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EAPN Response to the Annual Growth Survey Package 2014: ‘Business as usual fails the fight against poverty’ – 10 key recommendations

26/02/2014 – On 13 November 2013, the European Commission adopted and launched the 2014 Annual Growth Survey (AGS) package and EAPN responded to it the next day through a press release, welcoming the proposals in the AGS to strengthen stakeholder involvement, but highlighting its concerns about the ‘business as usual’ approach, with few signs of a move away from counter-productive austerity priorities which are impacting negatively on poverty, exclusion and inequality. EAPN also highlighted the need to re-focus on Europe 2020 and the targets, and to back meaningful stakeholder dialogue to ensure effective policies and reinforced democratic legitimacy. In this paper, EAPN sets out these key messages in more details.

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Macedonian Anti-Poverty Platform (MAPP) working on Youth in 2014

21/02/2014 – The Macedonian Anti-Poverty Platform (MAPP) has created and started implementing a youth policy through a multi sectoral approach. In order to meet youth needs and interests, MAPP’s goal is to promote youth organizing, establishing measures and recommendations associated with young people and their activities, strengthening their participation in the public life and informing them.

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EYCA 2013 Alliance: Policy Recommendations call for solidarity, equality and participation

20/02/2014 – EAPN participated to the EYCA 2013 alliance plenary meeting organized at the EESC in Brussels. EAPN has taken an active role in the EYCA (European Year for Citizens Alliance) from its inception in June 2012. The main aim of the EYC is to give European citizenship its full meaning and scope to ensure a meaningful citizens’ participation in the democratic like of the European Union. The alliance is an informal coordination of 62 EU NGO platforms and civil society actors as well as 22 national coalitions.  It policy recommendations were finalized and publically presented during the Closing Conference of the Alliance in Vilnius last December 2013. EAPN heavily contributed to them to ensure that people experiencing poverty and social exclusion can really play their role as citizens by being fully integrated in society.

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URBACT III (2014-2020): EAPN participates in EU-level consultation meeting

19/02/2014 – EAPN participated to the EU-level consultation meeting on URBACT III (2014-2020) organized in Brussels and aimed at finalizing the Operational Programme. The URBACT programme is the EU programme co-funded by ERDF and Member States to help cities to build their capacities on sustainable urban development and develop and implement strategies and local action plans around this issue.

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European networks unite for Europe’s Children

EAPN cosigns press release on the Anniversary of the ‘Investing in Children Recommendation’ and Launch of the Alliance for Investing in Children

20/02/2014 – A year ago today the European Commission adopted the Recommendation Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage, which called for concerted efforts across Europe to end child poverty and promote child well-being. The European Commission’s approach, which places children’s rights, the best interests of the child, equal opportunities and support for the most disadvantaged at the centre of efforts to combat child poverty was particularly welcome.However, the situation for children across Europe is getting worse.

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Kisa (member of EAPN Cyprus): : Immigration department appears to be accountable to no one

19/02/2014 – Kisa, a member of EAPN Cyprus, has forwarded us this editorial article by the Cyprus Mail, “Immigration department appears to be accountable to no one”, which raises the issues of systematic contempt of the Supreme Court’s decisions, violation of the rule of law and abuse of power by the Civil Registry and Migration Department (CRMD) of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus.

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Background Reports for the 2013 Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty are out!

19/02/2014 – On the occasion of the 2013 European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty, National delegations were asked to make preparatory reports to feed the exchanges of the Meeting. While done with little or no financial support, they represent a goldmine of information and testimonies from those carrying the greatest burden of the austerity measures, with also examples of good practices showing that choices can be made to make a positive difference.These reports were made on the basis of 1) Reference Budgets, 2) The impact of the crisis, 3) Relevant Practices.

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