Strengthening the Legitimacy of the European Semester
Civil Society CSR proposals for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
7th April 2014: 9.30-1.00
European Economic and Social Committee
TRE 7701 (7th floor, Trèves Building, 74 rue de Trèves, 1040 Brussels)
To register and for practical issues, please contact sigrid.dahmen@eapn.eu by 1st April.
For more information, contact Sian Jones, EAPN Policy Coordinator sian.jones@eapn.eu
Background
A Failing Europe 2020 Strategy
The European Commission is now preparing to launch its Mid-Term Review of the Europe 2020 and the European Semester (EC Communication (5 March 2014): Taking Stock of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth). No one can dispute that the European Semester is increasingly shaping social and environmental policies at the national level, particularly through the Country-specific Recommendation (CSR) process.
However, as the Commission’s Communication recognizes, progress on the Europe 2020 goals and targets of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth has been weak besides the dominant economic governance priorities, aiming to keep public deficits at bay. Particularly concerning is the increase in poverty and unemployment rather than progress towards the target.
Eroding of civil-society participation to decision-making processes
Whilst civil-society stakeholders are ostensibly recognized as key partners to the process, the reality is very limited and low-quality engagement, with no real mechanism for meaningful dialogue or opportunity to actively contribute to ensure that Europe 2020 delivers on its promises, particularly those relating to:
- lifting at least 20 million people out of poverty,
- achieving a 75% employment rate for women and men,
- 10% school dropout and
- 20% increase in energy efficiency.
In this event, the new EU Alliance for a more democratic, social and sustainable Semester will be launched and it will present its proposals on CSRs, based on its national members input. There will be a debate with the EU institutions and other stakeholders on the way forward to get the European Semester to deliver on its promises for inclusive and sustainable growth, and to increase democratic legitimacy.
About the Semester Alliance
The EU Alliance for a democratic, social and sustainable European Semester or EU Semester Alliance gathers 16 European networks of civil society organisations and trade unions, representing thousands of member organisations on the ground at European, national and local levels in the European Union.
In addition to the social, environmental organisations and trade unions committed to engaging their national members in the European Semester process, the Alliance will benefit from 3 national pilot Alliances involving national members of the Alliance and organisations from social, environmental/climate and other sectors.
The EU Semester Alliance aims to support progress towards a more democratic, social and sustainable EU Strategy, though strengthening civil-dialogue engagement in the European Semester at national and EU levels.
More specifically, its goals are
- to ensure that all policies, including macroeconomic, contribute to the social, environmental/climate targets and equality commitments of the European Union’s Strategy (Europe 2020 Strategy)
- to improve the legitimacy of the EU Strategy through more effective engagement of environmental and social organisations and Trade Unions in the EU decision-making process, starting at the national level.
Members of the Alliance
- Age Platform Europe
- Caritas Europa
- CECODHAS Housing Europe
- Eurochild
- Eurodiaconia
- European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
- European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)
- European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
- European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA)
- European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)
- European Public Service Union (EPSU)
- European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
- European Women’s Lobby (EWL)
- Green Budget Europe
- Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
- Social Platform
The event is supported by the European Economic and Social Committee and by the European Commission.
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