In its response to the Commission’s public consultation on Europe’s ‘social reality’ released today, the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) calls on the European Commission to build upon the outcomes of the Social Reality Stocktaking exercice to develop an ambitious Social policy agenda. EAPN is convinced that the fight against poverty remains a political choice which should be driven by a sense of emergency, as 78 million people are facing poverty in the EU.
In its response to the Commission’s public consultation on Europe’s ‘social reality’ released today, the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) calls on the European Commission to build upon the outcomes of the Social Reality Stocktaking exercice to develop an ambitious Social policy agenda. EAPN is convinced that the fight against poverty remains a political choice which should be driven by a sense of emergency, as 78 million people are facing poverty in the EU.
“EAPN’s social stocktake shows growing pressure on the so called economically “inactive”, which goes together with a dismantling of fundamental social rights”, declared Fintan Farrell, the EAPN Director. “Preventive and unviversal approaches which aim to protect all in society are beign replaced by the individualisation of risks and labour market integration is increasingly seen as the only social policy”.
To respond to this reality he added that: “the next EU social policy agenda must be the opportunity to give the social pillar its rightful place in the overall EU agenda. The EU needs to be more ambitious if it wants to contribute to the eradication of poverty!”
EAPN thus calls on the EU to ensure a real integration of the social dimension into all EU policies and to ensure that the “horizontal social clause” within the new EU Reform Treaty becomes the basis for the establishment of an EU “Social Progress Pact”.
The new EU social policy agenda should be committed to a social and sustainable development model consistent with a social right approach and with a clear central objective to deliver social cohesion.
“The new EU social policy agenda should also ensure the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on Social Protection and Social Inclusion has a real impact on EU, national, regional and local policy making. Its mutual learning potential should also be strengthened”, added Mr. Farrell.
Last but not least, EAPN calls on the EU to develop a new EU poverty programme as a complement to the OMC, along with strong tools at EU level capable of delivering high social standards in all the EU Member States.
/ENDS
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For further information, please contact Audrey Gueudet (Information Officer) or Fintan Farrell (Director), tel.
