EAPN participates in High-Level Reflecting Group – Socializing the European Semester

13/11/2015 – Sian Jones, EAPN Policy Coordinator, was invited to participate in a small Reflecting Group composed of experts from EU institutions and stakeholders alike, to provide essential feedback for the completion of the final report due beginning of December 2015 on ‘Further Socializing the European Semester:  Moving forward for the social Triple A’. The report  provides the ‘state of play’ of how social and employment issues are being considered in the semester process – including important new developments in the 2015 cycle.

Poverty in Europe is getting worse, not better

Euractiv, 30/10/2015 – Member states have committed to lifting 20 million people out of poverty by 2020. But this has been hard to do in a time of economic recession, writes Georges Dassis, the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).The record number of entries for the 2015 Civil Society Prize of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on the theme of “Combating poverty” shows the problem is getting worse, not better. Nearly one in four EU citizen (about 120 million people) faces the risk of poverty. The European Union member states are committed to lifting 20 million people out of poverty by 2020.

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Over 10% of new European Parliament commits to fighting Poverty

The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) celebrates its campaign Electing Champions for a Social Europe as a success, with over 10% of the newly elected MEPs committed to fighting poverty, social exclusion, inequalities and discrimination.

Brussels, 03/06/2014 – Over 10% of the newly elected MEPs have responded to the call of the European Anti-poverty Network, committing themselves to fight poverty and social exclusion during their mandate in the new European Parliament. The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) campaigned to encourage the candidates to the European elections to become Champions for a Social Europe by taking the pledge to defend and push for 1) a Social Pact for a Social Europe 2) An effective EU Strategy to fight poverty, social exclusion, inequalities and discrimination 3) Strengthened democracy and civil-society participation 4) An annual Hearing with People experiencing poverty in the European Parliament. EAPN welcomes these results as a great success, in a context of low turn-out and rise in extreme-right and anti-democratic parties.