Speaking at the 2007 General Assembly of the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) held from 8th to 10th November in Budapest and gathering 150 representatives of NGOs working with people experiencing poverty and social exclusion across Europe, EAPN President, Ludo Horemans called for an early start to ensure a successful EU Year against poverty (2010).
“The success of the 2010 EU Year against Poverty will depend on the preparation work done by the European Commission and all the other relevant actors in 2008” said Mr Horemans. He called on EAPN members “to begin now to generate ideas for the 2010 year, for example, by contacting theatre and film festival directors to see if in 2010 their festivals could have a focus on how poverty is portrayed in film or theatre”.
“2010 must have a lasting legacy, such as the establishment of a Social Progress Pact with the ambition to develop and protect high level social standards for all residents in the EU” said Mr Horemans. “Such a pact should ensure that the EU’s work is based on a social and sustainable development model and would give real meaning to the ‘horizontal social clause’ in the newly agreed EU Reform Treaty”.
Speaking at the General Assembly, Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN also spoke about EAPN’s deep concern about the recent debate on the new legislation on public safety to be adopted in Italy. Fintan Farrell urges the Italian government not to fall into the trap of criminalizing all immigrants.
“The new Italian legislation should respect EU anti discrimination legislation and be in line with agreed international standards in relation to the treatment of immigrants. As proposed now it would inflict hardship on innocent individuals, in particular the Roam community, including Roma children, which would be a particular irony as this years EU Inclusion strategy has a particular focus on child poverty” he added.
This was the first General Assembly of EAPN to be held in one of the Member States that joined the EU in its historic enlargement in 2004. The General Assembly marked EAPN’s contribution to the EU 50th anniversary celebrations.
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- To see the full range of measures proposed please consult the final declaration adopted at the General Assembly.
- See also the 2007 EAPN Activity report.
For further information, please contact Audrey Gueudet (Information Officer) or Fintan Farrell (Director), tel. +32 2 226 58 50 – fax. +32 2 226 58 69 – E-mail: team@eapn.skynet.be – Website: www.eapn.org