EAPN

People's Summit | EAPN EU and EAPN Portugal Policy conference
2023-03-17 10:00 - 18:00 UTC
How has the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) translated into concrete actions to benefit those living in the EU? Has it achieved a strong social Europe that is fair, inclusive and full of opportunities? Where are the gaps and opportunities?
EAPN Portugal and EAPN Europe will host a People’s Summit in Porto, Portugal, bringing together people experiencing poverty (PeP), our national members, political stakeholders and grass-roots organisations. Through a series of workshops and plenaries, we will address the structural barriers and explore solutions for a meaningful EPSR Action Plan in the next Commission mandate.
This is an opportune moment to influence the agenda of the second edition of the Porto Social Summit by pointing out key subjects that need to be discussed and generate political commitment for an ambitious EU anti-poverty strategy in the next Commission mandate. And an opportunity to create a true culture of participation for people experiencing poverty, and for the civil society entities that work directly with them.
More info here.

Right to Energy Forum 2023
2023-02-21 - 2023-02-23
EAPN is honoured to participate in the launch of the Right to Energy Forum 2023, and raise the voice of people experiencing energy poverty in the ongoing energy and cost of living crisis.
Join us on 21 – 23 February 2023.
This year’s programme is filled to the brim with interactive sessions and inspiring talks from activists, experts, organisers, and government officials. Be sure to reserve your place, as tickets are based on availability.
Register here
Full Programme
With many Europeans already strained with the cost of living crisis, energy poverty is making headlines due to skyrocketing prices, forcing millions to make an unconscionable choice between eating and heating. This is a watershed moment for Europe. We must come together to ensure 2023 becomes a landmark year for tackling energy poverty, as well as implementing long-term solutions to shield the most vulnerable and prevent future energy crises.
Social justice should be at the core of the energy and climate transitions. Everyone has a right to clean, affordable energy and decent housing. Achieving a socially inclusive decarbonisation and ensuring affordable adequate housing are a collective responsibility. The Right to Energy movement is a people-powered movement that successfully challenges energy poverty in Europe since its formation in 2017
EAPN Europe will be hosting the following sessions:

After the windfall tax: The next big ideas for a right to energy
Climate Justice is Social Justice, Social Justice is Climate Justice

This year’s programme offers 3 days of discussions and interactive sessions with activists, politicians, environmental NGOs, trade unions, EU decision makers and solidarity collectives from across Europe to discuss energy poverty and its place in the social justice and climate movement as well as solutions to eradicate it.
For further information, please contact Sabrina Iannazzone (Policy & Advocacy Officer) at sabrina.iannazzone@eapn.eu

EU PeP Meeting 2022
2022-11-29 09:30 - 2022-11-30 14:00 UTC | Royal Library of Belgium, Boulevard de l'Empereur 4, Brussels, 1000, Belgium
The 20th edition of the European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty (PeP) took place under the title of ‘The unbearable cost of living‘ on 29 and 30 November 2022 in Brussels, Belgium and focused on the ongoing crisis caused by the very high cost of living.
The EU PeP Meeting 20022 explored challenges and solutions linked to the unbearably high cost of living caused by the multiple crises we have been facing: the economic crisis, climate crisis, the war in Ukraine and aftermath of the Corona crisis.
The meeting was an occasion for around 100 people experiencing poverty from about 30 different countries across Europe to have their voices heard, to connect with politicians and decision makers, and inform policymaking processes at European level on the impact of the cost of living crisis on people’s lives.
You can find the agenda of the meeting here.

For further information, please contact Magda Tancau (Membership Development & Participation Officer) at magda.tancau@eapn.eu and Chiara Gonzi (Events Officer) at chiara.gonzi@eapn.eu
To read more on the work that EAPN does with people experiencing poverty, please read here.

