Such networked co-operation and encouragement of interlinkages is given significant emphasis in the NAPs of Austria (development partnerships), Denmark (Social Council), Finland (local partnerships), Germany (e.g. Development and Opportunity for Young People in Socially Disadvantaged Areas), Ireland (area based partnership supported by a Local Development Social Inclusion Programme), Sweden (e.g. Joint Committees of local authorities and county councils for health and social services and local developme ...[+++]nt agreements with metropolitan authorities) and the UK (local strategic partnerships).

20. Commends the religious harmony and the climate of religious tolerance and overall good inter-ethnic relations in the country; calls on the competent authorities to continue improving the climate of inclusion and tolerance for all minorities in the country; urges the government to adopt, following a broad consultation process, a comprehensive law on minorities to remedy existing legal gaps in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe Framework Convention on National Minorities, and to efficiently implement the Law on Protection from Discrimination and build solid anti-discrimination case-law; commends the contribution of the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination to fighting discriminati ...[+++]on, including on grounds of gender, especially in employment, education and access to social services; encourages further steps to improve the living conditions of Roma by improving their access to registration, housing, education, the labour market and social and healthcare services; stresses that the living conditions of Roma also need to be improved via better coordination between central and local government and interministerial cooperation;

19. Commends the religious harmony and the climate of religious tolerance and overall good inter-ethnic relations in the country; calls on the competent authorities to continue improving the climate of inclusion and tolerance for all minorities in the country; urges the government to adopt, following a broad consultation process, a comprehensive law on minorities to remedy existing legal gaps in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe Framework Convention on National Minorities, and to efficiently implement the Law on Protection from Discrimination and build solid anti-discrimination case-law; commends the contribution of the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination to fighting discriminati ...[+++]on, including on grounds of gender, especially in employment, education and access to social services; encourages further steps to improve the living conditions of Roma by improving their access to registration, housing, education, the labour market and social and healthcare services; stresses that the living conditions of Roma also need to be improved via better coordination between central and local government and interministerial cooperation;

37. Emphasises that there are many actors who can take steps to prevent children from leaving school prematurely; points out that these include not only parents and all those involved in education, but also public authorities, at both national and local level, and calls for closer cooperation between all these actors, together with local health and social services; notes that a ‘joined-up’ approach can be effective in helping the individuals concerned to overcome multiple barriers to educati ...[+++]onal achievement and employment; in this connection, stresses the importance of student grants which enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to enjoy the same opportunities as others;

37. Emphasises that there are many actors who can take steps to prevent children from leaving school prematurely; points out that these include not only parents and all those involved in education, but also public authorities, at both national and local level, and calls for closer cooperation between all these actors, together with local health and social services; notes that a ‘joined-up’ approach can be effective in helping the individuals concerned to overcome multiple barriers to educati ...[+++]onal achievement and employment; in this connection, stresses the importance of student grants which enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to enjoy the same opportunities as others;

18. Stresses that, regional and local authorities play a fundamental role in defining, financing, providing and attributing SSGI within the framework of Member States' social service and social protection systems: it is estimated that the local and regional government sector is worth 15.9 % of EU-27 GDP, with local government alone accounting for 12.9 %, and its social protection expenditure accounting for 3 % of GDP (EUR 378.1 billion) ;