Brussels, 9 June 2011 – European Commission country-specific Recommendations focus on reducing deficits, which will lead to cutting public services and wages, and increasing retirement ages.
On the 23 June, Eurochild presented their assessment of progress on child poverty and well-being in the 2011 National Reform Programmes.
{jathumbnail}A series of successful events marked a very impressive 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion Focus week in Malta. Anti-Poverty Forum Malta arranged a hearing with the Social Affairs Committee in the Maltese Parliament, hosted by the speaker of the Parliament.
On the 30 June and 1st July EAPN Galicia organized a well-attended forum aiming to increase the input of the third sector in Galicia in the regional implantation of Europe 2020 and the NRP, and to engage in the new Galician law on Social Inclusion.
On 22 March, the opening event of the European Year in Hungary gave the floor to people facing poverty, thanks notably to EAPN Hungary’s programme “Voices of poverty”.
EESC’s Opinion on the European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion was approved at the end of June. It was passed unanimously, with 3 abstentions. The Opinion is available in several languages on: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.soc-opinions.14953.
Sian Jones, EAPN’s Policy Coordinator, was asked to contribute to the work of the opinion as expert for the rapporteur Maureen O’Neill (Scotland), together with Caritas and Henri Lourdelle from ETUC as experts for the Social Committee.
Here is good news for anyone unsure of understanding fully the issue of the poverty reduction target: EAPN Ireland has just issued a briefing on the proposed 25% poverty reduction target proposed by the EC as one of five headline targets for the new Europe 2020 strategy.
{jathumbnail}From 1st till 5th March 2011, Fintan Farrell, EAPN’s director, took part in the Global Movement 2012 International Preparatory Meeting in Delhi, India, on land rights and on and the common problem of poor people across the South who are losing their natural assets of land, forest and water, which ended by the Delhi Declaration, put together by all participants.
EAPN – Andalucia organised its 4th meeting of people experiencing poverty, focused on the topic of housing and exclusion on 19-20 March in Isla Cristina, Spain. This is the 1st meeting of people experiencing poverty of the 2010 European Year, before the national meeting and EU meeting of people experiencing poverty at the end of June. 1