See EAPN’s Comments Paper here.
The Belgian Platform is a consultative body providing recommendations to feed into the National Reform Programmes and National Social Reports. It also gives a high priority to the social OMC. Participants of this Peer Review discussed amongst others the outcomes of a recent evaluation of the Belgian Platform.
Peer countries: Austria – Bulgaria – Croatia – Czech Republic – Finland – France – Greece – Ireland – Malta
In Belgium, the Platform operates on the principle that wide support for policies for alleviating poverty is essential and that social exclusion often stems from the interaction of economic and social factors. With its open structure, the Belgian Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion EU2020 brings together all relevant stakeholders (in particular policy-makers, social partners, academics, social services, non-governmental organisations like anti-poverty networks and people experiencing poverty) while the changing composition of participants enables flexibility to ensure that the most appropriate expertise is always covered.
The transversal, collaborative approach which the Belgian Platform involves not only improves the quality of discussions but also ensures that participants are engaged with the EU policy framework. Social inclusion is at the heart of the EU growth strategy and forms a key component in the monitoring arrangements (i.e. the National Reform Programmes and National Social Reports) for Member States and the renewed Open Method of Coordination.
All papers presented at the Peer Review will be published on the website of the European Commission by the end of January. BAPN will also publish a short comment on the Peer Review.
