At the sitting held on 20 May, the members of the Poverty Reduction Committee considered the Committee’s 2010 Activity Plan and discussed poverty issues in Serbia: situation and measures employed, as well as social inclusion and European integration.

Following a short discussion the Committee members adopted the 2010 Activity Plan.

Zarko Sunderic, team member at the cabinet of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration presented the latest statistical data on poverty in Serbia, as well as plans concerning the issues of social inclusion and European integration. He stated that the European Commission has a special department to handle issues of social inclusion, which shows that this problem is a priority for the EU, and would also receive special focus in their 2020 strategy. He added that the 2009 statistical data showed increased unemployment as well as an increased number of people living below the poverty line. For the first time after 2000 Serbia notes increased poverty, and the data show that today this social category has as many as 80 000 people more than in 2000. Populations of small towns and villages run an increased risk of poverty, as well as children between 14 and 18 years of age, people over 56 and low-educated persons. The poverty reduction strategy expired in 2003 and it was estimated, considering that a new one has not been drafted to date, that documents should be drafted in preparation of signing the memorandum with the EU. That will become Serbia’s obligation the moment it is granted membership candidacy. The Deputy Prime Minister’s Team deals with all these issues, as does the Government’s Task Group for social inclusion and poverty reduction. The funds for the realisation of these measures are secured from the budget and IPA funds. By the end of the year, Serbia plans to draft a social inclusion plan before the EU’s invitation to sign the memorandum, do the necessary research and initiate a campaign explaining the concept of social inclusion. A new social protection law is being drafted, and work is being done on activation measures, employment measures, development of social economy and adult education.

For the remainder of the sitting the Committee members discussed the arguments for and against the elimination of the Poverty Reduction Committee and the Committee Chairperson’s memo on the topic to the Task Group drafting the National Assembly Rules of Procedure. They also announced the upcoming sitting when the Committee members will discuss the education’s preparations for the realisation of inclusive education in the new school-year.

The sitting was chaired by Snezana Stojanovic-Plavsic, Committee Chairperson.