EAPN has written today to the President of the European Commission to stress the urgency for an ambitious EU proposal on the upcoming European Pillar of Social Rights. This should not just repackage existing initiatives with only benchmarking on common principles, but must set out an ambitious EU roadmap towards guaranteeing essential social standards, which can ensure that everybody has access to a dignified and decent life. The EU needs to convince people on the ground that it is working on their behalf and not just defending the Euro, economic growth and markets, primarily through promoting austerity. An ambitious Pillar of Social Rights may be the last chance for not only Social Europe but for the EU. “Participation must also be at the heart of the Social Pillar”, as highlighted by participants with direct experience of poverty in the 15th European Meeting of People Experience Poverty.
We now underline the key proposals that we consider essential to demonstrate this ambition. These build on our position paper of September 2016. Many proposals are also taken up by the EP report by Maria João Rodrigues MEP, adopted on the 19th January, and by the EESC report, adopted on the 25th January 2017.
- A new paradigm – a transformative EU strategy that invests in social rights and reduces poverty and inequality
- Invest in concrete measures to guarantee social standards
- Use EU funds to support delivery on Social Rights
- Participation is key to making pillar of social rights a reality!
Read the fully detailed propsals in the letter below.
For further information, contact Sian Jones (Policy Coordinator) sian.jones@eapn.eu, or Elke Vandermeerschen (Communications Officer), elke.vandermeerschen@eapn.eu | Tel. +32 2 226 58 50
