Anti-poverty goals spark controversy

Date: 05/10/00

NEW EU-WIDE objectives for tackling poverty are likely to include controversial references to providing decent housing and health care - policy areas in which governments have fought hard to protect their decision-making powers.

The list of goals drawn up by national experts, which is due to be approved by social affairs ministers later this month, is expected to contain calls for member states to implement policies which ensure basic housing and health standards and universal access to education.

But although the new objectives for combating 'social exclusion' will not be legally binding, some EU governments have misgivings. They fear that the guidelines could constitute a first step towards Union involvement in areas where policy-making has previously been strictly reserved for member states.

Ministers are expected to approve the proposed goals at their meeting on 16 October, but diplomats warn that they will be watching their development closely. "It is a member state responsibility to decide what will be done about these high-level European objectives, which is why we can be a little relaxed about what actually goes into them," said one. "We would not be prepared, though, to accept any actual Community competence in these areas."

Common performance-measuring indicators are, however, being drawn up to accompany the anti-poverty goals and critics say this is only a short step from giving the Union a stronger role in this area, similar to the one it already plays in the jobs field, where the Commission prepares performance reports with recommendations for action by member states.

If attempts were made to extend this approach to the fight against poverty, they would almost certainly run into opposition from countries - led by the UK - keen to protect their sovereignty in areas such as housing and health. "We are still thinking long and hard about whether this is a road we want to go down," said one EU diplomat.

All 15 member states have already agreed to the principle of Union-wide social exclusion objectives, which are being drawn up by a group of national experts formed during Portugal's presidency of the EU. The guidelines will, among other things, call on member states to put policies in place to ensure everyone has reasonable access to the job market, that families are supported, and that everyone has access to basic health care, housing and schooling.

New EU-wide objectives for tackling poverty are likely to include controversial references to providing decent housing and health care, policy areas in which governments have fought hard to protect their decision-making powers.