—the provision of statistics on inequalities of income, with indicators such as the Gini index and the evolution of the top deciles of income distribution providing a comparable national headline indicator, as well as data on inequalities of access to basic goods and services.

the provision of statistics on inequalities of income, providing a comparable national headline indicator, as well as data on inequalities of access to basic goods and services.

—the provision of statistics on inequalities of income, providing a comparable national headline indicator, as well as data on inequalities of access to basic goods and services.

an explicit link between the objectives and the sectoral concentration of bilateral aid in order to strengthen social cohesion, especially through the co-financing of active policies and programmes to reduce inequality in terms of income and opportunities, as well as other more advanced programmes supporting competitiveness and promoting sustainable development, including the promotion of technological and scientific cooperation and innovation, as well as technical assistance, preferential access to regional and sub-regional thematic programmes, and to the Partnership Instrument that includes a guaranteed minimum amount; moves towards r ...[+++]eimbursable aid and scholarship programmes;

5. Draws attention to the persistence of high levels of unemployment, poverty, social exclusion and income inequality in the EU; insists that the fight against income inequalities and the promotion of real convergence should be at the top of the EU’s economic and social agenda; calls on the Commission to reorient its policy in this direction;

Income inequality is among the highest in the world, the poorest 20% of the population receive 3.3% of income while the richest 10% receive 47.3%, i.e. the majority of the white population live in conditions comparable to western European standards, while a majority of the black population live in conditions comparable with least developed countries.