EU developments

In 2000, EU leaders established the Social Inclusion Process  to make a decisive impact on eradicating poverty by 2010. Through this process, the European Union coordinates and encourages Member State actions to combat poverty and social exclusion, and to reform their social protection systems on the basis of policy exchanges and mutual learning. The Open Method of Coordination  (OMC) was set up at the Lisbon European Council of March 2000 to provide the framework of political coordination in the fields of Social Protection and Social Inclusion. Under the OMC Member States agree to identify and promote their most effective policies in these fields with the aim of learning from each others' experiences.

Under the Lisbon Strategy there is intended to be mutually reinforcing feedback between economic, employment and social policies. This intention was reaffirmed by the meeting of EU Heads of State and Governments in spring 2007, when they stressed in their Conclusions that "the common social objectives of Member States should be better taken into account within the Lisbon agenda". As part of the OMC process Member States produce National Reports on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion (National Strategic Reports) on a regular basis. The first such reports, covering the three main strands of the OMC for the period 2006-2008 (social inclusion, pensions and healthcare and long-term care), were submitted to the European Commission in September 2006.

 To tackle poverty and improve access to employment for the most disadvantaged people - including people with disabilities and mental health problems - the European Commission presented in October 2007 an integrated strategy for active inclusion  entailing the provision of an adequate level of income support with a link to the labour market and a better access to services. The new approach proposes to deepen the OMC in this area through the adoption, monitoring and evaluation of a set of common principles in order to contribute to the identification of the best policy responses to the common social challenges that the Member States are facing.

Inclusion of vulnerable groups is one of the priorities of the European Social Protection Social Inclusion Process. In this context, EU Member States have committed themselves to develop integrated and coordinated responses to the multiple disadvantages and the need of particular groups. People with disabilities  within European societies face higher risk of poverty and social exclusion compared to the general population; the problems this group experiences are translated into homelessness, unemployment, low education, and subsequently, their further exclusion from society. The European Union has a three-fold approach to overcoming discrimination and increasing the inclusion of people with disabilities - increasing access to mainstream services and opportunities, enforcing legislation to overcome discrimination and, where necessary, developing targeted approaches to respond to the specific needs of this group.

The measures to tackle discrimination and to combat poverty and social exclusion, including the new strategy for active inclusion, are some of the key elements of the renewed European Social Agenda . In July 2008, the European Commission put forward this comprehensive package of initiatives, bringing together various policies, with the aim to foster employment creation, education and skills development, fight discrimination, support mobility and enable Europeans to live longer, healthier lives. The renewed Social Agenda contains 19 initiatives that centered amongst others on the following priorities: Preparing for Tomorrow: Children and Youth; Investing in People: Managing Change; Supporting Longer and healthier lives; Fighting discrimination; Strengthening Instruments; Shaping the International Agenda; Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The Commission is for example proposing legislation to fill the gaps of the existing legal framework and to protect against discrimination  on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation outside the field of employment. Another legislative proposal contained in the package aims to facilitate patients' access to healthcare in other European countries