Fighting poverty & social exclusion together in Malta

Professor Anthony M. Abela

NON-GOVERNMENTAL SOCIAL INCLUSION EXPERT EUROPEAN COMMISSION

- launch of EAPN Malta - 26 November 2004 -

EU Lisbon strategy (2000-10)

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Create most dynamic, knowledge based competitive economy, and social and environmental renewal, over 10 years

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Open Method of Coordination [OMC] to eradicate poverty and social exclusion

Key elements in Open Method of Coordination • Social Protection Committee • Common Objectives • Joint Memoranda on Social Inclusion • National Action Plans • Joint Reports on Social Inclusion • Common Indicators • Community Action Programme • Studies on Regional indicators • Non-governmental Expert Reports on NAPs

Studies of Maltese society •

Increased awareness of social and family problems

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Increased Voluntary Welfare activities > membership in NGOs

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Low individual-level trust in others

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High levels of gender, racial and social intolerance, discrimination, exclusion

NGOs in Maltese society (cont.) •

High competition for funding/resources

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Inadequate inter- and intra- NGOs-State collaboration

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Low accountability, transparency, insufficient evaluation

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Models of net/working together: closed open; authoritarian - democratic continuum

An overview of implementation and future perspectives on NAPs/inclusion of EU10 1. A strong policy effort from all EU10 2. An unfavourable demographic context 3. A bright economic context for most EU10 4. A gloomy employment context 5. poverty risk in line with EU15 6. NAPs challenge Laeken indicators

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2A. Life expectancy Males Females

4A. Long term unemployment 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1998 2003

25 20 15 10 5 0 5A. Risk of poverty 2002

5. poverty risk in line with EU15

• Income inequality similar to EU25 (4.4) but increasing throughout the 1990s • Risk of poverty in EU10 (14%) also broadly in line with EU25 (15%) • In the absence of social transfers, risk of poverty would have been 29% • Poverty especially affects children, young people, unemployed, large and single parent households

7. Six key priorities identified 1 Expand ALMP and LLL to increase integration of risk groups 2 Ensure that social protection systems guarantee adequate minimum income while removing disincentives 3 Strengthen policies to tackle child and family poverty and to protect children rights

The 6 key priorities (cont.) 4 Improve access to decent housing and tackle homelessness 5 Invest in improving the quality of and access to health, social services, education and transport 6 Intensify efforts to overcome high levels of exclusion experienced by risk groups.

Three cross-cutting issues for the future • Mainstream the inclusion of minorities and the gender dimension across all relevant policy areas • Improve governance in the field of social policy and involve stakeholders • Put in place arrangements for the effective monitoring/evaluation of NAPs

Kok report (2004) naming, shaming and faming -

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The European Commission should deliver, to the Spring European Council in the most public manner possible, an annual league table of Member State progress towards achieving the 14 key indicators and targets. Countries that have performed well should be praised, those that have done badly castigated.”

What are the implications for • the EU social inclusion process? • the Open Method of Coordination?