Glossary
Awareness Raising Projects
These projects are funded by the European Union with the aim of improving information and knowledges among concerned stakeholders and the wider public about the EU Social Protection Social Inclusion Process within Members States, candidate countries and EFTA/EEA countries. This is to mobilise support for and participation of all relevant actors in the preparation and implementation of National Action Plans against poverty and social exclusion.
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Common indicators
Common indicators are needed to monitor progress in combating poverty and social exclusion in a comparable way. Given the different models of welfare state across the EU, they must be performance indicators, policy indicators remain at at national level. Common indicators do not imply common policies.
The Laeken European Council endorsed in December 2001 a set of 18 primary and secondary common indicators of social exclusion and poverty, covering key dimensions of social exclusion: financial poverty; employment; health; education that need to be considered as a consistent whole.
The Social Protection Committee adopted a new set of overarching indicators in June 2006.
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Common objectives
In the context of the Open Method of Coordination applied to Social Protection and Social Inclusion, Member States have agreed on common objectives. Member States translate these common objectives into national policies through national action plans. They are free to choose how they appropriately achieve the common objectives. .
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European Networks
One of the key objectives of the EU Social Protection Social Inclusion is to develop the capacity of key European level networks to support and further develop Community policy goals and strategies on social protection and inclusion. In this context, it provides that the Community contribute to the running costs of key European-level networks of organisations involved in the fight against poverty and social exclusion.
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European Round Table
The annual European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion is one of the main events on social inclusion organized is jointly by the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission in the second semester of each year. It aims at promoting dialogue between all stakeholders in the context of the open method of coordination for social inclusion.
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Joint Report
The Joint Reports assess progress made in the implementation of the OMC, set key priorities and identify good practice and innovative approaches of common interest to the Member States on the basis of the National action plans submitted by the Member States. It is adopted by the Council on a Commission proposal. The Joint Reports also set key priorities and identify good practice and innovative approaches of common interest to the Member States.
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MISSOC
The Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC) was established in 1990 to promote a continuous exchange of information on social protection among the EU Member States. MISSOC has become the central information source on social protection legislation in all Member States of the European Union and countries of the European Economic Area. MISSOC produces regularly updated comparatives tables covering all areas of social protection and MISSOC Info Bulletins on specific topics and on the main changes in the social protection systems.
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National Action Plans/ National Reports on Strategies
The National Action Plans or National Reports on Strategies (since 2005) reflect the Member States’ existing strategy against poverty and exclusion and present how governments intend to reach the common objectives previously set. National Action Plans/ National Reports on Strategies are submitted to the Commission every other year.
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Non-Governmental Expert Reports
The network of independent social inclusion experts assists the European Commission by providing independent information on national policicies and analyzing the actual implementation of National Action Plans. They report on their respective countries’ National Action Plans/ National Reports on Strategies twice a year.
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Open Method of Coordination
The "open method of coordination" (OMC) provides an innovative instrument to support the Member States in moving towards agreed EU objectives and to exchange best practice in the areas of employment, social protection and social inclusion. The OMC is a framework of political coordination without legal constraints. The definition of the appropriate means and ways to achieve the agreed objectives is left to the Member States, respecting thus their competences in these fields.
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Peer Review
The Peer Review is a mutual learning process involving the scrutiny of specific policies on the basis of proposals volunteered by Member States. A "host country" presents a policy or institutional arrangement (good practice) or a policy reform to a selected group of decision-makers and experts from other countries ("peer countries") and to stakeholders' representatives and European Commission officials. Peer Reviews are a key instrument of the OMC.
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Social Situation Report
The Social Situation Report — published annually since 2000 — aims at informing the public debate on social policy by providing key data and prospective analysis. It is divided in two parts, a first part devoted to a special topic which is explored in depth and a second part consisting of statistical portraits covering the full range of social policy issues and a data appendix.
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Social Protection Committee (SPC)
The Social Protection Committee (SPC) was established in 2000 in order the serve as a vehicle for cooperative exchange between the European Commission and the Member States of the EU about modernising and improving social protection systems. Under the mandate given to it by the Council, the Committee should work on the policy challenges related to the following objectives: "to make work pay and provide secure income, to make pensions safe and pension systems sustainable, to promote social inclusion and to ensure high quality and sustainable health care".The Committee consists of two representatives appointed by each Member State and two representatives of the Commission.
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Studies
Studies commissioned within the Social Protection Social Inclusion Process are primarily policy oriented research. They are intended to provide analysis of the characteristics, processes, causes and trends in social exclusion through the development of innovative approaches, or in drawing together pre-existing research on a particular subject.
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Transnational Exchange Programme
The objective of the Transnational Exchange Programme is to promote and financially support the organisation of exchanges and promote mutual learning between member states, EFTA and EEA countries. The purpose of promoting transnational exchanges as part of the Social Protection Social Inclusion Process is to support the implementation of the Open Method of Coordination on Poverty and Social Exclusion and in particular the development and implementation of the National Action Plans.
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