Brussels, 27/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The third meeting of the Citizens' Agora on crises and poverty opened in Brussels on Thursday 27 January. Poverty and unemployment are among the greatest dangers and threats to EU citizens, European citizens close to those taking part in this gathering which brings together representatives from NGOs, organised civil society and local government and also represented at European level by the European Parliament (EP), the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) (see EUROPE 10301).
Speaking at the opening plenary session, EP President Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) said that the Citizens' Agora was an instrument for dialogue between European citizens, the EP and the EESC: “This is a very important time because we are going back to the very roots of the EU. This is the place where society can express its problems, its criticism. It is essential for us to have this type of gathering”. It is important, too, because it allows everyone the opportunity to express their solidarity with those suffering in the wake of the economic downturn. The number of people living in poverty has sharply risen over this period, bringing an increase in social problems and problems between nations, as was the case before the Second World War, Buzek said. “We have to choose another way to act. That is why we are here”, he went on.
Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Commissioner László Andor said that the Agora was an example of participative democracy. Assessing what had been achieved by the European Year for Combating Poverty and Exclusion 2010, he stated that, for three quarters of EU citizens (75% of those surveyed), the EU had a key role to play in reducing the numbers of people living in poverty by 2020. The Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion plays a vital coordination role among the various partners working to tackle poverty, noted Andor, stating that “the Roma minority, one of the most excluded peoples, suffering prejudice and all forms of discrimination, must be helped to participate in society”.
Hungarian Permanent Representative to the EU Peter Gyökös encouraged those involved in the active dialogue between institutions and civil society to see the fight against poverty, a fight which has a major place in the political context, through to a successful conclusion. How can one achieve the objectives of the EU 2020 strategy, Gyökös asked, offering some suggestions: “Codification of the Treaty, putting in place permanent anti-poverty mechanisms and the European semester. Fiscal consolidation is no longer enough to tackle the crisis”. The procedure to be followed is: “After stabilising the euro area, the focus has to be put on sustainable growth which will create jobs, and help the victims of the crisis get back on their feet”, he said. The Roma, he went on, “are the most vulnerable section of our society”, and the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers is determined to have in place a framework to help them by the end of its term of office. There will be a structured dialogue on the Roma in the various compositions of the Council dealing with poverty, unemployment and education, Györkös announced. He concluded with an invitation from the Hungarian Presidency “to join in the dialogue to help make these projects successful”.
Introducing the EESC President Staffan Nilsson, Libor Roucek (S&D, Czech Republic) who jointly chaired the opening session with Isabelle Durant (Greens/EFA, Belgium), stated that henceforth the EP and the EESC would cooperate closely in pursuit of anti-poverty objectives, the EESC being the most important European-level assembly in this regard.
Nilsson immediately stated the high esteem of EESC members for the EP, “a decision-making body with joint responsibility for all European legislation”. The tenor of his speech was that everyone had to be brought on board for a sustainable Europe, and everyone had a right to be involved in European affairs. The Lisbon Treaty, he pointed out, encourages participation by citizens and representatives of organisations. “The EESC wants to be there to support the dialogue with civil society and guarantee proper representation for the various representative organisations. I am certain it is all about political commitment”, he said.
The debates continued in the afternoon, with three simultaneous workshops on (1) the economic and financial crisis and new forms of poverty (chaired by Jean Lambert, Greens/EFA, UK); (2) the impact of the economic and financial crisis on migratory flows and integration processes (chaired by Frédéric Daerden, S&D, Belgium); (3) the economic and financial crisis: access to a decent and sustainable way of life for persons in situation of precariousness (chaired by Doris Pack, EPP, Germany). The Consensus Conference on the everyday experience of persons in situations of precariousness was chaired by Jérôme Vignon, former Director of Social Protection and Inclusion at the Commission. (G.B./transl.rt)