EU PeP Meeting 2023
2023-11-14 - 2023-11-15 | CaixaForum, Madrid, P.º del Prado, 36. (Spain)
We are very happy to announce the 21st edition of the European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty (PEP) “The Unbearable Cost of Living | EU Elections Edition”, in CaixaForum Madrid, Spain.
The meeting – organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN Europe) and EAPN Spain, with financial support from DG Employment, the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 and La Caixa Foundation – will take place on 14 and 15 November.

Ahead of the EU Elections in 2024, EAPN Europe and its network are sounding the alarm because very little has changed. Around 100 people living in poverty from about 30 European countries will gather in Madrid, Spain, to further discuss how the current crisis in the cost of living is affecting their lives and the solutions they see to address it.
#PEP2023 will explore challenges and solutions linked to the unbearably high cost of living due to the multiple crises we face. We are currently living in an unbearable cost of living crisis. The past months have been marked by rising inflation throughout Europe. This means that the prices of basic goods such as food, electricity, mobility and housing have risen exponentially.
The European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty is an opportunity to make their voices heard, to connect with politicians and decision-makers, inform policy-making processes at the European level about the impact of the cost of living crisis on people’s lives and to strengthen networks between entities and people throughout Europe.

Register now and join us in Madrid on 15 November to attend some insightful discussions!
On 15 November, we open registrations for the public to participate in the discussion and join the plenary session with politicians and decision-makers. Kindly note that attendance on 14 November is not possible, as the meeting will be internal.
>> Register via this link.

More information and the programme via this link.
** We will have interpretation in English, Spanish and French.

Capacity-building webinar on the European Semester
2023-12-06 14:00 - 16:30 UTC | Online
Need help navigating the European Semester Process? Join our online capacity-building session!

📍 Online
Please register via the registration form by 24 November, end of day.
This capacity-building session – co-organised with EAPN Europe, ENSIE and ERGO Network as well as their respective members EAPN France, Skoopi (Sweden) and Integro Association (Bulgaria) – aims to give interested civil society organisations active at EU and national level as well as other interested stakeholders an introduction into the Semester, its importance for policy-making, its functioning and key moments and ways to engage.
The European Semester process is an annual year-long mandatory process that coordinates, monitors and evaluates Member States’ economic, fiscal, social, environmental and climate policies and reforms. It makes recommendations that contribute to turning various EU strategies, such as European Pillar of Social Rights (Social Pillar), its Action Plan and EU headline targets on employment, skills, and poverty reduction and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), into reality. It also increasingly focuses on environmental and climate priorities, monitoring the implementation of national energy and climate plans. More recently, it has been linked with the Recovery & Resilience Facility (RRF) adopted to address the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve socially just green and digital transitions, thereby also directing the use of EU funding to these priorities. It monitors Member States’ implementation of their National Recovery & Resilience Plans.
The involvement of civil society organisations in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies is key to ensure they are evidence-based and correspond to the situation on the ground.
>> Learn more and register here.

PEP2024
2024-06-14 09:00 - 18:00 UTC | The Nhow Hotel Brussels, Rue Royale 250, 1210 Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

Affordable Energy: Turning civil society views into action - Reporting by EPAH and EAPN on their Activities
2024-06-21 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
🚀 Exciting News!
We are thrilled to announce that Fernando Chironda, our Policy and Advocacy Officer, will be representing us at the upcoming conference on affordable energy. This session will feature the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) and the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), where they will report on their important work
📅 Check out the full program here: Full Program

Members - EAPN Talks with EIGE
2024-06-26 10:00 - 12:00 UTC
Dear Members,
We are thrilled to announce the new date for the second edition of our EAPN Talk!
About three times a year, we invite an engaging organization to delve into a specific topic. Exclusively for all EAPN members!
For this third EAPN Talk, we will explore the intersectionality of gender and socio-economic rights with insights from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
Join us for two hours with Lina Salanauskaite and Sarah Cooke O’Dowd that are going to introduce EIGE Equality Index and their position on economic independence.

