Title first published in 2003. This informative volume addresses the impact of the EU on national policies to combat poverty in European member states. The editors bring together leading academics to discuss the issue of and fight against poverty in Germany in particular, within the context of ongoing trends and debates across other European states.

Contents: Combating poverty in Europe and Germany, Gerhard Bäcker, Walter Hanesch and Peter Krause. The European Welfare Regimes and the European Union: Welfare capitalism: the ten year impact of governments on poverty, inequality and financial risk in West Germany, the Netherlands and the USA, Bruce Headey and Ruud Muffels; How successful are European countries in reducing poverty? A micro-simulation with the ECHP, Birgit Otto and Jan Goebel; National action plans to combat poverty in Europe, Armindo Silva; Indicators for social inclusion in the European Union, Brian Nolan. Income, Inequality, Poverty and Redistribution: Income, poverty and dynamics in Germany, Peter Krause; Does low income mean poverty? Some necessary extensions of poverty indicators based on economic resources, Hans-Jürgen Andreß; Distribution patterns and social policy options in Germany, Richard Hauser; Social assistance between social protection and activation in Germany, Walter Hanesch; Income distribution and poverty in the OECD area: trends and driving forces, Michael F. Förster and Mark Pearson. Labour Market Related Poverty A Challenge for Social Protection and Integration Strategies: Labour market related poverty in Germany, Walter Hanesch; Immigrants between labour market and poverty, Michael Maschke; Social protection and activation for the unemployed, Claudia Weinkopf; Activation in the Western Europe of the 1990s: did it make a difference? Bjørn Hvinden. Families and Children in Poverty and Concepts of Family Policy: Child and family poverty in Germany, Gerhard Bäcker; Why are day care vouchers an effective and efficient instrument to combat child poverty in Germany?, C. Katharina Spiess and Gert G. Wagner; Social policy strategies to combat income poverty of children and families in Europe, Bea Cantillon and Karel Van den Bosch; Index.

'Leading authors take stock of poverty and deprivation in European countries, combining first-hand empirical analyses with a thorough evaluation of anti-poverty policies, including special strategies like activation or care vouchers to combat child poverty. All key areas of poverty are analysed in depth - income, labour market, immigration, family and children. A state-of-the-art account about a problem that keeps haunting European societies.' Lutz Leisering, Bielefeld University, Germany