The realities of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion are mostly absent in the discussions around the EU enlargement. The situation as portrayed in this issue of Network News deserves however to get the outmost attention.
12/10/2015 – This paper forms part of a series of nine studies on the role of the European Union in international economic fora, prepared by Policy Department A at the request of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament. It provides factual background information about the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as about the EU’s relations with the IMF (both in terms of the IMF’s role in the EU and the EU’s role, representation and impact in the IMF).
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.
The European Elections offer an opportunity to debate what kind of European Union we want. EAPN, in its Election Manifesto, has put forward concrete proposals for actions.
09/10/2015 – Labour markets and social indicators in the EU continue to gradually improve, benefitting from the strengthening in economic activity, according to the latest edition of the Employment and Social Situation Quarterly Review.
EAPN releases report on Troika (EC, IMF, ECB/WB) arrangements and their catastrophic impact on poverty and social exclusion
17/01/2014 – In the aftermath of the economic and financial crisis, several countries in Europe have found themselves locked out of borrowing on international markets, and thus obliged to accept emergency financial assistance from a Troika of external institutions – the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, and the European central Bank (for Eurozone countries) / the World Bank (non-Eurozone countries). This report, complemented by online thematic and country annexes, gives a comprehensive view on the Troika arrangements and on their impact on poverty on poverty and social exclusion.
EAPN gives its take on emerging employment policies that make not just the unemployed, but workers too, more vulnerable.
30/09/2015 – 62 per cent of the employment growth before the crisis was due to increased female labour force participation (EU27: 2000-2008). However, there is still plenty of unused work and human capital potential among women. Work is a determining factor of gender equality and women’s economic independence, but also important for the entire economy. An OECD study shows that halving the gender gap in employment could lead to an additional gain of 6 per cent in the GDP by 2030.
16/12/2013 – This report assesses how the Partnership Principle is applied in the Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes, ie how social NGOs have been actively involved in their drafting of these programming documents, which are key tools for implementing the new Structural Funds (2014-2020).
It also evaluates how social inclusion and the poverty-reduction target is effectively made a priority in these processes by the managing authorities at national and regional levels.
The legislative framework for the reform of cohesion policy for 2007-2013, aimed at reducing the “wealth gap” in an enlarged EU, presents few surprises and raises both concerns and hopes for NGOs.