EAPN Poverty Watch 2022 launch | In Unequal Times of Crises
2022-10-13 09:00 - 11:30 UTC | European Parliament, Room ASP 7F387, Brussels, Belgium
On 13 October, EAPN holds the launch of our Poverty Watch “In Unequal Times of Crises” in the European Parliament, facilitated by Shada Islam, and co-hosted by MEP Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL), and MEP Mounir Satouri, (Greens/EFA).
The Poverty Watch is a bottom-up analysis of around 20 National Poverty Watches produced by our members that provides accurate evidence-based data on the state of play of poverty in Europe. This year’s edition incorporates the multiple relentless crises of the ongoing war in Ukraine, cost of living and energy crises and the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This turmoil, which is far from being solved, exacerbates the pre-existing social injustices affecting vulnerable groups the most.
During our event, which forms part of our activities for the 17 October International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we will present our preliminary findings and EU-level recommendations. It will be our opportunity to bring to the forefront the need for an integrated and ambitious EU anti-poverty strategy to over this particular time of relentless crises.
Our event aims to:

Update on current real challenges of poverty
Highlight EAPN’s key concerns and recommendations
Allow EU policymakers and Civil Society Organisations to react to our findings, and
Generate a high-level political debate with representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament and Civil Society Organisations on long-term plans to overcome crises and create a cohesive social Europe, free of poverty and inequality.

At this conference, we will present the EAPN proposals for the recommendation and ensure that the voices of people experiencing poverty are given a central role in the European debate on minimum income. Besides people experiencing poverty, the programme will also include speakers from the EU institutions, EU Member States, civil society and scientists.

The full agenda is available here.

Registration
You can sign up for the event here.
Practical Information

9:00 – 11:30 (Brussels time)
European Parliament, room ASP 1G2
Interpretation in English, Spanish and French

Follow the conversation on Twitter @EAPNEurope, on Instagram and on Facebook
#PovertyWatch ~ #EndPoverty
For further information on content, contact Kahina Rabahi (Policy & Advocacy Coordinator) kahina.rabahi@eapn.eu, or on registration, contact Rebecca Lee (Information & Events Officer), rebecca.lee@eapn.eu
For more information

Access the latest editions of the national Poverty Watches here
See our other 17 October International Day activities here

Measuring energy poverty to ensure a socially fair green transition
2022-10-11 11:30 - 12:30 UTC | Online
The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), together with Climate Alliance and Joint Research Centre, will host a workshop on “Measuring energy poverty to ensure a socially fair green transition”, in the context of the EU Regions’ Week. The session will take place online on Tuesday, 11 October 2022 from 11h30 to 13h00 CEST.
This session will bring together representatives from different organisations and with different capacities, in order to discuss the importance of impact assessment and data collection, as well as the challenges faced in measuring energy poverty and social justice in the green transition. EAPN’s own Policy Officer, Sabrina Iannazzone, will be sit on the panel as one of the speakers together with Gioros Koukoufikes from the Joint Research Centre, Alice Corovessi from INZEB, and Davide Cassanmagnago from the Covenant of Mayors Europe.

​The 20th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities (#EURegions​​Week) will take place from 10 to 13 October 2022 under the motto “New Challenges for Europe’s Cohesion“. The topics of this year’s edition cover green and digital transitions, territorial cohesion and youth empowerment, with special attention given to the role of cohesion policy in Europe’s sustainable recovery, as the most effective tool for solidarity in response to emergency and the aftermath of crises.
You can register to the workshop here -> bit.ly/euregionsweek-measuring-energypoverty

EAPN Annual Policy Conference 2022 | The Backbone of a Truly Social Europe
2022-06-28 14:00 - 17:00 UTC
With this policy conference, we aim to contribute to a strong and ambitious Recommendation on Minimum Income Schemes to the Council, with a rights-based approach, that genuinely delivers for people experiencing poverty.
Minimum income should be high enough to enable people to live with dignity and feel like a part of society, thus ending social exclusion.(Key Message on Minimum Income from the European Meeting of People experiencing Poverty 2021)

Around 91 million people in Europe – more than one in five ! – are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The successive crises that Europe went through in recent years, such as the pandemic, the energy crisis and the inflation due to the Russian invasion against Ukraine, have impacted people in poverty the hardest. Rising prices of food, housing, services and the general cost of living are threatening the dignity and even the lives of millions of Europeans. More than ever, a strong social Europe that provides solutions to address the structural and long-term causes of the problems mentioned is needed. In this context, well-designed and effective Minimum Income Schemes (MIS) play a vital role to provide income protection and a route out of poverty to people most in need in our societies.
EAPN has put a strong focus on Minimum Income Schemes, since many years, even decades. This intense focus on and experience with the topic does not only illustrate the urgent need to deliver. It also shows our commitment and belief that a strong legislative instrument can make a real difference in the fight against poverty. Therefore, EAPN welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to present a new Recommendation to the Council on Minimum Income. As stated in our position , EAPN strongly advises that -for the Recommendation to deliver for people experiencing poverty- it needs to include clear and detailed monitoring systems for the implementation of MIS.

