Action on Poverty in Europe: Fifty Years Ago

Fifty years ago, in April 1973, the EEC Social Affairs Council received a draft ‘Guidelines for a Social Action Programme’ which laid the foundations for a period of significant progress in the EU’s social policy field. This important development was notable for its Irish dimension.

This paper, by IIEA Senior Fellow, Tony Brown, deals with the events of 1973, an extremely busy year which began with the arrival of three new Member States into the European Community along with the establishment of a new Commission in January, and ended with agreement at the Council on a comprehensive Social Action Programme in December. It describes the progress of the programme through the complex institutional structures of the Community and highlights, in particular, the critical role of the European Commission and of the Irish Commissioner. Finally, it sets these developments in the context of Ireland’s position as a newcomer to the Community, settling into its institutions and culture.