Brussels, 16/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Fourth World Committee Intergroup at the European Parliament held its last meeting under the current legislature on Tuesday 14 April. It was chaired by Inigo Mendez de Vigo (EPP-ED, Spain). Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA, United Kingdom) presented her report on “the active conclusion of people excluded from the labour market”. A debate on this subject took place with Michele Calandrino (European Commission), who presented a “recommendation on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market”.
In his presentation of the work achieved over the last five years (2004-09), Inigo Mendez de Vigo, whose mandate has come to a close, highlighted the “extraordinary quality, the inter-personal skills and spirit of compromise” at the ATD Fourth Work secretariat, which had undergone many changes. Mendez de Vigo affirmed that, “we have done a reasonable job, notably, we have applied our fundamental principles by raising the awareness of our fellow MEPs at the EP in fighting against poverty in all its forms”. The president also called for more attention to be paid by the Intergroup to the public freedoms committee.
President Mendez de Vigo made a number of references to the future and called on the political groups to, “facilitate the work and life of Intergroups at the EP”, which he described as, “a crucial battle for the future of the Intergroups we are part of”. He also declared that, “the Fourth World Intergroup is an extraordinary platform for exchange and listening to others”. He concluded with a quotation from the late Bronislaw Geremek (ALDE, Poland), “a loyal activist in our group” whose message was, “discussions about extreme poverty will always be on our agenda”.
Set up in 1980, following an appeal from Joseph Wrezinski, the founder of the International ATD Fourth World Movement, this Intergroup aims to make a contribution to the work of the EP by drawing on the experience, thinking and aspirations of those most excluded from society due to their poverty. Its objectives include the mobilising all available resources to fight poverty as a priority EU objective and introduce the concerns of the poor into the work carried out by the EP. This work will include: draft amendments to ongoing reports, draft resolutions, written questions to the European Commission, official positions, press releases, raising awareness through discussions with actors on the ground. Emphasis is given to providing the poorest sections of society with a chance to directly speak out and help towards the elaboration, implementation and evaluation of action taken against poverty. (G.B./trans/rh)