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EAPN 2015 Annual Policy Conference | Can the Semester deliver on poverty and participation? #2015EAPN

EAPN News

Friday 9th October, EAPN held its annual policy conference where it presented its Assessment of the 2015 National Reform Programmes (NRPs) and European Semester, and debated together with 150 stakeholders including 80 EAPN national members, decision-makers and other stakeholders key questions: What needs to be done to ensure that the European Semester deliver on its Europe 2020 commitments to reduce poverty and promote participation? How can we help the EU move forward on a social, sustainable and democratic strategy that could give hope and restore faith in the EU?

Key speakers included Commissioner Thyssen, Outi Slotboom, DG ECFIN, Raquel Lucas, Cabinet of Commissioner Dombrovskis, Sergio Prieto, MEP & Tom Dominique, Chair of the SPC. The conference opened with a video by Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament.

Members of the EP, EESC, ETUC, and other civil society actors including people with direct experience of poverty were present. The event was hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) /SOC Section.

Semester Alliance calls on EU to ‘bring back Europe 2020” in EESC conference on the 6 July

EAPN News

06/07/2015 – The EESC Steering Committee on Europe 2020 organized a timely conference on reshaping Europe 2020, to underpin the EU’s future strategy for a more inclusive and sustainable recovery to the crisis. Mary Collins, EWL, spoke on behalf of the Semester Alliance, highlighting its recent actions to support engagement by civil society in the Semester, including 3 successful cross-sectoral pilot alliances in Denmark, Bulgaria and Ireland. Ms Collins also presented the Alliance’s assessment of the European Semester, including the country-specific recommendations 2015,  underlining concern about the disappearance of Europe 2020 from EU narrative.

2015 EAPN position integrated guidelines cover

EAPN Proposals on New Commission Integrated Guidelines: Economic and Employment

EAPN position papers and reports

12/04/2015 – EAPN has issued its Proposals regarding the new European Commission’s Integrated Guidelines in the economic and employment fields. This 6-page document summarises the new guidelines, their potential and shortfalls as well as a set of 7 recommendations: 1) Guidelines must deliver on Europe 2020 goals and targets, 2) Inclusive Investment means Social Investment, 3) Safeguard adequate social protection for social cohesion,

Juncker’s EU Investment Plan and the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI): EAPN briefing

EAPN position papers and reports

27/07/2015 – EAPN has released its briefing on Juncker’s EU Investment Plan and the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI). As a consequence of the economic crisis, the level of investment in the EU has dropped significantly since its peak in 2007, by about 15%. The former Barroso Commission had been characterized by the austerity era, where fiscal consolidation has been over prioritized at the expense of investments, including social investment. Although the current Juncker Commission is composed by the same political coalition, the urgency of a response in terms of investment to the consequences of the economic and financial crisis seems to have become more prominent.

EU Leaders Appear Blind to the Political, Economic and Humanitarian Crises: The Greek Vote is a Wake-Up Call!

EAPN Press releases

EAPN’s 2015 Strategic Congress and General Assembly took firm stand against EU policies on social crisis, migration and Greece

Brussels, 7 July 2015 – More than 150 delegates of the European Anti-Poverty Network, representing 31 National Networks and 18 European Organizations, took the opportunity of EAPN’s Strategic Congress and General Assembly to address a final declaration to the EU Heads of States and Governments.