EAPN reacts to Commission’s proposal for a Recommendation on the reintegration of the long-term unemployed

17/09/2015 – The Commission’s proposal for a Recommendation on the reintegration of the long-term unemployed is now out. EAPN broadly welcomes the initiative,  but highlights important shortfall, such as insufficient references to adequate income support; hidden risks of negative activation based on sanctions and punitive measures; the absence of references to quality of work and employment;  no mention of the role and involvement of civil society organisations. 

2015 beyond2015 CSOs

CSO open letter to Vice-President Timmermans on the 2030 Agenda

16/09/2015 – European Civil Society Organisations and Networks, including EAPN, working on both international and domestic EU policies across a wide variety of sectors addressed a letter to Vice-President of the EUropean Commission Frans Timmermans also responsible for sustainable development, ahead of the UN Summit in New York (25-27/09) where Heads of State and Government will adopt the universal, people- and planet-centered 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (‘Agenda 2030’). “As European civil society, we now expect the EU to match the ambition of this Agenda with a clear EU implementation strategy, which reflects the integrated, interlinked and comprehensive nature of the Agenda, in order to ensure well-being for all within planetary boundaries“.

EAPN at EPC Briefing with Vice President Dombrovskis: Unfinished Business – what is needed to strengthen the EMU Governance

18/09/2015 –  At the EPC event today, Vice President Dombrovskis provided an update on the latest developments on deepening the EMU, implementing the 5 President’s Report. The main priorities up to 2017 were outlined as 1) implementing the macroeconomic rule through the European Semester, 2)  Financial Backstops and 2) Banking Union. The key slogan was ‘deepening by doing’ –   implementing closer macroeconomic governance through the European Semester, by focussing more clearly on Social and Economic Challenges and improving  visibility and ownership of the Semester by involving more Member States, European parliament and Social partners. Sian Jones, EAPN, intervened on 5 key elements:

Semester Alliance calls on President Juncker to bring Europe 2020 back on track!

17/09/2015 – Yesterday, the Semester Alliance broad coalition addressed a letter to European Commission President Juncker to express its concern about the direction his Commission has taken when it adopted the Country Specific Recommendations for 2015. The letter urges him “to address this and turn the 2016 AGS into a first step towards a European Semester that is democratic, social, sustainable and inclusive“. “Using the European Semester purely as an instrument to ensure macro-economic and monetary stability will not help you bring the EU closer to its citizens”#semesteralliance #AGS2016

Victory for citizens, victory for the Human Right to Water!

08/09/2015 – With today’s vote the EP demands that the EC make concrete legislative proposals to recognize the human right to water and sanitation as defined by the UN. This victory is for the supporters of the Right to Water and also for democracy in the European Union. This vote adds support to the 1.9 million signature collected, backs up what the candidates to the Presidency of the European Commission previously agreed, and the report of the Economic and Social Committee as they all call on the Commission to act.

“The best and worst of Europe” | Civil Society calls on EU Governments to create a more welcoming Europe #weapologise

11/09 – Ahead of the European Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 14 September, the Social Platform, Concord and the European NGO Platform on Asylum and Migration (EPAM) addressed today a letter to the European Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs entitled “The best and worst of Europe” to call on Member State governments and ministers to create a more welcoming Europe. This letter is fully supported by EAPN and its national networks. This letter is part of the #weapologise initative that 46 civil-society organisations and networks, including EAPN and a lot of its European-Organisation members, launched by addressing an open letter to people fleeing war, persecution and poverty on 08 Sept.