In its letter, EAPN reminds Ministers that EAPN consistently supported the original proposal for a Poverty Target made by the Commission. Aware of and concerned about the compromise proposal put forward by the Social Protection Committee, EAPN calls on Ministers to adopt a poverty target.
EAPN also highlights the importance of adopting a broad Social Guideline so that social protection and social inclusion has to be considered within the whole Europe 2020 Strategy.
As EAPN underlines, there is “an air of unreality about the discussion about poverty reduction in light of the current measures being taken to reduce public expenditure as part of the measures to exit from the Crisis”. Instead, Social Affairs Ministers should “address this reality and find alternative ways to address public expenditure deficits rather than to make the poor pay for the crisis”.
Read EAPN’s letter to the Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs.
