Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion

The Network consists of 28 country experts (27 member states of the EU, including Turkey), whose independent expertise in the field of poverty and social inclusion in their own country is asked. The main focus of the project aims at the experts´ evaluation inside their country concerning the implementation of the pointed priority fields of the Open Method of Coordination developed by the European Commission. As for that, reports are published twice a year about the latest developments, main trends and policy developments, which, as to the evaluation of the experts, are relevantly referenced to the context of the EU coordination process in the field of social inclusion. In addition new ideas about key indicators are considered. Another matter of discussion are reform programmes of the governments, as well as changes in the role of social partners and lobbying organisations. Four of the priority fields the experts are dealing with are active inclusion and minimum income, child poverty, social inclusion as a cross sectional subject of public policy and integration of migrants (1st and 2nd generation) and/or ethnic minorities.