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.

EAPN Position paper on Social Services of General Interest

Without covering the full range of technical issues linked to the legal status and financing of Social Services of General Interest, and before commenting on the current legal development at EU level, EAPN wants to define more precisely the expectations of organisations representing the interests of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion in terms of access and quality.