Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

The German Caritas Association fights for Sustainable Social Protection Systems and strives to achieve the following strategic goals in our work in Europe:

• Enabling Social Integration and the Participation of Disadvantaged People
  Social care services contribute to social integration and the active involvement of disadvantaged groups of people. They have an impact on how the social indicators of the EU are defined and play an acknowledged role in Europe.
  The institutions, centres and services of the German Caritas Association contribute greatly to achieving the benchmarks set by the European Council. Our Association takes an active role in formulating and developing the national reform programmes and strategy reports required by the EU.
• Supporting Preventive Health Care Policies
  Prevention is an established approach of national and European health care policies. The German Caritas Association supports preventive health care by issuing statements and reports, running information campaigns and by participating in European action programmes.
• Strengthening the Position of Immigrants
  The fair inclusion of all groups of immigrants and the observance of human rights standards are integral parts of the EU’s immigration policies. The German Caritas Association is involved in drawing up legally relevant acts in the EU relating to immigration policies and is also involved in their transformation into national legislation.
• Building Up Social Care Services in Central and Eastern Europe
  The German Caritas Association helps to establish and develop services for low-income and disadvantaged people in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. We work together with partners in this region by exchanging expertise and skills.
• Strengthening the Role of Welfare Organisations
  The distinctive features of welfare organisations in regards to providing marketable and non-marketable services are recognised by European law. The German Caritas Association helps to promote this on European level by issuing statements, reports and by doing effective lobby work together with other social organisations.
• Taking an Active Part in European Civil Society
  Civil society plays an acknowledged role within the EU and Europe, and civil dialogue is now institutionalised. The German Caritas Association helps to make civil society in Europe even stronger by supporting and promoting voluntary work.