On 16 December 2010, the European Commission published its long-awaited proposals for a European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion.
This is one of the 7 Flagship Initiatives proposed by the Europe 2020 Strategy. EAPN has prepared with its members a first detailed response, prior to the discussion by Member States in the Social Protection Committee on 20 January 2011.
EAPN generally welcomes the Commission’s proposals for the Platform, which have picked up many of EAPN’s own proposals presented in July 2010 and believes that they could offer a basis for making substantial progress on the goals to reduce poverty and promote social and territorial cohesion. However, if this new framework is to be effective it must reinforce the European Social Model which provides the cornerstone of European values, and provide more concrete actions to deliver social rights, particularly in relation to the crisis and governments’ austerity cuts. This should include strengthening the Social OMC and putting stakeholder involvement, especially people experiencing poverty and social exclusion and NGOs at the heart of policies.
The EAPN response sets out 8 key messages and detailed recommendations for improving and making more effective the impact of the Platform.
- Access EAPN’s full response here in English and French
- Read also EAPN’s press release and first reaction (16 Dec 2010) to the Commission Communication on the Platform against Poverty
- EAPN’s own proposals presented in July 2010
- Also available is the summary in Spanish of the European Commission’s proposal for the Platform Against Poverty
