The Poverty Alliance (EAPN Scotland): New Statistics Show Increasing In-Work Poverty in Scotland

EAPN National Networks News

01/07/2014 – Today’s figures published by the Scottish Government on Poverty and Inequality show a rise in the number of people in Scotland living in poverty, and highlights the continuing increase in in-work poverty.  In 2012/13, 16 per cent of people in Scotland were living in poverty, compared with 14 per cent the previous year.  In real terms, this means that there are now 820,000 individuals are now living in poverty in Scotland. 

EU leaders give signs of hope

EAPN Press releases

EAPN General Assembly welcomes European Council’s new Strategic Agenda – Brussels, 01 July 2014 – The European Anti-Poverty Network held its 2014 General Assembly in Tallinn, Estonia, on 27-28 June 2014.. The General Assembly welcomed the seemingly positive shift of the European Council’s new Strategic Agenda endorsed on 27 June regarding social issues, which reflects several EAPN’s concerns and key messages over the last years. In its final Declaration, EAPN’s General Assembly addressed the new Members of the European Parliament, recalling the achievements of the previous European Parliament and highlighting the priorities at stake, with the Mid-Term Review of the) – Europe 2020 Strategy, coming up in 2015 which has so far failed to deliver on its promises and highlighting EAPN’s current preparation of its own position. EAPN also endorsed the membership of two new networks in Croatia and Latvia raising the number of member networks to a total of 32.

Semester Alliance sees CSRs as insufficient to address inclusive growth

EAPN Press releases

Brussels, 25/06/2014 – The Semester Alliance, a broad European coalition bringing together environmental, social and equality NGOs and trade unions, releases its initial assessment of the European Commission’s proposals on Country-Specific Recommendations (CSRs) in view of the European Heads of States meeting on 26-27 June. Whilst welcoming some progress on more inclusive and sustainable CSRs, it is still seriously undermined by macroeconomic priorities focusing almost exclusively on austerity and competitiveness. The Semester Alliance also highlights the importance of increasing involvement of civil-society stakeholders, still seriously lacking in the CSR process.

EAPN participates in EESC panel – From Active Inclusion to Social Investment

EAPN News

16/06/2014 – EAPN was invited to a conference on Active Inclusion to Social Investment in Brussels, co- organized by the European Economic and Social Committee and Eurofound, aiming at focusing on the measures taken at European level to step up active inclusion and social investment. Barbara Helfferich, Director of EAPN, participated in the panel on the social policy agenda: from active inclusion to social investment, which followed the keynote speech by Social Affairs Commissioner Laslo Andor.