COPE

Combating Poverty in Europe: Re-organising Active Inclusion through Participatory and Integrated Modes of Multilevel Governance

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'To combat poverty, European strategies propose implementing active inclusion policies. However, these policies face serious conceptual questions and governance challenges. Practical implementation is problematic in that social exclusion is a multidimensional problem that goes far beyond financial poverty, necessitating the participatory co-production of individual opportunities. In addition, the complex social needs of the most excluded groups require the integration of different policy fields and the involvement of beneficiaries, civil society and public agencies in the co-production of welfare. This project focuses on the political and organisational challenges of this complex governance model which has evolved from European, national and local policies. Investigating the co-production of active inclusion in a multilevel, multidimensional and multi-stakeholder perspective addresses key questions: How can the combat against poverty be organised in practice? How do European, national and local institutions shape the co-production of active inclusion? How do beneficiaries participate in these policies and how does this shape their life courses? Project COPE integrates multiple disciplines and experienced social policy researchers. A common theoretical and methodological approach guides the research in each work package. First, we will contextualise poverty as a multidimensional challenge. Secondly, COPE will study how minimum income schemes for three different groups (lone mothers, long-term unemployed, working poor) are organised in five EU countries (Italy, Germany, Poland, Sweden and the UK) and how they cope with multilevel and multi-stakeholder modes of co-producing active inclusion policies. As these countries cover different welfare regimes, the results will have direct EU-wide relevance. To conclude, we will analyse the impact of these approaches on the individually perceived situation of the poor and the life courses of the most vulnerable social groups.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A research initiative shows that more horizontal and vertical coordination is needed by governments across Europe to assist the poor and unemployed.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The EU's welfare states have policies and provisions termed active inclusion measures to assist the poor and unemployed. These include income provisions, labour market policies and access to quality services. Effective active inclusion measures require coordination between social and employment policies.

Funded by the EU, the project http://www.cope-research.eu (COPE) looks at social inclusion policies designed to protect the long-term unemployed, single parents and the working poor across five European countries. Specifically, COPE examines the active inclusion measures in Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The project has found that there are serious deficits with the design and implementation of active inclusion measures across all countries. It finds that while minimum income schemes for working persons have improved in all countries, some countries implement the schemes better than others. For example, Germany and the United Kingdom regulate minimum income at a national level, while Italy, Poland and Sweden regulate it at a local level.

COPE finds that regulation at a national level in Germany and the United Kingdom provides sufficient protection to all poor. However, the localisation of social regulation in Italy, Poland and Sweden can lead to greater variability in the provision of benefits and services.

While minimum income schemes have improved in the countries, COPE notes that most reforms address the long-term unemployed and workless single parents. The working poor, including working but low-income single parents, are greatly overlooked and neglected. COPE suggests these schemes must be reformed by adapting minimum income rights and by improving the access to and distribution of social and employment services.

On a positive note, a look at social inclusion measures in five post-industrialist cities shows that awareness of issues leads to effective coordination amongst relevant actors.

The project notes that Europe's economic crisis has negatively impacted employment and poverty rates, and exposed different countries' inabilities to mitigate the problems. Policy reforms and improved intergovernmental coordination will ensure that help reaches the segments of the population most in need, and as quickly and efficiently as possible.