News from EAPN Greece
- The EU crisis from a Greek perspective… A foot in the grave
- EAPN Greece also wishes to share the following article: Save the Greeks from their Saviours!
EAPN response to the new Structural Funds draft regulations
In this report, EAPN puts forward its position on the draft regulations issued for the Structural Funds proposed for 2007 to 2013. Key issues affecting social inclusion are identified and highlighted.
President of EAPN meets President Van Rompuy at Annual Convention on Poverty and social exclusion
27/11/2013 – Sérgio Aires thanked President van Rompuy for making time available for the meeting, which involved 4 other members of EAPN. He introduced EAPN as a European-wide coalition of NGOs, founded in 1989 with the support of the Commission, and with the major objective to contribute to the fight against poverty. The EC and the EU recognized that good governance included the participation of civil society; it was recognized that without that fundamental participation it would be very difficult to implement the European Project. He added that with the creation of EAPN in 1989, there was recognition that EAPN was a major network.
EAPN Ireland: Anti Poverty and Equality Groups welcome Oireachtas Committee all-party report on Single Working Age Payment
14/03 – “Minister Joan Burton should not proceed with moves to a single welfare payment until supports, activation payments and quality jobs are in place”. Thirteen organisations working against poverty…
EAPN Spain
- 15 March, New Proposals for New Times
- Spanish Red Cross publishes Annual Report on Social Vulnerability 2010
EAPN response to the Commission Communication to the Spring European Council
The Commission’s Communication to the European Spring Council has caused shock and dismay amongst social NGOs including EAPN.
EAPN President Sérgio Aires meeting with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso
27/11/2013 – On the occasion of the European Convention against Poverty, EAPN President Sérgio Aires met with President Barroso. Sérgio underlined the need for an integrated European Anti-Poverty Strategy stating that if finances and economy are EU businesses, poverty was also one – particularly when current economic choices contributed to it. He also proposed to launch a process, both at European and national level assuring an enlarged participation of stakeholders, particularly those facing themselves poverty and social exclusion, to develop such a EU integrated strategy to fight poverty. This, he said, would be the positive sign of political commitment we would like to see. President Barroso, whose speech at the Convention acknowledged the fact that the poverty target was way out of reach, responded outlining the structural and political difficulties to require member states to deliver on social targets.
CILAP (EAPN Italy): Conferences on minimum income
10 – 12 February, Rome – Promoted by CILAP EAPN Italia and other main actors, a two-day meeting on “Income, Common Good and Democracy” (www.cilap.eu) with a focus on adequate minimum income in a country where such scheme does not exist, was held in Teatro Valle Occupato.
EAPN response to the draft Joint Employment Report 2004-2005: Questions regarding the future of the European Employment Strategy
According to EAPN, the Draft Joint Employment Report 2004-2005 fails in some points to assess the effect of employment national policies on the interest of people experiencing poverty.
WORKING AND POOR: EAPN launches position paper on in-work poverty at the Annual Convention of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion
In-work poverty means that some people are still experiencing poverty, despite holding a job. From 2010 to 2013, EAPN has closely monitored and mapped the situation in Member States, as well as the effect of different policy options towards solving the situation, or making it worse. The position paper aims to set out EAPN’s developing analysis of the issue of in-work poverty, and to contribute to the debate, highlighting the different situations across Europe, including the role of low pay, the structure and increased segmentation of the labour market, the role of benefit and taxation policies, and individual characteristics. Building on the extensive work done by EAPN members, key concerns are outlined, and the impact of various policies in different countries discussed, including the negative impact of the economic crisis and austerity measures. The paper brings the stories of the people themselves into the spotlight, and makes a plea for participation and democracy, as the foundation for formulating concrete proposals and ways forward on how to effectively combat in-work poverty. The role of the EU in fighting this growing phenomenon is clearly underlined.