Category Archives: EAPN Press releases

Will EPSCO Council press for policy coherence on Social Europe?

EAPN highlights major contradictions between commitments and policies on poverty

Brussels, 12/06/2015 – EAPN calls on the Ministers of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs meeting next week to press for delivery on Commissioners Thyssen and Dombrovskis’ announced priorities for EU social policy, which seriously contradict the current approach within the European Semester.

EAPN deeply worried about Commission’s country-specific recommendations CSRs and calls on the Commission to immediately issue a specific set of recommendations to fight poverty in ALL Member States

Brussels, 15 May 2015 – The European Anti-Poverty Network reacted sharply to the Commission’s proposals for country-specific recommendations, which were published on the 13th of May. “The new recommendations may be closely aligned with President Juncker’s key priorities in the Annual Growth Survey: boosting investment, structural reforms and responsible fiscal policies, but they offer little in the way of a vision to turn the tide for the more than 120 million people in poverty in Europe,” said Sérgio Aires, President of EAPN. EAPN is very concerned about the increasing invisibility of Europe 2020 Strategy together with its commitments to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to deliver on the targets – particularly to reduce poverty by at least 20 million by 2020.

New momentum for action on Adequate Minimum Income Schemes

Brussels, 11 December 2014 – Delegates at the EU-level Conference held in Brussels today on ‘Minimum Income Schemes in Europe’ heard a very different story to the populist story of lazy people who cheat the welfare system. The figures given at the Conference on the non-take-up of minimum income assistance ranging from 20% to as much as 75%, are way and above those of over-take-up that receives much more policy and media attention.

Annual Growth Survey 2015: A Fatal Blow to the 124 million living in poverty!

Brussels, 01/12/2014 – On the 28 November the European Commission endorsed the 2015 Annual Growth Survey package. This new AGS sets out the new Commission’s 3 priorities for the coming cycle: A coordinated boost to investment, a renewed commitment to structural reforms and pursuing fiscal responsibility. This new agenda is an attempt to temper the austerity drive with a boost for growth – but it gives no clear signs of how this will be made inclusive or deliver on poverty. EAPN will be considering the package and its impact on poverty over the next days with its members.

Can Europe 2020 be made fit for purpose to deliver on poverty?

European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) holds seminar and roundtable on burning topic: How will the Europe 2020 midterm review reduce poverty and inequality?

Brussels, 03 October 2014 – EAPN organised today a seminar and roundtable on the key challenge facing the midterm review of the Europe 2020 Strategy: in a context of failure of EU2020’s social targets and growing disaffection towards the EU, i.e. how can the midterm review reverse the trend and effectively reduce poverty and inequality? EAPN’s position paper on the midterm review and its assessment of the 2014 National Reform Programmes (NRP) presented in the seminar contributed to enrich the debate.

What’s happened to Inclusion, Poverty and Participation?

EAPN welcomes Marianne Thyssen as designate Commissioner but is concerned by the loss of inclusion and civil-society engagement

Brussels, 12 September 2014 – The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) welcomes Marianne Thyssen as designate Commissioner, and hopes that she will work actively with anti-poverty organisations and people with direct experience of poverty, to defend social objectives and support an effective integrated strategy on poverty to deliver on the poverty target, particularly through Europe 2020 and the Semester. However, EAPN is concerned by the loss of Inclusion and the absence of civil-society engagement from the DG Title.

President Juncker, will Europe 2020 succeed with you?

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.