“While the Commission may congratulate itself on delivering on growth and jobs the assessment of the EAPN members is that the revised strategy is not delivering on inclusion and social cohesion, despite the commitments made by the Spring Council ” said Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN.
EAPN calls on the Commission, the Council and the Parliament to take urgent steps before the Spring Council 2008 to respond to the growing demands for change, to forge a new integrated vision consistent with a sustainable development model.
EAPN therefore asks the EU to:
- Rename the Strategy as the strategy for Growth, Jobs and Inclusion.
- Insert an overarching Guideline based on the new Horizontal Social Clause (Article 5b) of the Lisbon Treaty into the Integrated Guidelines.
- Develop a Communication which sets out the strategy for ensuring a dynamic and mutually reinforcing link between the National Reform Programmes and the National Strategic Reports on Social Protection and Social Inclusion and Structural Funds.
- Advise Member States urgently on the need to improve governance and active stakeholder involvement at all stages of the National Reform Programmes process, with particular emphasis on the involvement of NGO’s and other civil society organisations.
The EAPN’s Response to the Annual Progress Report outlines five key ways that the Commission has failed to strengthen the social dimension of the strategy as promised at the Spring Council 2007.
“It is time for the EU to give attention to the social dimension if it is to re connect to the citizens”, said Mr Farrell “Our members have underlined the serious consequences for inclusion at the national level, if this doesn’t happen“.
/ENDS
See:
- Growth and Jobs but not Inclusion! EAPN Response to the Annual Progress Report
- Social Inclusion Scoreboard – EAPN Response to the National Implementation Reports 2007 of the revised Lisbon Strategy – Main report
- Social Inclusion Scoreboard – EAPN Response to the National Implementation Reports 2007 of the revised Lisbon Strategy: Executive Summary
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
