ABSTRACT
In December 2001, the European Council held at Laeken in Belgium adopted a set of commonly agreed and defined indicators of social inclusion, which will in the future play a centrai role in monitoring the performance of the Member States in promoting social inclusion. This chapter describes the basis on which the indicators were selected, and the implications for the future development of policy-making in Europe. These indicators are intended to allow the Member States and the Commission to monitor progress towards the goal set by the European Council of Lisbon of making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010. One of the major challenges faced in developing and producing a comprehensive portfolio of indicators of social inclusion is the absence of a single reliable data source available across all Member States and covering the wide range of areas involved.
