Ten years ago, European leaders pledged to end poverty in the EU by 2010. As this deadline approaches, the goal is still some way off. That is why the European Union has decided to declare 2010 as European year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Not confined to developing countries, poverty is a blight on European societies too. A complex issue, poverty excludes people from leading the type of lives most of us take for granted. It often stems from causes as diverse as poor education, addiction or a deprived childhood with limited access to cultural, social and material resources.

In the EU, people are defined as poor if their income is below 60% of the median wage in the country where they live. By this definition, nearly 80 million Europeans – more than 15% of the population – are living on or below the poverty line. One European in 10 lives in a household where nobody works, and for 8% of Europeans having a job is not enough to work one’s way out of poverty.

Accordingly to those data, the EU has declared 2010 the year for combating poverty and social exclusion. Among the many initiatives and activities planned, there will be a meeting bringing together people living in poverty across Europe (in May) and a roundtable discussion (in October). In addition, each EU country will have its own programme – designed to address specific problems. The official launch will be in Madrid next January 21st.

Ending poverty was one of the main goals of the growth and jobs plan, (Lisbon strategy), adopted by member countries in 2000. It is hoped that the European-year campaign will be the catalyst needed to keep the fight against poverty a priority, transforming these ambitions into reality.

European Parliament proposed 2010 to be European Year for Combating Poverty in june 2008, and it was officially designated by the Council later that year. Recently, Brussels has hosted a conference on “Poverty: Perceptions and Reality - The Communication Challenge” as part of the preparatory action of the year.

This year comes after European Year for Creativity and Innovation, which has aimed to support the efforts of the Member States to promote creativity, through lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, occupational, entrepreneurial and social competences and the well-being of all individuals in society.