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

EAPN News

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.

Press release: Cause for serious concern for the poorest in Europe: EAPN responds to the conclusions of the EPSCO Council

EAPN Press releases

While welcoming the renewed commitment by EU Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs to make a decisive impact on social exclusion and poverty, EAPN is seriously concerned about the introduction of the confusing concept of “minimum resources” instead of the well understood concept of “minimum income” in the conclusions of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council which took place on 22 February 2007.

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

EAPN News

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.

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

EAPN News

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.