Hundreds of thousands of people have made a contribution to shaping the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The closing conference have brought together some of these people to look at the projects that have been developed in the various countries in the scope of the European Year and to find the answers to the questions What can we learn from each other? How can we intensify the fight against poverty in the EU?

Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission; Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council; Laszlo Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion; Yves Leterme, Prime Minister of Belgium and Isabelle Durant, Vice-President of the European Parliament addressed the audience during the final session of the conference and expressed their determination to continue efforts to reduce poverty in Europe.

Laszlo Andor and Lesley-Anne Knight, European Ambassador of the European Year announced the Journalists Awards of the European Year 2010 – a prize initiated by the European Commission in acknowledgement and support of journalists who make a contribution to increasing awareness and better understanding of poverty and social exclusion.

Europe has set itself a target to lift at least 20 million people of poverty by 2020. It aims to so by developing a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. This European policy can only be successful if it receives support from each and every policy level – from European to local and moreover the commitment of people from all layers of the population. At the end of the conference a Declaration of the Council of the European Union on the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion was presented.

Maria Petkova, Director of Tulip Foundation, was invited to attend the conference in appreciation of the work of the foundation.