09/09/2014 – Last Friday, the Semester Alliance proposed amendments to EP’s Reports on the European Semester to press for more democratic, and social and sustainable Semester, including support for national engagement and alliances.
05/09/2014 – The EU Semester Alliance has prepared questions to probe the Commissioner-Designates’ commitment to progress on the social, sustainable and equality targets and commitments of Europe 2020 and the European Semester, through strengthening democratic legitimacy and social and civil dialogue engagement, particularly in the context of the Mid-Term Review of the Europe 2020 strategy to be carried out in 2015.
It was with deep sadness and shock that Friday 15 August we received the news about the loss of two very important women for all of us in EAPN family: Alida Smeekes (EAPN Netherlands) and Ruth Brand (EAPN Germany). They were both strong and devoted founding members of our network and contributed deeply for the fight against poverty and social exclusion. We would like to express our deep condolences to their families and friends and remember all of us that the best way to honor them is to preserve their lasting legacy in our hearts, thoughts and actions.
Sérgio Aires: President of EAPN
If you should wish to contribute a message or a memory you have of Ruth or Alida please send an email to fintan.farrell@eapn.eu by 5 September. We will put these messages together and send to the families and Networks concerned and put them on our website as a tribute to the lives of these two women who have contributed from their strengths and convictions to the story of EAPN and the fight against poverty.
Photographs
1 – Alides Smeekes at the 9th EU Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty
2 – Ruth Brand at the Social Forum
21/08/2014 – The European Anti-Poverty Network has prepared a set of questions to the European Commissioners-designate who will seek to be confirmed by the European Parliament after they have been scrutinized by the relative committees of the European Parliament on 5 September 2014. The questions probe the Commissioner-designates’ commitment to a more social Europe placing people…
How will the Europe 2020 Strategy Mid-Term Review reduce poverty and inequality?
EAPN organised a round table on Friday 3 October 2014 to present its own assessment and proposals and to create a space for debate between EU Institutions and other stakeholders on how real progress on the poverty target can be made. It offered an opportunity to assess why the Strategy and the Semester has failed to deliver on poverty, participation and growing inequality and to discuss concrete recommendations for change to feed into the Mid-Term Review process.
In July 2014, the EU Alliance for a Democratic, Social and Sustainable European Semester (Semester Alliance) publishes its Toolkit for Engaging in Europe 2020 and the European Semester. Aimed at the national members of the European organisations which constitute the Semester Alliance, it is designed to support them in engaging with Europe 2020 and the European Semester, including the upcoming Mid-Term Review.
14/07/2014 – This 17th July 2014, Vice president of EAPN, Letizia Cesarini Sforza will be representing EAPN at the Informal Meeting of EU Environment and Employment Ministers in Milano. EU ministers from labour and environment will discuss in 4 different workshops employment and green growth focusing on job creation and skill’s development as well as on other concrete measures such as shifting the tax burden away from labour onot energy.
25/06/2014 – The European Commission has launched a consultation on the quality of drinking water supply in response to the ECI right2water, the only successful ECI so far. We invite civil society organisations and European citizens to participate in this consultation and to address the human rights aspect of water, the responsibility of governments to provide the service, the fact that it is a “natural monopoly” (there is no market!) and to address that outsourcing or delegation of services do NOT lead to better quality.
01/07/2014 – Europe+, an alliance of 40+ European civil society organisations working together for positive democratic change in the EU through the active and better involvement of citizens, wrote a letter to the new MEPs to engage with them in a constructive dialogue to ensure civil society participates fully in this new legislative term. Europe+ builds on the recommendations of the 2013 European Year of Citizens Alliance that developed a policy agenda to ensure a vibrant European democracy where decisions are made in line with citizens’ needs, aspirations and visions for society.
26/06/2014 – The European Council are meeting today in Ypres and tomorrow in Brussels to discuss the core priorities for the European Union for the next five years, based on a paper prepared by Council President van Rompuy. EAPN has written to the President, Prime Ministers and Heads of State to underline the need for…