EAPN talks - EU ELECTIONS 2024: What's next for the missing poor?
2024-09-18 10:00 UTC
The next edition of EAPN Talks happens on Wednesday 18 September 2024 (10:00 – 12:00 Brussels time). To EAPN Talks we invite activists and civil society organisations to delve into a specific topic, providing an opportunity for all EAPN members to learn, share and build knowledge together!
We will discuss how the 2024-2029 EU institutional changes, particularly the rise of far-right and right-wing parties, affect social justice and fundamental rights. The focus will be on the ‘missing poor’—those often overlooked by traditional policies and statistics, such as the homeless, undocumented individuals, people in institutions, those on the move, and those deprived of liberty.
To explore the possibilities for ‘What strategies can EU civil society organisations use to make the missing poor’s voice heard in a hostile political context?’ we will be joined by ENAR, the European Disability Forum, and ERGO Network.
Don’t miss this enlightening webinar—get informed and engage with us!

PEOPLE’S SUMMIT
2024-11-28 08:30 - 17:00 UTC | The Nhow Hotel Brussels, Rue Royale 250, 1210 Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
On 18 July 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a historic commitment: the launch of the EU’s first-ever Anti-Poverty Strategy, set for the 2024-2029 mandate. While the strategy’s full scope is yet to be revealed, EAPN welcomes this crucial step towards eradicating poverty and social exclusion across Europe.
In addition to the Anti-Poverty Strategy, the European Commission has pledged to renew the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, along with strategies for Gender Equality, LGBTIQ Equality, and Anti-Racism. New initiatives, including a Quality Jobs Roadmap, a Pact for European Social Dialogue, and a European Affordable Housing Plan, are also planned. These commitments signal a strengthened EU focus on social inclusion and equity.
For EAPN, which has advocated for an EU Anti-Poverty Strategy since 1990, this announcement marks a major milestone. However, President von der Leyen’s announcement also raises a critical question:
How can we ensure that the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy effectively eliminates poverty and social exclusion?

What to Expect at the People’s Summit
The People’s Summit is a dedicated policy platform to amplify the voices of those experiencing poverty, connect national EAPN members, engage with political stakeholders, and unite grassroots organisations from across Europe. The 2024 Summit will focus on sharing insights from people experiencing poverty (PeP), EAPN members, policymakers, and social experts on the creation of a truly impactful EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
This summit is an opportunity to:

Hear directly from individuals impacted by poverty and social exclusion.
Explore policy recommendations for building an inclusive, ambitious Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Connect with other organisations, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to social rights and poverty eradication.

This event is supported by the European Commission and the Robert Bosch Foundation.

People’s Summit 2025 Porto Edition “The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy: From Intention to Action”
2025-03-28 09:30 - 18:00 UTC
The 2025 People’s Summit will take place on the 28 March, in Porto, Portugal, co-organised by EAPN Europe and EAPN Portugal.

This edition will continue the push towards an ambitious EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, bringing together voices from across Europe – people experiencing poverty, grassroots social organisations, policymakers, national and European institutions representatives.
Building from the takeaways and recommendations from its last editions, it will be a forum to present concrete recommendations for the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy – the challenges to be addressed, priorities, and concrete legislative, policy and budgetary measures.

