EAPN EUISG Meeting in Rome | Peer Review on CSRs 2014, and Seminar on Early School Leaving

05-07/02 – EAPN EU Inclusion Strategies Group meets in Rome this week, involving experts from EAPN’s 31 national networks and European Organisations. The main focus of the meeting will be an assessment of the European Semester and Europe 2020, from the perspective of EAPN members trying to engage at national and EU level. The Working Group will be preceded by an important Seminar organized by CILAP/EAPN Italy Let’s not leave them behind – Early school leaving, poverty and social exclusion.

EAPN meets President Juncker’s Cabinet

21/01/2015 – Sérgio Aires, president of EAPN, together with other Bureau members met with Commission President Juncker’s cabinet as well as the Stefaan Hermans, Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Thyssen, who is also responsible for social policy.  These meetings served to introduce EAPN’s work to the new Commission as well to establish good working contacts. EAPN was well received by both cabinets who themselves had been working in the social field in previous years. In particular,  Luc Tholoniat of Juncker’s cabinet had been closely involved in developing the Open Method of Co-ordination in early 2000.

Launch of the European Year for Development EYD2015 Civil Society Alliance

15/01/2015 – More than 70 participants, including EAPN, took part in the Civil Society Alliance launch event of the 2015 European Year from Development #EYD2015 in Brussels. The event also launched the Action/2015 campaign calling on local and world leaders to take urgent action to fight, with concrete measures, for a just and sustainable world. The European Group of Action/2015 participated in the EYD2015 Alliance launch too and with CONCORD organized a photo op in front of the European Parliament.

Economic Crisis and Austerity in Southern Europe: Threat or Opportunity for building a sustainable welfare state?

On Tuesday the 13 January 2015, EAPN participated in the first of OSE’s after-work seminars, organized with AK EUROPA and the ÖGB Europabüro, which presented damning new evidence of the negative impact of austerity on welfare states, particularly on social protection and health service, increasing poverty and inequality. The response from Dino Pinelli, Senior Economist from DG ECFIN, recognized the negative impact but underlined Member State responsibility for choice of measures and the need to continue with the treatment. EAPN’s questions focused on 4 issues:

ETUI Monthly Forum on ECI Right2Water

 07/01/2015 –  The European Trade Union Institute is organising a debate on the European Citizens’ Initiave ‘Right2Water’ on 22 January 2015 in Brussels.  We will have an eminent social scholar who has analysed what we have done and putting it in a broader perspective, as well as the rapporteur from the European Parliament Lynn Boylan who is preparing the position of the EP on the ECI.

Semester Alliance issues report of its capacity-building workshop for learning, exchange and engagement

12/12/2014 – On 6th June 2014, the European Alliance for a Democratic, Social and Sustainable European semester held a Capacity Building workshop for 35 Alliance members in Brussels. The workshop was primarily aimed at national members of the Alliance, including the 3 pilot alliances in Bulgaria, Denmark and Ireland, but also at representatives from Brussels-based Alliance members. Read the full report!