Europe-plus

EAPN co-signs Europe+ letter to MEPs

EAPN News

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. 

EAPN participates in EESC panel – From Active Inclusion to Social Investment

EAPN News

16/06/2014 – EAPN was invited to a conference on Active Inclusion to Social Investment in Brussels, co- organized by the European Economic and Social Committee and Eurofound, aiming at focusing on the measures taken at European level to step up active inclusion and social investment. Barbara Helfferich, Director of EAPN, participated in the panel on the social policy agenda: from active inclusion to social investment, which followed the keynote speech by Social Affairs Commissioner Laslo Andor.

People’s Tribunal on EU’s crisis policies shows violations of social rights and a roll-back of democracy across Europe

EAPN News

14-15/05/2014 – As elections in the EU were approaching, a People’s Tribunal Hearing on the EU’s response to the crisis took place in Brussels, organised by Corporate Europe Observatory. On 15 and 16 May, representatives from organisations across Europe gave testimony to an era of financial, economic and social crisis which began in 2008. Their verdict? The EU’s policies have taken Europe on a course towards social and political regression. Fintan Farrell, from EAPN Secretariat, contributed to the Tribunal on behalf of EAPN with a presentation on the impact of austerity on poverty and social exclusion in the EU. 

38 leading organisations urge European Council to protect migrant children’s rights

EAPN News

22/05/2014 – As the European Union is developing its strategic guidelines on the future of Justice and Home Affairs policies, 38 leading organisations in the fields of human rights, health, education and social inclusion, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF, OHCHR and the European Network for Ombudspersons, are calling on the European Council to use the opportunity to advance on its achievements and commitments to every child, including migrant children in vulnerable situations, by making children’s rights a strategic and actionable priority for Home Affairs policy in the coming years.

EPSU calls for change of tack in economic policy –refocussing on reducing inequality – investing in public spending and quality jobs

EAPN News

21 May 2014, Toulouse – EAPN spoke in the economic policy panel in the EPSU 9th Assembly, held in Toulouse. The panel was chaired by Philippe Pochet, ETUI, who channelled the panel debate around the 5 key challenges presented by Ronald Janssen/ETUC  : the lack of  demand fuelled by austerity,  the need for a rethink on ECB investment policy, increasing precarious work, and falling wage share compared to profits; the need for fair taxation to finance public services and benefits and reduce inequality.

EAPN participates in ETUI conference “Benchmarking working Europe 2014. Evaluating 5 years crisis management”

EAPN News

25/04/2014 – EAPN took part in ETUI (European Trade Union Institute) conference: “Benchmarking working Europe 2014. Evaluating 5 years crisis management.” The conference aimed at presenting the report “Benchmarking working Europe 2014”, reviewing the crisis and EU austerity policies in the last five years from the point of view of European’s social agenda.