At the heart of the debate is EAPN’s new working paper Re-engaging Hope and Expectations – getting out of the crisis together, which highlights 12 key elements for viable alternative approaches for an inclusive recovery, including the need for Treaty changes.
EAPN believes that the narrow market-led EU approach to the crisis, focussed on reducing public deficits mainly through social cuts, without investment or stimulus, is undermining people’s confidence in the EU and that current proposals on economic governance will exasperate this approach.
“Proposals from EU leaders for Treaty changes to achieve stronger EU Economic governance without proposing Treaty changes to strengthen the EU’s role to defend and promote the European Social Model will be a disaster for Europe” says Ludo Horemans, President of EAPN, speaking at the Conference.
“Civil society organisations and movements should mobilise to get across a message to European leaders that proposed Treaty changes which do not make Europe more social will not receive majority support” adds Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN. “We must now work together with all people concerned about a social Europe to propose relevant Treaty changes and ensure that future EU cooperation contributes to a social and sustainable model of development”.
The key conclusions from the Conference will be widely distributed next Monday and will be available at www.eapn.eu.EAPN will also present the first conclusions from the Conference at the Council of Ministers meeting in Warsaw on Monday where they will discuss the crisis.
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See:
- Final programme of the conference
- Useful documents: EAPN reports on the social impact of the crisis:
- Is the European project moving backward? February 2011
- The social impact of the crisis and of the recovery package, December 2009
- Working Paper: Re-engaging Hope and Expectations – Getting out of the Crisis Together
Interviews are possible at the conference.
Please contact Nellie Epinat, communications officer +32 (0) 498.44.13.66.
For further information on this press release, please contact Nellie Epinat (Communication and Press Officer), or Fintan Farrell (Director), tel. +32 2 675 20 55 – fax. +32 2 226 58 69 – E-mail: team@eapn.eu.