Assessment of the implementation of the European Commission Recommendation on active inclusion: A study of national policies

Hugh Frazer, Eric Marlier

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Abstract

The European Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion reviews the implementation of the 2008 Active Inclusion Recommendation in Member States and presents practical and wide-ranging suggestions as to how to make it more effective to build a more inclusive and more social Europe. In October 2008, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation on the active inclusion of people most excluded from the labour market, promoting a comprehensive strategy based on the integration of three key and equally important social policy pillars: adequate income support, inclusive labour markets, and access to quality services. This approach to active inclusion was subsequently endorsed by the EU Council of Ministers (December 2008) and the European Parliament (May 2009). Members of the European Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion were asked to prepare country reports on the implementation of this Recommendation in their Member State (MS). Finalised in the summer of 2012, their reports were in particular intended to contribute to the Commission's assessment of the Recommendation's implementation. This assessment has now been published by the Commission as part of its ?Social Investment Package? issued on 20 February 2013. This Synthesis Report has been produced by the Network Core Team on the basis of the experts' reports covering the 27 EU Member States. The report begins by summarising the main findings of the experts' country analyses and then, drawing on these assessments and the Network Core Team's overall assessment, it puts forward concrete suggestions to improve the so far very limited implementation of the Recommendation. The main part of the report starts with an analysis of the extent to which Member States have developed integrated comprehensive active inclusion strategies. Then, it assesses how effective Member States have been in developing measures under each of the three strands. Next, it looks at the resourcing of active inclusion measures by Member States and by EU Structural Funds and examines the arrangements in place to monitor their implementation. Finally, it synthesises the experts' suggestions made to strengthen the implementation of the Recommendation at national and EU levels.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherCEPS/INSTEAD
Number of pages96
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Publication series

NameEuropean Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion
PublisherCEPS/INSTEAD
No.2013-01

Keywords

  • Active inclusion
  • European Commission
  • Exclusion
  • Labour market
  • Member States
  • Social Europe
  • Social Policy

LISER Collections

  • European Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion

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