people have often said that societies should be judged by the way they treat their weakest members
clearly if we fail to provide adequate support for persons in need we are likely to exclude them even further and so make it harder to integrate them into society and bring them onto the labour market
the commission believes that in addition to acting as automatic stabilisers minimum income schemes can play an important role in protecting the most vulnerable from the worst effects of the crisis by providing safety nets
the commission recommendation on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market and the epsco council conclusions of seventeen december two thousand and eight on common active inclusion principles to combat poverty more effectively both highlight the importance of access to adequate resources alongside quality services and inclusive labour markets
the recommendation calls on the member states in particular to recognise the individual's basic right to resources and social assistance sufficient to lead a life that is compatible with human dignity as part of a comprehensive consistent drive to combat social exclusion
the approach outlined in the recommendation has proved to be a step in the right direction especially during the economic crisis
but more needs to be done to fully implement active inclusion reforms
as the commission announced in its communication on the european platform against poverty and social exclusion it will report in twenty twelve on the implementation of the common principles on active inclusion focusing inter alia on the effectiveness of minimum income schemes
it will propose action based on that assessment including ways in which eu financial instruments could support active inclusion
