1997

Establishment of the EAPN Structural Funds Task Force:

This working group meeting 3 times a year followed an area crucial for the fight against poverty will run between 1997 and 2012. It was responsible for several publications, namely important tool-kits for helping the members to engage in the discussions around the Structural Funds at the national and local level.

Establishment of the EAPN Right to Work Task Force:

Following the focus of the EU on the European Employment Strategy, this working group meeting 3 times a year followed the area of Employment and will run between 1997 and 2010. Later it was called Employment Task Force.

Establishment of the Social Inclusion Task Force:

This working group, meeting 3 times a year followed the area of Employment, ran between 1997 and 2010. Later it was called European Union Inclusion Strategies Group (EU ISG).

EAPN’s first website:

EAPN has had its own Internet site since May 1997. A new web site was created in September 1999 and is regularly updated . See eapn.eu

First “EAPN Flash” publication (December):

Since December 1997, the secretariat has published brief up to date news in ‘EAPN Flash’. It is available on our website. for distribution

8^th GA – Potsdam (Germany):

For the first time a GA takes place in a country where it was always quite difficult to accept the existence of poverty and social exclusion. The GA and its organisation showed clearly why EAPN should exist and have a strong intervention in this country, namely by counting with the presence of a strong group of people experiencing poverty.

Luxembourg Summit on Employment:

European Employment Strategy was born. The EU Member States undertook to establish a set of common objectives and targets for employment policy. Its aim is the creation of more and better jobs throughout the EU. It now constitutes part of the Europe 2020 growth strategyand it is implemented through the European Semester, the annual process promoting close policy coordination among EU Member States and EU Institutions. Notably with the “kingdom” of the Employment Strategy, a EU integrated anti-poverty strategy was refused with the argument that tackling unemployment was the best weapon to fight poverty and social exclusion.

Amsterdam Treaty:

EAPN lobbied quite strongly for the introduction of the Articles 13º, 136º, 137º, base for Social Inclusion, which were in the basis of the Social Inclusion Lisbon Strategy in 2000.

International Year against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-Semitism:

As a consequence of the Amsterdam Treaty, particularly the success on the integration of article 13º (anti-discrimination), forged by the EC, the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) was born. EAPN and some of its members played a strong role in its foundation and development at the national level.