This report presents the findings of the evaluation of the Community Action Programme to encourage member states to combat social exclusion.

The Programme was established as an element of the Open Method of Coordination for the Social Inclusion Process initiated by the European Council in Lisbon in 2000 and encompassing the Nice Common Objectives, the Laeken Common Indicators, the National Action Plans for Social Inclusion and the Joint Inclusion Report 1. (Further details may be found in Appendix 2 to this report.)

The overall aim of the evaluation was to assess the Programme’s achievement in terms of its objectives, with overarching evaluation questions including to what extent does the programme and its actions contribute to:

• Improving the understanding of social exclusion and poverty with the help in particular of comparable indicators
• The development of a mutual process of co-operation and learning among stakeholders
• Developing the capacity of actors to address social exclusion and poverty effectively
• The mobilisation of stakeholders, particularly in view of enlargement Against the criteria of relevance, utility, effectiveness, efficiency and EU value added.