The EESC Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship on education in the context of fighting poverty and on international protection of the third country nationals

On 23 March 2010 the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship of the European Economic and Social Committee held its meeting in Brussels. The following opinions were discussed and adopted:

• SOC/365 Education for inclusion: a tool for fighting poverty and social exclusion
  The EESC welcomes the decision to devote 2010 to redoubling efforts to eradicate exclusion and poverty and highlights the importance of using education and training as effective tools for achieving these goals. Education is recognised as an important instrument for including those living in poverty in society.
  The fact that one of the priorities of the "EU Strategy for 2020" is strengthening education as a means for combating inequalities and poverty and that the trio of EU rotating presidencies, Spain, Belgium and Hungary, have set "Education for all" as one of their objectives makes it possible to put forward a series of measures aimed at making education and training effective tools for combating poverty and social exclusion.
  Education has been recognised as a basic human right since the EU was founded and huge positive efforts have been undertaken to make this right a public good available to all. The EESC has made its contribution in this area with a large number of opinions, all of which recognise that the central goal of education is to train individuals to be free, critical, independent and capable of contributing to developing the society in which they live, with a high level of skills to address the new challenges, particularly in the world of work, but also aware that they share values and a culture and that the world they live in must be preserved for future generations.
  
  
• SOC/369 Minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing international protection
  A Europe of asylum as part of social Europe must be founded on solid educational processes, aimed at pre-teenagers, which will then continue to resonate in the collective social and political awareness of the Member States.
  The European Union, being keen to respect fundamental rights and to observe the principles laid down in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, adopted Council Directive 2003/9/EC of 27 January 2003 laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers.
  In recent years, however, the rapid process of globalisation has, paradoxically, brought into play seismic shifts in identity, making it impossible to recreate a legal system based on universalism, such as that set up by Roman law.
  The interaction between different people groups and the current climate of concern about cultural contact are thus giving rise to new fears and insecurities, to which almost all European countries are responding with restrictive positions on citizenship and, by extension, on asylum.
  However, this development is contrary to the process of integration of peoples that had been hoped for and to the objective of building a Europe that is, among other things, a social Europe.
  The principle of non-return (non-refoulement) should therefore be adhered to firmly; indeed, one could even consider increasing the number of people to be recognised as needing international protection. Moreover, various EU directives already recognise the criterion of specific types of persecution of which some women and other vulnerable individuals are victims.
  
  
• SOC/368 Minimum standards for third country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection
  The Committee endorses the objectives set by the Commission with a view to completing the Common European Asylum System (CEAS); it would highlight, however, the disparity between the objectives set at EU level and practices at national level, which could be exacerbated by the economic crisis and its ensuing social and political effects.
  The Committee believes that revising the directive could help create a much more suitable legislative and institutional basis for ensuring a high and consistent level of support to persons seeking international protection.
  The Committee warns, however, that also in the case of this EU policy, there is a risk that excessive rhetoric and declarations of good intent may strip the values upheld by the EU of any meaning. Therefore, in the second phase of implementing this policy, in which the co-decision procedure applies, legislative conditions should be put in place that enable real access for asylum seekers to the labour market and to training programmes.
  The Committee underlines the importance of recognising the role played by civil society in general, and particularly by NGOs specialised in the field of asylum and asylum-related issues concerning refugees, and calls for them to be granted full access to all the procedures and places relevant to their work. However, it stresses the fact that these NGOs cannot take over the role and responsibilities of governments in this field.
  
  
• SOC/351 Solidarity in health: reducing health inequalities in the EU
  The principle of HIAP (Health In All Policies) should become a reality in all EU policies. Therefore, the Commission should evaluate and check its measures, if all policy areas contribute to a high level of health protection and reduction of health inequalities. The Commission should develop mechanisms to reverse its policy measures which have a negative impact on health and inequalities.
  The EESC supports the importance of the Member States and the Commission agreeing on a set of comparable indicators and measurable targets within a relevant timeframe as a mean of enabling the national authorities to evaluate progress in reducing health inequalities and help areas where European initiatives could complement national efforts.
  The EESC calls on ALL Member States to participate in the Commission's plans to improve the data and knowledge base and the mechanisms for measuring, monitoring and reporting health inequalities.
  The EESC urges the Commission to collaborate with the Member States to develop new indicators to monitor health inequalities and a methodology to audit the situation in the Member States in order to prioritise areas for improvement and best practice.
  The EESC calls on the Member States and the Commission to create a pattern of overall economic and social development, leading to greater economic growth and better social justice, as well as greater solidarity, cohesion and health. This should be addressed as a priority in the 2020 Strategy and consideration should be given to the key role of the EU Structural Funds in implementing this priority.

Vladimíra Drbalová
International Organisations and EU Affairs
EESC Member