2014-EAPN-response-to-the-AGS-cover

EAPN Response to the Annual Growth Survey Package 2014: ‘Business as usual fails the fight against poverty’ – 10 key recommendations

EAPN position papers and reports

26/02/2014 – On 13 November 2013, the European Commission adopted and launched the 2014 Annual Growth Survey (AGS) package and EAPN responded to it the next day through a press release, welcoming the proposals in the AGS to strengthen stakeholder involvement, but highlighting its concerns about the ‘business as usual’ approach, with few signs of a move away from counter-productive austerity priorities which are impacting negatively on poverty, exclusion and inequality. EAPN also highlighted the need to re-focus on Europe 2020 and the targets, and to back meaningful stakeholder dialogue to ensure effective policies and reinforced democratic legitimacy. In this paper, EAPN sets out these key messages in more details.

EP | Mass surveillance: EU citizens’ rights still in danger, says Parliament

EU Institutions News

29/10/2015 – Too little has been done to safeguard citizens’ fundamental rights following revelations of electronic mass surveillance, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. They urge the EU Commission to ensure that all data transfers to the US are subject to an “effective level of protection” and ask EU member states to grant protection to Edward Snowden, as a “human rights defender”. Parliament also raises concerns about surveillance laws in several EU countries.

12thM 2013 PT delegation R Lee EAPN

#2015PEP – SOCIAL CONVERGENCE IN THE EU – A strategic dialogue meeting with People experiencing Poverty

EAPN News

The European Meeting of People experiencing Poverty takes place this year on 19-20 November 2015 in Brussels as a consultation with people experiencing poverty to gather their input on policies to foster social convergence in Europe and to strengthen the participation of people experiencing poverty in policies that affect them. Delegations of people experiencing poverty from 30 countries in Europe exchange with EU officials and other policy makers. It is expected that the outcomes of this Year’s meeting will feed into the Annual Convention on Poverty and Social Exclusion that is likely to take place early 2016.

BAPN: BMIN holds conference on adequate and accessible minimum income

EAPN National Networks News

10/06/2014 – BMIN (Belgian Minimum Income Network) organized the conference “Towards the progressive realization of an adequate and accessible minimum income.” The first results of the project were presented as well as BMIN’s recommendations for European and national levels. The following political parties took part in the conference: CDH, Ecolo, FDF, Groen, MR, N-VA, PVDA, Sp.a and PS. All parties confirmed the need for a strong minimum income above the poverty line, and recognized the importance of easy access to minimum income, inter alia, through the automatic granting of rights. Several parties also reaffirmed the target to take 530,000 people out of poverty by 2020  If political parties keep their promise, then the punitive conditions that restrict peoples access to minimum income schemes should be removed.   

Recommendations for EU policy to address ‘push-backs’ of migrants’ rights in Greece

EAPN Press releases

20/03/2014 – A joint group of civil society organisations and EU leaders today called for action on EU level to address the daily human rights violations experienced by migrants in Greece, at the borders, in detention and on the streets, including push-backs, unlawful detention, violence and exploitation. The organisations urge European Union policy makers and representatives to take joint responsibility, along with the Greek government, for addressing the challenges there. To address these issues, EU networks and Greek NGOs have released today their joint “Recommendations to the European Union to Urgently Address Criminalisation and Violence Against Migrants in Greece”.