The European Economic Area (EEA) is the largest integrated market globally, without being a fully integrated customs union, like the European Union (EU). On 1/1/1993, the agreement on the creation of the EEA entered into force and included the 12 then EU member states and the seven EFTA states. Today, EEA consists of the 28 member states of EU, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Within the framework of this agreement, the EEA Financial Mechanism was created in 1994 as a tool for supporting cohesion. The purpose of the EEA Financial Mechanism is to reduce economic and social disparity in Europe and to support new member states, including Greece, Portugal and Spain in their effort to fully participate in the enlarged internal market. The Financial Mechanism is part of the broader initiatives of European unification, placing emphasis on enhancing financial and political ties between beneficiary countries and the countries of EEA-EFTA.
In this context, EYSEKT designed, managed and implemented a project entitled “Organisation of integrated local services providing support and care to poor families with children in the Municipalities of Ano Liosia, Keratsini, Gastouni and Xanthi”. The aim of the project was to extend support to children through care-related measures and at the same time provide support to their parents, the ultimate purpose being to eradicate the vicious circle of poverty and deprivation.
Specifically, the services were provided through the operation of four centres at municipal level. The partnership of the project consisted of EYSEKT (Programme Operator) the municipalities (Fylis - Attica, Drapetsonas/Keratsiniou - Attica, Drosero - Xanthi and Penaeus – Ilia) and the Centre for European Constitutional Law - Themistokles and Dimitris Tsatsos Foundation. These centres operated in areas with high levels of poverty. The beneficiaries were families with children within the target groups of migrants, Roma and families living in rural and remote areas as well as in degraded / de-industrialized areas.
The centres have adopted a holistic approach addressing the multifaceted dimensions of deprivation and included the following set of actions:
(a) Provision of support, advice, information and guidance targeted at children 16 years old and their families for all their needs.
(b) Provision of personalized social care services with a focus on empowering children
(c) Supply of goods to meet basic needs
(d) Provision of advice and support to parents, accompanied with active promotion actions for employment especially for women.
The expected results from the intervention was: to improve the living conditions of children in deprived areas; to support their families; to offer expertise to local authorities and to sensitise and mobilize the wider local community on issues relating to poverty.
The period of the co-funded project within the context of the EEA FM ended on 30/4/2012, while the actual spending amounted to 600.000 €.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Welfare is committed to the ten-year contractual obligation to continue the programme after the end of funding from the EEA FM. For this reason it has already started the procedures to integrate the programme within the current programming of the National Strategic Framework and specifically to Axis 4 of the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development" within the action “Support Centres for Roma and vulnerable groups".