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Hiring of the first EAPN Director:
Marie-Françoise Wilkinson (France) and she will stay as Director for twelve years (1990-2002).
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Election of the first EAPN President:
Quintin Oliver (UK – Northern Ireland) and he will stay for two years (one mandate) as President (1990-1992).
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December – First General Assembly (Constituent)- Brussels:
When the EU had 12 member states EAPN was formally created, with eleven national networks (the German national network joined later in November 1992). Ten European organisations were members or observers at the constituting General Assembly; as of January 2001 this number has grown to 25. In 2018 we have a total of 13 EO’s in membership of EAPN. Its statutes contained the following objectives:
- to put the fight against poverty and social exclusion on the political agenda of the European Union
- to lobby for and with people and groups facing poverty and social exclusion
- to promote and enhance the effectiveness of actions against poverty and social exclusion through transnational partnerships and exchanges of experience.
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EU Commission recommendation to support national networks and national anti-poverty programmes:
Following the anti-poverty programs recommendations, the EU Commission wrote a formal recommendation to the overall member states asking them to support the national anti-poverty networks and national anti-poverty programmes. As a consequence some national networks of EAPN start receiving direct funding from the governments (Portugal and Ireland were the best examples). As a consequence, sooner or later, some countries (7 in 12 member states) adopted national anti-poverty programmes where EAPN national networks would play an important role.