Malta represented at meeting for European housing ministers

Marisa Micallef Leyson, chairperson of the Housing Authority, recently represented Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi at a conference in Brussels.

This was the third meeting for European ministers on sustainable housing and was the first time Malta was represented in this group as an applicant member of the EU.

While it is true that housing policy is the exclusive responsibility of individual EU countries, the ministers felt that the forum was useful for comparing and exchanging information on the policies pursued.

These meetings contributed to the formulation of measures to promote social cohesion, the environment and sustainable development, in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The ministers expressed their support in favour of social inclusion and confirmed that housing was a crucial element to combat social exclusion.

The ministers welcomed the establishment of a set of common indicators for eradicating poverty and promoting social inclusion, taking in health and housing.

The European council stresses the need to reinforce the statistical machinery and calls on the Commission to gradually involve the candidate countries in this process.

The setting up by Eurostat of a task force to develop common methodologies to improve the understanding of homelessness, and the conclusion of the Barcelona European Council: "The European Council stresses the importance of the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Member states are invited to set targets, in the national action plans, for significantly reducing the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by 2010" was also welcomed.

The ministers noted that Belgium is currently gathering EU statistics on housing to be published in the second semester this year.

They also welcomed Denmark's initiative to organise the European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion in which a workshop will be dedicated to housing.

The ministers thanked Italy, which will take on the presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2003, for hosting the next meeting of housing ministers.