On the occasion of the fifth European Round Table on Poverty and Social Exclusion, the European Anti-Poverty Network wishes to share its initial reflections on this stage in the development of the new ‘streamlined’ Open Method of Coordination on social protection and social inclusion (OMC), the EU’s driving mechanism in meeting its objective to reduce poverty and social exclusion by 2010.
Since 2000, the European Union has engaged in a process of mutual learning on the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Six years later, we stand at a crossroads, looking back on past commitments and achievements, facing the ambitions and expected goals ahead and nevertheless confronted with the daily reality that officially 72 million people in the EU are still facing the burden of poverty and social exclusion, with little evidence of significant improvements in this situation. EAPN has been strongly committed to this process at national and European level, and wishes to continue to promote it as a key tool in delivering the EU’s social priorities.
