9th Round Table on Poverty – Participation of stakeholders and the social dimention of Europe 2020 at risk if National Action Plans for Inclusion are dropped!

EAPN is extremely concerned about the threat of losing National Action Plans, which are crucial for coherent, integrated strategies and national stakeholder participation, i.e. participation of people experiencing poverty, NGOs, regional and local authorities.

EAPN also wonders how the poverty target to reduce poverty by 20 million people by 2020 can be met when the EU presses Member States to cut benefits and basic services and without ensuring an adequate income.

It is clear for EAPN that National Action Plans on Inclusion are the core basis of the Social Open Method of Coordination. If they are to disappear, the social dimension of the European strategy that’s being shaped for the next 10 years is in danger and the social and economic consequences will be massive. The ‘Europe 2020 Strategy’ can neither be coherent nor deliver the expected results without multidimensional and integrated plans involving the participation of the different national stakeholders.

“We feel let down by recent comments from the Commission which seem to undermine the commitment to National Action Plans and undervalue national stakeholder involvement. Getting people experiencing poverty, NGOs and other stakeholders like regional and local authorities engaged in developing comprehensive, multidimensional plans to prevent as well as tackle poverty is essential to get ownership, accountability and to ensure effective, coherent strategies as a base for contributions to Europe 2020’, said Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN. “Without participative National Action Plans, the social dimension in Europe 2020 will remain a minority element in the National Reform Plan driven by growth and the plans to deliver on the poverty target risk creaming the most easily helped and driving vulnerable people into ‘poverty jobs’”.

EAPN is also concerned about how the poverty target will be met when the EU is pressing Member States to cut benefits and basic services in order to reduce public deficits.

“If the EU is serious about delivering on the poverty target, it must implement active inclusion now – this means starting by ensuring an adequate income for all. The EU ministers must send a clear message on the need to implement a guarantee of adequate minimum income, defend social budgets in the crisis discussion, setting a road map about how they will progress towards a common framework as well as on a common methodology based on budget standards working from real needs” , said Ludo Horemans, President of EAPN.

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• Read here the press release in PDF.
• And also the press release in Polish.
• Read also EAPN’s news on the outcome of the 9th Roundtable (25.10.2010)

Read EAPN’s Key Messages:

 Access also other EAPN Key documents:

• EAPN Proposals on the Flagship Platform against Poverty
• On minimum income specifically:
  • Snapshot document on what, why and how “minimum income for all in the EU”
  • EAPN Explainer on the Adequacy of Minimum Income
• EAPN working paper on a European framework directive on minimum income

For further information, contact Nellie Epinat (Communication & Press Officer) or Sian Jones (policy-Coordinator), tel. +32 2 226 58 50 – fax. +32 2 226 58 69 – E-mail: team@eapn.eu – Website: www.eapn.eu