Brussels, 30 November 2000
Subject : Fight against poverty and social exclusion
­ Definition of appropriate objectives
Members of the European Council will find attached the appropriate objectives in the fight against
social exclusion and the eradication of poverty, as finalised by the Council (Employment and Social
Policy) on 17 October 2000 pursuant to the instructions of the Lisbon and Santa Maria da Feira
European Councils. The objectives are accompanied by an introductory note.
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ANNEX
OBJECTIVES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION
­ Introductory note ­
1. Political guidelines laid down by the European Council
At the European Councils in Lisbon and in Feira, the Member States of the European Union
took a major initiative by making the fight against poverty and social exclusion one of the
central elements in the modernisation of the European social model. The Heads of State and
Government agreed on the need to take steps to make a decisive impact on the eradication of
poverty by setting suitable objectives to be agreed by the Council by the end of the year.
They also agreed that policies for combating social exclusion should be based on an open
method of coordination combining national action plans and a programme presented by the
Commission to encourage cooperation in this field.
The European Councils in Lisbon and in Feira made the promotion of social cohesion an
essential element in the global strategy of the Union to achieve its strategic objective for the
next decade of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the
world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social
cohesion. It also set a goal for full employment in Europe in an emerging new society which
is more adapted to the personal choices of women and men.
This initiative follows from the inclusion, through the Amsterdam Treaty, of the fight against
exclusion in the provisions relating to the Union's social policy (Articles 136 and 137 of the
Treaty).

2. Multi-dimensional approach
Poverty and social exclusion take complex and multi-dimensional forms which require the
mobilisation of a wide range of policies under that overall strategy. Alongside employment
policy, social protection has a pre-eminent role to play, while the importance of other factors
such as housing, education, health, information and communications, mobility, security and
justice, leisure and culture should also be acknowledged.
It is necessary, therefore, to mainstream the objective of fighting poverty and social exclusion
into relevant strands of policy, at both national and community level.
Employment is the best safeguard against social exclusion. In order to promote quality
employment it is necessary to develop employability, in particular through policies to promote
the acquisition of skills and life-long learning. The implementation of the objectives to which
the European Union has committed itself within the European Employment Strategy will,
therefore, make a vital contribution to the fight against exclusion. Economic growth and
social cohesion are mutually reinforcing. It is a precondition for better economic performance
that we create a society with greater social cohesion and less exclusion.
Social protection systems also play a key role. In this context, the national social assistance
and minimum income schemes are important instruments in social protection policy. It is
vital, in the context of an active welfare state, to create modern systems of social protection
which promote access to employment. Retirement pensions and access to health care also
play an important role in the fight against social exclusion.

The new knowledge-based society offers great possibilities for reducing social exclusion, both
by creating the economic conditions for greater prosperity and by opening up new ways of
participating in society. The emergence of new information and communication technologies
constitutes an exceptional opportunity, provided that the risk of creating an ever-widening gap
between those who have access to the new knowledge and those who do not is avoided. The
Lisbon Council directed that exclusion from the information society should be prevented and
that it was necessary to pay special attention to the needs of people with disabilities. The
implementation of the Commission's action plan "E-Europe 2002 ­ an Information Society
for all", approved by the Feira European Council, should contribute to the achievement of this
objective.
In line with the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council, setting appropriate objectives
should also involve promoting a better understanding of social exclusion; mainstreaming the
promotion of inclusion in Member States' employment, education and training, health and
housing policies; and developing priority actions in favour of specific target groups (for
example, minorities, children, the elderly and disabled), with Member States choosing
amongst those actions according to their particular situations.
3. Arrangements for implementation
Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty respectively give to the Community the task of promoting
equality between men and women and of ensuring that all its activities aim to eliminate
inequalities and promote equality between men and women. It is therefore necessary to
ensure that a concern for gender equality is mainstreamed in all action to be taken to achieve
the stated objectives, in particular by assessing the implications for both men and women at
the different stages of the planning of, decision-making on, and monitoring of that action.

The implementation of this approach must take account of the principle of subsidiarity.
Combatting social exclusion is first and foremost the responsibility of Member States and
their national, regional and local authorities, in cooperation with the full range of the bodies
concerned, in particular the social partners and NGOs. Furthermore, the nature of the
response depends particularly on the nature of national social protection systems and social
policies.
Applying the open method of coordination to the fight against social exclusion, in line with
the principles defined in the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council, will allow for both
coherence and diversity of action at national level. Policies in pursuit of the objective of
fighting social exclusion and poverty can vary in nature, and in their implications for Member
States and their target groups. Differences in approach between Member States in dealing
with these problems will result in solutions and priorities reflecting their individual
circumstances.
The open method of coordination will combine national action plans with a Community
support programme. In this context, it would be desirable for the Member States to present
their national action plans by June 2001. The Social Protection Committee will play a key
role in following up this initiative. On employment matters, it will work closely with the
Employment Committee.
4. Implementation of the Lisbon European Council's conclusions
The Council, having regard to the guidelines defined by the Lisbon and Feira European
Councils, proposes to the Nice European Council:
· the following objectives, detailed in the annex hereto:
­ to facilitate participation in employment and access by all to the resources, rights,
goods and services;
­ to prevent the risks of exclusion;
­ to help the most vulnerable;
­ to mobilise all relevant bodies;

