A social inclusion roadmap for Europe 2020

2010 is in many ways a turning point in the fight against poverty. The European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion aims to raise public awareness, to give voice to the concerns of those experiencing poverty and to renew political commitment of the EU and its Member States. The fact that poverty has not decreased in the past decade necessitates a thorough reflection about the design of the European economic and social model. The elaboration of the Europe 2020 strategy is a window of opportunity to put social inclusion at the heart of the policy of the Union. The Belgian Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2010 has selected three thematic priorities with regard to social inclusion: minimum income systems, child poverty and homelessness – as well as a horizontal priority: the active involvement of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion. This book takes stock of the progress made in the past decade and formulates a series of policy recommendations for the next decade, at EU level as well as in the Member States.