Category Archives: EAPN Press releases

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.

EU leaders give signs of hope

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

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.

New EU Alliance calls for a Social and Sustainable Europe

Brussels, 07 April 2014 – The new EU Alliance for a democratic, social and sustainable European Semester, a broad coalition bringing together environmental, social and equality NGOs and trade unions, holds its launch in the EESC. Highlighting the failure of the Europe 2020 Strategy commitments and official targets in the social, environmental, employment and equality fields, the Alliance members come together to call for progress on the Europe 2020 Strategy’s commitments and for reviving the involvement of civil-society organisations and trade unions in the shaping of European policies.

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

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”.