Brussels, 12/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is organising a conference in Antwerp on 14 and 15 September on "Social Inclusion Indicators - Implementing common objectives at EU level", so as to scientifically demonstrate that common social inclusion indicators at European level are useful and may be defined and calculated with precision. The conference will bring together researchers specialized in areas linked to poverty and social exclusion, experts from statistical institutions, people responsible, in Member States, for drawing up national action plans for social inclusion and representatives from European institution as well as from Central and Eastern States and NGOs. Four working sessions will focus on the following topics: 1) the Presidency report on social inclusion indicators in the EU; 2) employment and unemployment, teaching and illiteracy; 3) poverty and income distribution; 4) health, access to essential services, social and cultural participation, financial precariousness, housing and homelessness.
The Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Budget, Social Integration and the Social Economy, Johan Vande Lannotte will introduce the work in the presence of Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou (social affairs) and the Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Michel Rocard. The conclusions will be drawn by Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgian Minister for Social Affairs and Pensions, in the presence of the Spanish Minister for Social Affairs Juan Carlos Aparicio Perez (Information: Jan van Pelt, Belgian EU/Presidency/Social Affairs Task Force, in Brussels. Tel.: 02 238 28 49. E-.mail: jan.vanpelt@minsoc.fed.be).