The European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, AE2010, coincides in the first half of the year with the Spanish Presidency of the European Union Council. For this reason, the EY2010 Opening Conference will be held in Spain, at the Ministry of Health and Social Policy, on 21 January, 2010, within the calendar of events of the Spanish Presidency.

This Opening Conference also aims to launch the European Year 2010, acting as a forum where institutions and stakeholders, as well as persons experiencing poverty and social exclusion, may discuss the progress made in the light of the European Strategy for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion and, particularly, provide ideas to face the future beyond 2010.

The economic crisis we are experiencing and its particular effects on persons experiencing exclusion, let alone the long-term challenges that Member States must face in order to eradicate poverty and social exclusion in Europe, form the background on which these new contributions shall be developed.