2016 Barometer Report cover

Barometer Report: Monitoring the implementation of the 20% of ESF earmarked for fighting poverty

{Jathumbnail}21-03-2016 – Today EAPN released its Barometer Report – Monitoring the implementation of the (at least) 20% of the European Social Fund that should be devoted to fight against poverty during the period 2014-2020 at a side-event organised by EAPN at the Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth 2016. The aim of this report is to carry out an initial monitoring of:

  • The implementation of the 20% earmarking of ESF on social inclusion and poverty reduction, in terms of spending, quality of delivery and impact;
  • The quality of the delivery on partnership with civil society, monitoring the code of conduct on partnership, and as partners in delivery.

2016 social innovation booklet cover

EAPN booklet on Social Innovation

03/03/2016 – EAPN launched its new booklet The contribution of meaningful Social Innovation to reducing poverty and social exclusion in Europe in the European Parliament on the occasion of a discussion  on the topic: How can Social Innovation contribute to reaching the poverty reduction target of Europe 2020? co-hosted by Hon Verónica Lope Fontagné MEP (EPP) and EAPN. Social innovation has been a ‘buzz’ term in European discourse over the past years, having been actively promoted by the European Commission, and tied to important funding lines for the national and EU level. The potential of a socially innovative approach to contribute to mitigating the consequences of the crisis, as well as to ensure better social inclusion and social cohesion in Europe, has been widely praised. However, the definition and use of the concept remain tenuous, and there is still ongoing debate regarding its merits, as well as hidden traps.

2015 EAPN position paper TTIP cover

People before Trade | EAPN’s position on TTIP and other related free-trade agreements

17/12/2015 – This paper outlines, in brief, the position of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) regarding international trade agreements currently being negotiated by the European Commission, on behalf of Member States, to promote free trade. It looks specifically at negotiations on agreements such as CETA, TTIP, TiSA, and tries to point out the potential consequences of these agreements, in their current form, on poverty and social exclusion in European countries.

ILO | The Decade of Adjustment : A Review of Austerity Trends 2010 – 2020 in 187 Countries

18/11/2015 – This ILO paper: (i) examines the latest IMF government spending projections for 187 countries between 2005 and 2020 ; (ii) reviews 616 IMF country reports in 183 countries to identify the main adjustment measures considered by governments in both high-income and developing countries; (iii) applies the United Nations Global Policy Model to simulate the impact of expenditure consolidation on economic growth and employment; (iv) discusses how austerity threatens welfare and social progress; and (v) calls for urgent action by governments to adopt alternative and equitable policies for socio-economic recovery.

EASPD | New report: How can the European Semester help to implement the UN CRPD

12/11/2015 – EASPD releases its latest report recommending the EU to use the European Semester as a tool to support the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The EASPD report proposes recommendations on how the EU and its Member States can further develop disability friendly legislation and practices through the European Semester; especially in areas such as inclusive labour markets, inclusive education settings and living in the community. The report ends with several national messages from EASPD’s member organisationson the Country-Specific Recommendations, Country Reports and National Reform Programmes for their own respective Member States.

ETUI |Towards a desirable and feasible European unemployment benefit scheme

03/11/2015 – During the last ETUI Monthly Forum, Ilaria Maselli, Research Fellow at CEPS, and Frank Vandenbroucke, of the Catholic University of Leuven, discussed the added value of a European unemployment benefit scheme. They presented a preliminary assessment of a research project funded by the European Commission which studies the feasibility and desirability of establishing a European unemployment benefit scheme (EUBS).