B3-1522, 1524, 1527, 1529, 1530 and 1531/93

Resolution on social exclusion

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolution of 16 September 1988 on combating poverty in the European Community,

-having regard to the Council Decision of 18 July 1989 establishing a medium-term Community action programme concerning economic and social integration of the economically and socially less privileged,

-having regard to the Council resolution of 29 September 1989 on combating social exclusion,

- having regard to Council Recommendation 92/441/EEC of 24 June 1992 on common criteria concerning sufficient resources and social assistance in social protection measures,

-having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 23 December 1992 'Towards a Europe of solidarity, intensifying the fight against social exclusion, fostering integration' (COM(92)0542),

-having regard to the Commission's report on the Third programme on poverty,

-having regard to the Commission proposal on the new Poverty 4 Programme and the doubling of the budget over the next five years, 1994 - 1999,

-having regard to the new tasks of Objective 3 of the revised European Social Fund to facilitate the integration into working life of young people and social categories excluded from the labour market,

-having regard to the Agreement on Social Policy concluded between 11 Member States which commits those Member States to 'the promotion of employment, improved living and working conditions, proper social protection, dialogue between management and labour, the development of human resources with a view to lasting high employment and the combating of social exclusion',

-having regard to Parliament's resolution of 13 July 1993 combating poverty and social exclusion in the European Community,

A.whereas although no quantifiable definition of poverty exists, there are nevertheless more than 50 million Community citizens living below the poverty line, defined as 50% of the average EC income per inhabitant, and whereas they are therefore marginalized and excluded,

B.whereas the Community has more than 17 million registered unemployed people, over half of whom have been unemployed for at least one year and roughly one third for at least two years, and whereas the number of homeless people is estimated at three million,

C.whereas the phenomenon of social exclusion is increasing in all the Member States and its forms varying and whereas the development of precarious employment conditions leads to an increase in exclusion,

D.whereas social exclusion is also apparent in the areas of housing, education, health and non-access to services,

E.whereas low pay is one of the biggest causes of poverty and women are the most affected,

F.whereas the increase in social exclusion highlights the shortcomings of the social security and protection systems,

G.whereas a solution to the phenomenon of social exclusion must be found as soon as possible if those affected are to regain a dignified existence to which everyone is entitled on the eve of the 21st century,

H.whereas these problems affect, amongst others, the elderly, women, single-parent families, the disabled, the under-qualified and, increasingly, young people and the long-term unemployed,

1.Welcomes the efforts of the Community to initiate measures to combat poverty and social exclusion and in this regard notes the recent announcement by the Commission of the doubling of funds for the Poverty 4 programme;

2.Stresses that the fight against social exclusion requires specific action at all levels and above all a general change in the economic, social and cultural models;

3.Insists that the fight against social exclusion represents a priority objective in the strengthening of the democratic process;

4.Emphasizes that in order to tackle the problem of social exclusion, on the occasion of the modification of the Treaty foreseen for 1996, certain basic citizens' rights should be incorporated, such as:

- a basic income;

-access to health care, training, education and culture as well as all basic public services;

-a decent level of housing;

-access to justice;

5.Insists on the need for a minimum revenue and a minimum wage in each Member State whilst emphasizing the imperative of good pay and conditions;

6.Emphasizes the opportunities afforded by schemes for reducing hours of work, the feasibility of which should be examined, and the implementation organized, in each individual sector; believes that no formula should be rejected and that all methods capable of producing an equitable distribution of labour without seriously compromising the competitiveness of the Member States on the world market should be evaluated;

7.Further calls on the Council, as it recognizes the need for a social dimension, to adopt all outstanding social legislation, taking into account Parliament's amendments, in order to balance the disparity existing between social and economic legislation;

8.Calls on the Council to acknowledge its responsibility by supporting Parliament in its amendments to the budget on lines which deal with social exclusion and further calls for the enhancement of the budget for training and continuing training over the next five years;

9.Calls on the Commission to study the possibility of minimum income systems and negative income tax systems, which will enable the unemployed to combine paid part-time work and their minimum income or negative income tax credit;

10.Asks the Commission to examine the need for specific action on social exclusion in the urban areas in the framework of the Community Initiatives;

11.Calls on the Council to increase action in the fields of health and housing in order better to contribute to the resolution of the problems at Community, national, regional and local level;

12.Calls on the Council to examine all Community policies in order to assess their impact on the socially excluded and insists that requirements for protection from social exclusion must be integrated into the definition and implementation of other policies;

13.Believes that the participation of the socially excluded themselves and their representatives in the NGOs in the drawing up and evaluation of programmes, projects and experiments to end social exclusion is an essential precondition;

14.Invites the Council and the Member States to apply fully the recommendations on common criteria for adequate resources and benefits in social protection systems in relation to the convergence of social protection objectives and policies;

15.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments and governments of the Member States, the Economic and Social Committee and the social partners.