17 Oct: Brussels Forum, member of EAPN Belgium Social Innovation Conference

EAPN National Networks News

Next 17th October, on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the FBLP (Brussels Forum Against Poverty, regional member of the Belgian Anti-Poverty Network), organises a conference on Social Innovation, as part of the Festival des Libertés, with the support of the French Community Commission of Brussels-Capital, the King Baudouin Foundation and CPAS of Saint-Gilles. The content of the conference will be based on an inventory of 33 projects identified as a spearhead of social innovation in Brussels.

Alida-Smeekes-9th-meeting

EAPN has lost two very important women

EAPN News

It was with deep sadness and shock that Friday 15 August we received the news about the loss of two very important women for all of us in EAPN family: Alida Smeekes (EAPN Netherlands) and Ruth Brand (EAPN Germany). They were both strong and devoted founding members of our network and contributed deeply for the fight against poverty and social exclusion. We would like to express our deep condolences to their families and friends and remember all of us that the best way to honor them is to preserve their lasting legacy in our hearts, thoughts and actions.

Sérgio Aires: President of EAPN

If you should wish to contribute a message or a memory you have of Ruth or Alida please send an email to fintan.farrell@eapn.eu by 5 September. We will put these messages together and send to the families and Networks concerned and put them on our website as a tribute to the lives of these two women who have contributed from their strengths and convictions to the story of EAPN and the fight against poverty.

Photographs

1 – Alides Smeekes at the 9th EU Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty

2 – Ruth Brand at the Social Forum

 

EAPN probes European Commissioners-designates’ commitment in a set of questions for the European Parliament to put to them

EAPN News

21/08/2014 – The European Anti-Poverty Network has prepared a set of questions to the European Commissioners-designate who will seek to be confirmed by the European Parliament after they have been scrutinized by the relative committees of the European Parliament on 5 September 2014. The questions probe the Commissioner-designates’ commitment to a more social Europe placing people…

Results of EAPN’s 2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE: How will the Europe 2020 Strategy Mid-Term Review reduce poverty and inequality?

EAPN News

Seminar and Roundtable Debate

How will the Europe 2020 Strategy Mid-Term Review reduce poverty and inequality?

EAPN organised a round table on Friday 3 October 2014 to present its own assessment and proposals and to create a space for debate between EU Institutions and other stakeholders on how real progress on the poverty target can be made. It offered an opportunity to assess why the Strategy and the Semester has failed to deliver on poverty, participation and growing inequality and to discuss concrete recommendations for change to feed into the Mid-Term Review process.

President Juncker, will Europe 2020 succeed with you?

EAPN Press releases

EAPN calls for a Marshall-like Plan to combat poverty in Europe

Brussels, 16 July 2014 – The European Anti-Poverty Network congratulates Mr. Juncker on his appointment as President of the European Commission, with the strong expectation that he and the new Commission will seize the opportunity of the Mid-Term Review of the Europe 2020 Strategy to put in place a more coherent and integrated strategy that finally delivers on its social targets, notably the target on poverty. EAPN also welcomes Mr. Juncker’s commitment to work towards more and long-needed accountability and transparency in response to a perceived lack of democracy and an increasing distrust in the European institutions.

Semester Alliance publishes its Toolkit for Engaging in Europe 2020 and the European Semester

EAPN News

In July 2014, the EU Alliance for a Democratic, Social and Sustainable European Semester (Semester Alliance) publishes its Toolkit for Engaging in Europe 2020 and the European Semester. Aimed at the national members of the European organisations which constitute the Semester Alliance, it is designed to support them in engaging with Europe 2020 and the European Semester, including the upcoming Mid-Term Review.

EAPN participates in Informal Joint Meeting of EU Environment and Labour Ministers

EAPN News

14/07/2014 – This 17th July 2014, Vice president of EAPN, Letizia Cesarini Sforza will be representing EAPN at the Informal Meeting of EU Environment and Employment Ministers in Milano. EU ministers from labour and environment will  discuss in 4 different workshops employment and green growth focusing on job creation and skill’s development as well as on other concrete measures such as shifting the tax burden away from labour onot energy.  

Poverty Alliance (EAPN Scotland): City deal package must help to address poverty in glasgow

EAPN National Networks News

03/07/2014 – The Poverty Alliance has welcomed the City Deal Partnership between Glasgow City Council and the UK Government which will used to create a £1.1bn infrastructure fund for the city, but has called on all the partners to ensure that the new funding makes a contribution to tackling poverty and inequality in the city. The UK Government have committed £500m with local authorities Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire councils pledging another £130m to the new infrastructure fund.