AGENDA

European Poverty Watch Launch
2025-04-08 09:30 - 12:00 UTC | european economic and social comitee, Rue Belliard 99/101, Brussels, Belgium
On 8 April, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) will launch its latest Poverty Watch Report, “Towards a systemic approach to social protection”, at an event co-organised by the EAPN and the EESC Civil Society. It will take place at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.
Launch Page
Poverty has remained at considerable levels in Europe in recent years whilst progress towards meeting the EU’s 2030 poverty reduction targets remained limited. In this report, EAPN tries to highlight the need for significantly systemic efforts. Additionally, EAPN shares an update of the persistent poverty rates, in its various manifestations.
The absence of a systemic approach is evident throughout the various stages of the policy cycle of social rights instruments. Among the most salient issues, our 2024 Poverty Watch addresses:

The limited involvement of those living in poverty and social exclusion—both during the design of social protection policies and assessment of their impact.
Concerns about the coherence of social protection policies with the basic principles governing our democracies, as well as with other policies
The coverage and financing of social protection schemes
The growing number of challenges that hinder their protective function, such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, climate change, ageing societies, war, and the shrinking of democracies worldwide.

Agenda link.
This is an in-person event that will be webstreamed.
Registration link: https://forms.gle/DPHzha2GgcUGEchq8

EAPN Talks: The Economics of Poverty
2025-11-12 15:00 - 16:15 UTC | Online
Speaker: Professor Daniel Zamora Vargas
Date: 12 November, 3 p.m., online
This opening session examines how inequality is structurally embedded in our welfare states. Drawing on key thinkers, we will explore the ideological shifts that have reframed social protection as a cost rather than a right. The discussion will place the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy in a vital historical and political context, asking:

What economic models have shaped today’s welfare systems?
How has neoliberalism undermined the universality of social rights?
What alternative visions exist for rebuilding collective welfare?

Fill the registration form to attend!
Link for the event: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86839398917?pwd=[REDACTED]

23rd PEP Annual Meeting Participation in Action
2025-12-11 09:00 - 2025-12-12 17:00 UTC
On 11–12 December 2025, EAPN will hold the 23rd PEP Annual Meeting in Brussels, bringing together people experiencing poverty (PEP) from across Europe. This edition consolidates and closes a year-long series of meetings and consultations focused on the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
The PEP Meeting is a key moment for driving political development and policy change, connecting people experiencing poverty from EAPN national members to discuss the challenges and advances in the fight against poverty. In this edition, participants will also have the chance to engage with political stakeholders, European institutions, civil society organisations, and foundations.
EAPN continues to strengthen meaningful participation of people experiencing poverty at all levels of governance — local, national, and EU. This year’s agenda reflects this focus, offering capacity-building workshops designed to equip participants with the skills, confidence, and tools to engage meaningfully, influence decision-making, and participate safely and effectively throughout the advocacy cycle. Workshops will cover communication, advocacy, inclusion, participation, fundraising, and more.
This year’s meeting follows two major milestones: the High-Level European Commission Consultation on Poverty held on 18 September 2025 in Porto, and the First EU Anti-Poverty Day held on 5 November at the European Parliament. The PEP Meeting aims to consolidate the outcomes of both events, providing a dedicated space for exchange and for amplifying the voices, experiences, expertise and proposals of people experiencing poverty — voices that drive change within political spaces.
At the heart of EAPN’s mission is the belief that the fight against poverty is also a fight to empower people living in poverty and social exclusion. Meaningful participation is not just a principle, it is a key driver for eradicating poverty.
Stay tuned to learn more about the PEP Meeting.

EAPN Talks: Digitalisation of the Welfare State – A Surveillance Trap?
2026-02-24 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
Speaker: Bastien Le Querrec, La Quadrature du Net

Date: 24 February, 2 p.m., online
This session will explore how digitalisation is reshaping welfare systems across Europe, from automated decision-making and data-sharing practices to the growing risks of surveillance and exclusion.
Together with Bastien Le Querrec from La Quadrature du Net, we will examine whether digital tools are strengthening access to social protection or creating new barriers for people experiencing poverty. The discussion will focus on fundamental rights, accountability, and the safeguards needed to ensure that technology serves social justice rather than undermining it.
Fill the registration form to attend!
Link for the event

Report Launch Webinar: Advancing poverty eradication through the European Pillar of Social Rights
2026-03-18 10:00 - 11:00 (Europe/Brussels)
EAPN is launching its newest report Advancing poverty eradication through the European Pillar of Social Rights with an online webinar moderated by Marie-Amah Kouadio.
In this discussion, we will explore how the renewed EPSR Action Plan, to be launched in July 2026, can align with the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy to ensure two frameworks with one goal: ending poverty in Europe by 2050.
During this discussion we will also cover:
– How EU economic governance can be aligned with the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR)
– The role of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in financing social investment and structural transformation
– How can the EU shift from reducing poverty to eradicating it?
Register here and join us!

