objectives to be achieved (adopted by the Council);
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jointly established measuring instruments (statistics, indicators, guidelines);
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benchmarking, i.e. comparison of the Member States' performance and exchange of best practices (monitored by the Commission).
Peer Reviews
Peer Reviews are a key instrument of the OMC. A peer review is an event where a host country presents a policy or institutional arrangement (good practice) or a policy reform to a selected group of decision-makers and experts from other countries (peer countries) and to stakeholders' representatives and European Commission officials. It allows for an open discussion on social inclusion policies. >> More
PROGRESS
The Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity, has been established to support financially the implementation of the objectives of the European Union in the fields of employment and social affairs, as set out in the Commission Communication on the Social Agenda, and thereby contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy goals in those fields. Its activities will be implemented from 2007 to 2013, parallel to the actions of the European Social Fund (ESF). Networks like FEANTSA are funded under the PROGRESS programme. >> More
Shadow implementation report
This is a specific report that FEANTSA prepared in 2005 to shadow the process whereby all EU countries in 2004 reported to the European Commission on the implementation of their national social inclusion strategies. Each country submitted an Implementation Report. FEANTSA therefore produced a Shadow Implementation Report providing feedback on the implementation of homeless policies in the different countries. >> More
Shadow peer reviews
FEANTSA participates in official peer review exercises by organising shadow peer reviews at service provider level through the consultation of its members (homeless service providers from all over Europe) on the given good practice. >> More
Social Protection Committee (SPC)
The Social Protection Committee (SPC) was established in 2000 in order the serve as a vehicle for cooperative exchange between the European Commission and the Member States of the EU about modernising and improving social protection systems. Under the mandate given to it by the Council, the Committee should work on the policy challenges related to the following objectives: "to make work pay and provide secure income, to make pensions safe and pension systems sustainable, to promote social inclusion and to ensure high quality and sustainable health care". The Committee consists of two representatives appointed by each Member State and two representatives of the Commission. The national delegates of the SPC provide a voice for national governments in the framework of the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion, and monitor closely the initiatives launched in this process. >> More
Stakeholders in the OMC
Stakeholders are organisations or interests which are not the main partners in the official OMC process, but which are still invited to participate, feed into debates to provide their expertise and perspective such as that of service providers, people experiencing poverty, representatives of cities and of regional authorities.
Transnational exchange projects
These are ad hoc projects which are funded by the European Commission to promote mutual learning on different issues and between different stakeholders, to raise awareness on the EU strategy for social protection and social inclusion, or to develop expertise in a specific policy area. A transnational project can also combine all three, like Mphasis which combines mutual learning, research, and awareness-raising. >> More
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