Category Archives: EAPN News

Fighting poverty ranks low in European Commission’s priorities

EAPN Europe writes to European Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker to stress its concern on Mid-Term Review delay

21/04/2015 – European Commission’s Mid-Term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy publicised and agreed by all parties has been delayed till the end of this year. EAPN Europe considers this shows the lack of serious commitment and low priority the EC gives to the process and fight against poverty. Europe 2020 aims at reducing poverty in at least 20 million by 2020 and was set as a key priority for the new Commission in order to set a smart, sustainable and inclusive recovery from the financial crisis. The number of people experiencing direct poverty has increased in six million after the strategy Europe 2020 was put in place.

EAPN participates in 1st ECFIN dialogue with NGOs on an EMU for Citizens

26/03/2015- Representatives from five EAPN national networks (Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal) together with EAPN policy coordinator, Sian Jones, participated yesterday in Brussels in the first Civil Society dialogue seminar organised by DG ECFIN. This initiative forms part of ECFIN’s new Communication strategy to ‘connect’ to stakeholders and citizens on EU’s economic agenda.

EAPN Europe meets European Commission Vice President Dombrovskis

18/03/2015 – EAPN President, Sérgio Aires and Barbara Helfferich, Director of EAPN met with European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis for an exchange of views on the better integration of social objectives in the European Semester. EAPN underlined that the European Semester must ensure that economic and social objectives were equally important and that the country specific recommendations should be used to help reduce poverty. 

EAPN Letter to EPSCO Council March 9th-A clear stand on integrating a social dimension into European policy making is needed

09/03/2015- EAPN has addressed a letter to EPSCO Ministers with regards to their meeting taking place today March 9th on Employment and Social policy issues asking them to make a clear stand on the full integration of a social dimension into European policy making. EAPN not only calls for the integration of a social dimension but puts forward concrete proposals on how to do so. We believe social invesment together with social protection and ensurance of ownership are key to reduce poverty. Investment in growth and jobs alone will not.

EAPN Europe signs TTIP resolution addressed to the European Parliament

4/03/2015-EAPN Europe has signed an open letter to Members of the European Parliament in regards of the TTIP resolution. The letter puts an emphasis on the importance of putting public services, social rights and democracy in Europe before the interest of big corporate businesses on this trade agreement to be signed between Europe and US.

Global Coalition for Social Protectors Floor

04/03/2015- EAPN Europe is part of a Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors partnering at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council and taking part on a side event named ‘Social Protection Floors and Human Rights’ this month in Geneva. Social protection floors can help better realisation of social, economic and cultural rights. The side event at the UN Human Rights Council aims at raising awareness on social security as a human right.

EuroHealthNet | “European decision makers take forward DRIVERS recommendations to improve health equity”

03/02/2015 – EuroHealthNet held a conference co-hosted by Julie Ward MEP (S&D, UK) and Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, ES) as part of DRIVERS for Health Equity to present its policy recommendations for improving health equity and to build support for taking them forward. As noted by Julie Ward MEP, “concern about global health challenges should not obscure the fact that serious differences in health exist between social groups in Europe”. EAPN participates as a partner of the Drivers’ Project.

DRIVERS’ Project last newsletter: series of reports available

29/01/2015 – the last issue of the DRIVERS Project Newsletter is dedicated to the many case studies that were carried out across Europe as part of the project. The purpose in conducting these studies was to identify existing services, policies or practices that have the potential to reduce inequalities in health and improve  social determinants, highlight aspects of adverse conditions in modern Europe and illustrate advocacy for health equity.

EAPN speaks at Parliamentary Interest Group on Carers

04/02/2015 – Sian Jones, from EAPN spoke today at the EP Carer’s interest group meeting: Carers and EU action in the field of social exclusion. The group was hosted by a cross-party group of MEPs including Marian Harkin, Jean Lambert, Sirpa Pietikainen and Heinz Becker and coordinated by Eurocarers, the European Association for carers.