EAPN reaction on the Green Paper on economic migration
EAPN welcomes the initiative of the Commission to restart concrete attempts to develop an economic migration policy.
2013 European Meeting of People experiencing poverty REPORTS are out!
Brussels, 22 November 2013 – From 18 till 20 June, on the Esplanade in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, EAPN held the 12th Meeting of People experiencing poverty on “What we can learn from the experiences of poverty today”. Gathering delegations of people experiencing poverty and activists from all the EU countries, this meeting was also an significant event in the calendar of the 2013 European Year of the Citizen. The reports are now available.
New publications from EAPN Spain
- ‘Impacts of the crisis’ report triggers media interest
- EAPN Spain launches new publication Foro de Debate
- 23/02, exchange and training day on professional skills
EAPN Position paper on the Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion
The European Commission is currently preparing the ‘non-paper’ (working document) which will be the first document for discussion on the Strategic Guidelines for the Structural Funds for 2007-2013.
Sergio Aires, president of EAPN, meets with Commissioner Andor
Brussels, 18/11/2013 – During the meeting, Commissioner Andor reconfirmed his commitment to such EU-level meetings of people experiencing poverty. He pointed out that systematic involvement of people experiencing poverty in decision-making at national and European levels leads to more effective social measures, and added that such meetings “send a clear and important message that we want Europe to be inclusive.” Regarding timing,
EAPN Austria contributes to publication Growth in Transition
{jathumbnail}Stimulating growth through adjusting macroeconomic conditions remains the principal policy response to pressing problems of unemployment, poverty and environmental degradation. However, the current growth trajectory has neither led to a…
EAPN Estonia: rise in subsistence benefit badly necessary
27/01 – As more than a fifth of Estonian residence lives below poverty line and too many people are at risk of poverty, a swift increase in subsistence benefits could improve the situation that has developed, writes LETA/Postimees Online.
EAPN response to OMC questionnaire on Social Protection and Social Inclusion
This response is based on an extensive consultation with the members of EAPN. It reflects the experience of engaging with the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) at National as well as at the European level.
EPSCO Council conclusions (15/10/2013)
15/10 – The main agreements at the latest EPSCO Council Conclusions were:
- No progress on the posting of workers directive. Still no agreement on this important Directive that would try to ensure a basic package of social rights to workers posted abroad within the internal market.
- Youth Guarantee: there was a review of progress, and a request to all MS to work quickly to spend the 6 million allocated including through ESF underspend.
- Declaration of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships launched in July.
- First debate on the Commission’s Communication on the Social Dimension of the EMU – cautious welcome, underlining the importance of coherence of fiscal, economic and social policies, with a first step in the establishment of the social scoreboard and new social indicators in the MIP, Alter procedure. However the Council rejected any automatic trigger of Recommendations if thresholds were breached. A further discussion will take place in the December Council.
- Evaluation of the 2013 European Semester (including NRPs and CSRs). Concerns still about the short timescale, and confirming the need to involve social partners, and to confirm the key role of the EPSCO in any discussions/ recommendations which have an impact on employment or social policy.
The Poverty Alliance (EAPN Scotland)
- Need to spread the Living Wage Campaign message!
- Time to Stop the Stigma! Media needs to base benefit reporting on facts not fiction