Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

In 2008, the Council and the European Parliament reaffirmed that the fight against poverty and social exclusion was a key commitment of the EU and its Member States, and agreed to designate 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (EY2010).

The EY2010 coincided with a time of economic and social challenges, spurring mobilisation and helping put poverty and social exclusion at the centre of the Europe 2020 agenda. It highlighted the crucial importance of citizens’ engagement and awareness, and brought opportunities for positive participation by men and women experiencing poverty. It also showed that Europe can encourage new models of governance, and stressed the need to build more bridges between key players. Yet, the crisis hit the people experiencing poverty and social exclusion and those working with them on a daily basis, making it difficult for the full impact of initiative to be felt.

In accordance with the Decision establishing the EY2010, this report offers an overview of the implementation, results and overall achievements of the European Year, building on the conclusions of an external evaluation.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)107: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:107:FIN

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