On 25 June 2020 the Latvian Constitutional Court ruled that the current Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) currently set at 64€ per month is too low to ensure a life in dignity and thus non-constitutional, as reported in an article of the Baltic Times. This ruling was issued following a year-long research, policy and advocacy campaign…
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Publication Impact Covid Covid-19 has tremendously shaken the world, which led to the destabilisation of national economies and political systems, as well as increased poverty rates and growing inequalities. As a result, people experiencing poverty or at the verge of poverty face a whole range of new risks and challenges, such as increased health risks…
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Since March, Mathias Maucher, EAPN Policy Officer, has participated as an invited expert in the “Diversity Europe Group” (Group III) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in drafting and discussing the EESC Explanatory Opinion “Decent Minimum Wage across Europe”. EAPN’s National Networks from Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden were also involved in…
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Mathias Maucher, EAPN Policy Officer, contributed to a panel debate organised by DG EMPL and ICF to contribute to the implementation of the principles set out in the Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and self-employed, as well as the European Pillar of Social Rights. The seminar investigated how to ensure and finance an adequate…
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2022 This year, people experiencing poverty put forward two key priorities that need to be addressed urgently: Raise minimum income schemes above the European poverty threshold as soon as possible Make energy and housing costs affordable for people in poverty and the lower middle class, in both the short and long term It is unacceptable that…
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On 19 August, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the Roadmap for the Child Guarantee. EAPN welcomes the commitment shown by the European Commission to progress towards the development of a Child Guarantee which can have an impact on Child Poverty, with a strong implementation and monitoring framework, including through EU funds. However,…
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The poverty levels throughout the European Union increase significantly. Even prior to the pandemic, 109 million people in Europe were at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Covid-19 only aggravated the situation. On top of that, climate change becomes ever more urgent, and a green transition has been rightfully determined as top priority for European…
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Following the recently adopted EPSCO Council Conclusions on ”Strengthening Minimum Income Protection to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond”, we wrote a letter to Commissioner Schmit asking him to show strong leadership and respond to the Conclusions by making an ambitious proposal for an EU Framework Directive to guarantee an…
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Challenge Poverty Week In the run up to the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Scotland organised the ‘Challenge Poverty Week’. Throughout this week, hundreds of events took place around the country. With this initiative, the Poverty Alliance (UK) wants to put a spotlight on poverty and call for action to protect the most…
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EAPN and EMIN have repeatedly called for a Framework DIrective on Minimum Income, as well as the ETUC, EESC, Social Platform, Eurodiaconia and Caritas Europa, to name a few. There is new and compelling evidence that there is a strong legal and policy basis for introducing a binding EU framework for adequate national minimum income…
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