2025 European Poverty Watch Launch
2026-04-14 09:30 - 12:00 (Europe/Brussels) | european economic and social comitee, Rue Belliard 99/101, Brussels, Belgium
On 14 April, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) will launch its latest EU Poverty Watch report, “Promoting and Strengthening National and Local Anti-Poverty Strategies” (NAPS & LAPS), at an event co-organised with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Civil Society Organisations’ Group in Brussels.
The report provides a comprehensive analysis of current National Anti-Poverty Strategies (NAPS), highlighting common challenges as well as good practices across Europe.
Built on a bottom-up approach, the report draws on findings from nineteen EAPN national networks. These findings clearly demonstrate the crucial role of coordinated action across all levels of governance, local, national, and EU, in achieving the eradication of poverty in Europe, a goal EAPN has been pushing forward. This objective has also gained renewed political momentum following commitments by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September 2025.
Key highlights:
▪️ Insights from 19 EAPN’s national networks bottom-up research
▪️ Exploring how to promote and strengthen National and Local Anti-Poverty Strategies
▪️ Roundtable and Q&A with people experiencing poverty and EU representatives
Check the agenda
Webstream link: Follow Online

24th PEP Meeting "The Politics of Anti-Poverty: Participation, Power and Inclusion"
2026-06-04 09:00 - 2026-06-05 17:00 (Europe/Brussels)
The 24th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty will take place on 4–5 June 2026 in Larnaca, Cyprus, under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
This year’s meeting, themed “The Politics of Anti-Poverty: Participation, Power and Inclusion” will make people with lived experience of poverty take centre stage of policymaking.
At a time when the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy is taking shape, this meeting will be an important moment to test what meaningful participation looks like in practice, who gets to shape it and what implementation looks like when lived realities lead the way.
It will bring together people experiencing poverty, civil society and other stakeholders to build a common understanding of the challenges ahead and strengthen the collective response to poverty and social exclusion.
Over two days, participants will explore what it means to move from strategy to reality in the fight against poverty, with a focus on the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, participation, power, inclusion and implementation.
The meeting will also provide space to discuss shared priorities, advocacy pathways and the role of lived experience in shaping more effective and equitable anti-poverty responses across Europe.
At the heart of EAPN’s mission is the belief that the fight against poverty is also a fight to empower people living in poverty and social exclusion. Meaningful participation is not just a principle; it is a key driver for eradicating poverty.
Consult the Agenda

Thematic Meeting on Inclusive Language in Social Rights Communication
2026-06-18 12:30 - 14:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Our next Thematic Meeting on Inclusive Language in Social Rights Communication will explore how the words we use to talk about poverty and social exclusion shape perceptions, reinforce or challenge stigma and influence power relations.
Language is never neutral. The way we frame poverty in policy, communication and everyday discourse has a direct impact on how people are understood and treated.
Building on the COMM’ON Guidelines, which stress that communication should be not only accessible but also participatory, this session will reflect on how language can either reproduce or challenge exclusion.
🗓️ Date: Thursday 18th June
🕒 Time: 12:30 p.m. (CET)
📍 Format: Online
We’re happy to announce Dr. Keetie Roelen from the Poverty Unpacked Media Project and Karen Grech, a representative from Malta’s Anti-Poverty Forum, as our speakers. It will be an interactive session, in which everyone will have the opportunity to actively participate.
📩 To register, send an email to laura.ballester@eapn.eu
