Traduction de «Groupe économiquement faible » (Français → Anglais) :

The outermost regions have to cope with specific constraints - remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, as well as economic dependence on a few products - all factors the permanence and combination of which severely restrain their socio-economic development (Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty).

So far, there has been no success in complying with what is also laid down in the Socrates programme and giving a special boost to groups that are weak in socio-economic terms.

We do, however, fully agree with the other opinions in our group that American chains should not be in a position, on account of free imports, to plug the gap which will emerge if European production drops, and that economically weaker regions in Southern Europe should be given support in order to create replacement employment when tobacco production disappears.

In this context, three policy adjustments are proposed: a) to the needs (the demand) for social policy to address mainly new problems which are linked to unemployment, the transition to new economic conditions and to global realignments, b) at the delivery (the supply) of social policy through the adaptation of the administrative structures to serve the new role of the social policy, and c) to obtain new ways of information handling (both statistical indicators and administrative information).Overall, the NAPincl moves along four strategic directions: (1) continued macro economic expansion, (2) employment policy aimed against unemploymen ...[+++]t and in favour of flexibility in the labour market (aiding women and low income groups), (3) a series of reforms in areas linked to exclusion (Health, Welfare, Education, social security, public administration, decentralisation), (4) and three new targeted initiatives to be introduced in January 2002.

For this year's exercise, three groups have been identified: high income, low income and a third group consisting of citizens especially sensitive to the provision of services of general economic interest (pensioners, consumers living in remote areas, ...).

113. Calls on the Member States to be aware of the risk that certain groups including members of ethnic minorities, girls and women, people with disabilities and above all low income families and individuals will be even further disadvantaged by the growth of the information society. Asks all Member States to draw up strategies to avoid such disadvantage and asks the Commission to consider establishing a programme to help in this aim;