“This AGS just confirms the feeling we’re living on different planets. With poverty now affecting 1 person in 4, and considerable evidence that austerity policies backed by previous AGS have contributed to this growth – how can it be possible that Europe 2020 is hardly mentioned and the poverty target still invisible? This AGS offers no new hope of a coherent economic and social strategy that can deliver inclusive as well as other types of growth and no new proposals for a new integrated poverty strategy that can really have a chance of progressing towards the target – this is a great let down!” said Sérgio Aires, President of the EAPN.
‘’Although we’re obviously pleased that the Commission is now stressing the crucial role of national stakeholders in the process, particularly civil society organizations, we hoped that the Commission and MS would see this as a much-needed step toward legitimizing the Semester process, promoting a meaningful engagement of stakeholders to develop coherent, integrated socio-economic solutions, rather than using civil society to soften the blow of top-down imposed austerity driven through through the 6 and 2 pack’’, he added .
EAPN is now working on a full analysis of the AGS package including the Joint Employment report.
/END/
Note to the editor:
- See EAPN Letter to President Barroso on the AGS and Press Release – September 2013
- See EAPN 2013 NRP Assessment – Widening the GAP
For further information, contact Barbara Helfferich (Director), barbara.helfferich@eapn.eu> (Tel. +32 2 226 58 50 – fax. +32 2 226 58 69) – or Nellie Epinat (Communications officer) Nellie.epinat@eapn.eu (+32 498 44 13 66)
