On the eve of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, ministers from around the EU held a high-level meeting dedicated to fighting poverty and promoting social inclusion.

2010 will be the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The meeting held on October 16,  2008 in Marseille, France,  marked the kick-off for preparations across Europe. NGOs, local authorities and everyone working against exclusion were invited to participate in the campaign. The initiative will have a budget of at least €26 million, including €17 million of EU funding.

The European Year 2010 aims to: 

78 million people in the EU – or 16% of the population, and 19% of the children – are currently at risk of poverty. According to the EU-agreed definition, people are considered at risk of poverty when they live on an income below 60% of the median household income of their own country. In 2004 (latest figure available), some 23.5 million citizens had to get by on less than €10 a day.

Eurobarometer surveys show that Europeans see poverty as a widespread problem. Across the EU, people feel that around 1 in 3 people (29%) in their area live in poverty and that 1 in 10 suffers extreme poverty.

Until October 16, 2008, all 27 Member States have  developed multi-annual national action plans. Before 2000, only three Member States had such strategies in place.

The EU's involvement encourages high standards based on commonly agreed objectives, while each country can implement policies adapted to the national context. And the European Social Fund (ESF) now represents around 10% of the EU budget and invests around €10 billion in people's skills every year across all Member States.