· the following arrangements to pursue these objectives:
The Member States,
will pursue the objectives of fighting social exclusion and poverty;
underline the importance of mainstreaming equality between men and women in all
actions aimed at achieving those objectives;
are invited to develop their priorities within the framework of those overall objectives
and to present a national action plan by June 2001 covering a period of two years;
in order to make it possible to monitor the policies set out here, are also invited to
develop, at national level, indicators and monitoring mechanisms capable of measuring
progress in regard to each of the objectives elaborated in their national action plans.
The Commission,
with a view to a joint report, is invited to present, on the basis of the national action
plans to be prepared by the Member States, a summary report identifying good practice
and innovative approaches of common interest to the Member States.
The Member States and the Commission
are invited to undertake cooperation at European level in order to bring about a better
understanding of the problem of exclusion, to promote exchanges of good practice and
to seek to develop common approaches and compatibility in regard to indicators; the
Action Programme proposed by the Commission will support that cooperation.

ANNEX TO THE ANNEX
OBJECTIVES IN THE FIGHT
AGAINST POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION
1. To facilitate participation in employment and access by all to resources, rights, goods
and services
1.1. Facilitating participation in employment
In the context of the European employment strategy, and the implementation of the guidelines in
particular:
(a) To promote access to stable and quality employment for all women and men who are capable
of working, in particular:
­ by putting in place, for those in the most vulnerable groups in society, pathways towards
employment and by mobilising training policies to that end;
­ by developing policies to promote the reconciliation of work and family life, including
the issue of child- and dependent care;
­ by using the opportunities for integration and employment provided by the social
economy.
(b) To prevent the exclusion of people from the world of work by improving employability,
through human resource management, organisation of work and life-long learning.

1.2. Facilitating access to resources, rights, goods and services for all
(a) To organise social protection systems in such a way that they help, in particular, to:
­ guarantee that everyone has the resources necessary to live in accordance with human
dignity;
­ overcome obstacles to employment by ensuring that the take-up of employment results
in increased income and by promoting employability.
(b) To implement policies which aim to provide access for all to decent and sanitary housing, as
well as the basic services necessary to live normally having regard to local circumstances
(electricity, water, heating etc.).
(c) To put in place policies which aim to provide access for all to healthcare appropriate to their
situation, including situations of dependency.
(d) To develop, for the benefit of people at risk of exclusion, services and accompanying
measures which will allow them effective access to education, justice and other public and
private services, such as culture, sport and leisure.
2. To prevent the risks of exclusion
(a) To exploit fully the potential of the knowledge-based society and of new information and
communication technologies and ensure that no-one is excluded, taking particular account of
the needs of people with disabilities.
(b) To put in place policies which seek to prevent life crises which can lead to situations of social
exclusion, such as indebtedness, exclusion from school and becoming homeless.
(c) To implement action to preserve family solidarity in all its forms.

3. To help the most vulnerable
(a) To promote the social integration of women and men at risk of facing persistent poverty, for
example because they have a disability or belong to a group experiencing particular
integration problems.
(b) To move towards the elimination of social exclusion among children and give them every
opportunity for social integration.
(c) To develop comprehensive actions in favour of areas marked by exclusion.
These objectives may be pursued by incorporating them in all the other objectives and/or through
specific policies or actions.
4. To mobilise all relevant bodies
(a) To promote, according to national practice, the participation and self-expression of people
suffering exclusion, in particular in regard to their situation and the policies and measures
affecting them.
(b) To mainstream the fight against exclusion into overall policy, in particular:
­ by mobilising the public authorities at national, regional and local level, according to
their respective areas of competence;
­ by developing appropriate coordination procedures and structures;
­ by adapting administrative and social services to the needs of people suffering exclusion
and ensuring that front-line staff are sensitive to these needs.

(c) To promote dialogue and partnership between all relevant bodies, public and private,
for example:
­ by involving the social partners, NGOs and social service providers, according to their
respective areas of competence, in the fight against the various forms of exclusion;
­ by encouraging the social responsibility and active engagement of all citizens in the
fight against social exclusion;
­ by fostering the social responsibility of business.