EAPN loses a friend and a great poverty fighter

EAPN was saddened to hear recently of the untimely death of our friend and colleague Patricia Stepman on 12 March 2014For more than 20 years Patricia has fought with heart and soul against poverty and exclusion, convinced that every human being has a right to a dignified existence. She was a supporter and co-founder of the Fourth World group People for People (Mensen voor Mensen), an association where the ‘poor’ take the floor in Aalst, Belgium. Patricia was a very recognizable contributor to the European Meetings of people experiencing poverty and was an active participant in a number of General Assemblies and other EAPN meetings.

postcard-side-1

04/03 Mark the date! Press breakfast briefing with MEPs and candidates to the European Elections!

This Tuesday 04/03, EAPN and its members are launching their campaign Electing Champions for a social Europe in a press breakfast briefing with several confirmed MEPs and candidates, as well as representatives and other civil-society organisations. EAPN will present its 2014 Elections manifesto, campaign objectives and activities as well as the pledge MEPs will be asked to make in fighting poverty, social exclusion and inequalities. This launch will also be a key opportunity for civil-society organisations to exchange with MEPs on their views and commitments.EAPN’s campaign manifesto on the 2014 European Elections calls on candidates to show their commitment and sign up to the following pledge:

EYCA 2013 Alliance: Policy Recommendations call for solidarity, equality and participation

20/02/2014 – EAPN participated to the EYCA 2013 alliance plenary meeting organized at the EESC in Brussels. EAPN has taken an active role in the EYCA (European Year for Citizens Alliance) from its inception in June 2012. The main aim of the EYC is to give European citizenship its full meaning and scope to ensure a meaningful citizens’ participation in the democratic like of the European Union. The alliance is an informal coordination of 62 EU NGO platforms and civil society actors as well as 22 national coalitions.  It policy recommendations were finalized and publically presented during the Closing Conference of the Alliance in Vilnius last December 2013. EAPN heavily contributed to them to ensure that people experiencing poverty and social exclusion can really play their role as citizens by being fully integrated in society.

URBACT III (2014-2020): EAPN participates in EU-level consultation meeting

19/02/2014 – EAPN participated to the EU-level consultation meeting on URBACT III (2014-2020) organized in Brussels and aimed at finalizing the Operational Programme. The URBACT programme is the EU programme co-funded by ERDF and Member States to help cities to build their capacities on sustainable urban development and develop and implement strategies and local action plans around this issue.

2013-pep-background-papers-cover

Background Reports for the 2013 Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty are out!

19/02/2014 – On the occasion of the 2013 European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty, National delegations were asked to make preparatory reports to feed the exchanges of the Meeting. While done with little or no financial support, they represent a goldmine of information and testimonies from those carrying the greatest burden of the austerity measures, with also examples of good practices showing that choices can be made to make a positive difference.These reports were made on the basis of 1) Reference Budgets, 2) The impact of the crisis, 3) Relevant Practices.

EMIN-photo-and-logo

EMIN Report of Minimum Income Seminar held in Paris 9 December 2013 is out!

Four key issues emerged from the discussions at the seminar as crucial in developing effective minimum income schemes.  These are: defining adequacy and regular uprating of payments, ensuring coverage, addressing non-take-up and integrating minimum income into an active inclusion approach.  Building consensus to make progress on these four areas is crucial to the work of the EMIN project.

Mark the date! Hearing in the European Parliament next 17/02!

 

17/02/2014 – Today, our European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Water is a human right!” will be the subject of a public hearing in the European Parliament. The same day we will meet with the European Commission. In line with the regulation on ECIs we will be given the opportunity to explain our demands in both sessions. The meeting with the Commission is a closed session but the hearing in the European Parliament (EP) is open to anyone who registers in advance.

EAPN attends ESF launch conference

08/02/2013 – EAPN attended the ESF launch conference organised in Brussels by DG Employment on 6-7 February. This Conference was organized to present the main novelties of the ESF Regulation and help Managing authorities and other stakeholders to finalize/contribute to the design of the Operational Programmes. EAPN attended 2 workshops on the partnership principle and on active inclusion.

logo-Electing-Champions

2014 European Elections: EAPN calls on candidates to show their commitment

17/02 – Today, EAPN opens its blog dedicated to its campaign on the 2014 European Elections, http://electingchampionsin2014.net/. EAPN’s campaign Electing Champions for a social Europe will be launched on 04 March in the European Social Platform’s premises with a breakfast press briefing, gathering MEPs, journalists and EAPN members (national networks and European Organisations). EAPN will present its 2014 Elections manifesto, campaign objectives and activities as well as the pledge MEPs will be asked to make in fighting poverty, social exclusion and inequalities. This launch will also be a key opportunity for civil-society organisations to exchange with MEPs on their views and commitments.