Brussels, 14 October 2011 – For the First Annual Convention of the ‘European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion’ in Krakow on 17 and 18 October, EAPN has produced its assessment of the National Reform Programmes, which are charged, under the Europe 2020 Strategy, with delivering the EU poverty-reduction target. For EAPN, the economic governance approach to the crisis is undermining the inclusive-growth pillar of the Europe 2020 Strategy and, as a result, poverty and inequalities, far from being reduced, are more likely to increase.
“The first Annual Convention must face up to this reality and breathe life into the poverty-reduction target” said Ludo Horemans, President of EAPN. “The Convention must call for urgent action to stop the austerity measures hitting hardest the ‘poor’ and for measures to restore balanced economic and social priorities, through investing in a social and sustainable Europe”, he added.
“Unless all major policy proposals, including economic policies, are subject to a serious social impact assessment and are the result of active stakeholder engagement, including anti-poverty NGOs, then the poverty target is likely to be seen as propaganda rather than a genuine commitment”, said Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN. “Without a credible strategy to tackle poverty and growing inequalities, the EU will no longer be seen as the promoter of social and sustainable development and will lose the support of the majority of EU citizens”, he concluded.
See:
- EAPN’s key messages for the First Annual Convention
- EAPN’s analysis of the 2011 National Reform Programmes – Deliver Inclusive Growth – Put the heart back in Europe!
- Download this press release as pdf
For further information, contact Nellie Epinat (Communication & Press Officer) or Fintan Farrell (Director EAPN, + 32 474 79 79 34 or Sian Jones (Policy Coordinator), tel. +32 2 675 20 55 – fax. +32 2 226 58 69 –E-mail: team@eapn.eu ; website: www.eapn.eu.