We understand that there will be a Recommendation on Minimum Income next year, but we see risks and dangers (from experience). For this to be useful it needs to be accompanied by clear and detailed guidance. A general approach will not honestly deal with the situation on the ground. (Participant from Bulgaria in the EU PEP Meeting 2021).

At this conference, we will present the EAPN proposals for the recommendation and ensure that the voices of people experiencing poverty are given a central role in the European debate on minimum income. Besides people experiencing poverty, the programme will also include speakers from the EU institutions, EU Member States, civil society and scientists.

The full agenda is available here.

Registration
You can sign up for the event here.
Practical Information

14:00 – 17:00 (Brussels time)
Zoom online conference
The conference languages will be: English, Spanish and French

Follow the conversation on Twitter @EAPNEurope, on Instagram and on Facebook

For more information

Read EAPN position on minimum income here
Read Expert’s opinion on a binding framework here
Read more about the EMIN’s project on Minimum Income here
Read EAPN’s contribution to the call for evidence here

RIGHT TO ENERGY FORUM 2022
2022-01-24 14:00 - 18:00 UTC | Online
As one of the co-founding members of the Right to Energy Coalition, EAPN is honoured to launch the Right to Energy Forum 2022, together with the European Public Service Unions (EPSU) and Friends of the Earth Europe.
We will present the new EAPN-EPSU briefing on the Right to Affordable, Clean Energy for All Europeans, during the opening session of the Right to Energy Forum 2022.
Join us on January 24 (14:00 – 15:30) and stay tuned: @EAPNEurope
Discover the full programme!
REGISTER HERE
Right now, skyrocketing energy prices are exacerbating energy poverty, pushing millions of Europeans to choose between eating and heating. But energy poverty is not a new phenomenon. Since 2017, the Right to Energy movement has forged a people-powered movement to challenge energy poverty across Europe. In 2021, we came together to shape new vital EU legislation including the Fit for 55 package and the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Access to affordable clean energy is a human right, and equal participation in a low-carbon economy must not be a privilege for a few!
People living on inadequate income and in energy-inefficient houses are paying a high price for soaring energy costs, are often missed out on deep renovation and risk getting locked in the fossil fuel infrastructure in the next decade. The transition to climate neutrality has also an unequal impact on the workforce in terms of upskilling and reskilling, access to green jobs and decent working conditions.
EAPN believes that the Forum is the right place to remind that social justice should be at the core of the energy and climate transitions. Achieving a socially inclusive decarbonisation and ensuring affordable adequate housing are a collective responsibility.
This year’s programme offers 5 days of discussions and interactive sessions with activists, politicians, environmental NGOs, trade unions, EU decision makers and solidarity collectives from across Europe to discuss energy poverty and its place in the social justice and climate movement as well as solutions to eradicate it.
The following themes will be discussed:

Energy poverty and climate justice, showcasing the right to energy movement across the EU and explaining why it’s a climate justice issue.
Addressing the root causes of Energy poverty, showcasing renovations and renewables as a crucial solution to tackle energy poverty.
Towards an energy system for people and planet, showcasing the need to change the energy system, and exposing how the neoliberal energy market exploits poor households.
From words to action: Commitments across the EU, showcasing the high-level commitments and actions taken by and in the EU. •The Next Steps for the Right to Energy movement, how to continue strategising as a movement in the year ahead.

#2021PEP Annual European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty
2021-11-24 10:00 - 2021-11-25 12:00 UTC
Recharging Social Europe! #2021PEP

The 19th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty is organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) with the support of the European Commission

The full draft programme of the Meeting is available on the programme page of our Voices of Poverty section of the website.
The National Networks Preparation page will be filled with news from different countries of how preparations for this year’s Meeting are going – for now see the preparation of the last edition in 2019! You can also follow us on Facebook EAPN – European Anti-Poverty Network , Instagram @EAPNEurope and Twitter @EAPNEurope!

Objectives of the 2021 European meeting
This years’ Meeting of People experiencing poverty will be centered on four important discussion topics:

Housing
Adequate Minimum Income
Good quality health care services
Digitalisation and the access to services will be considered as a cross-cutting issue. How has access to digital technology (access to internet, access to devices, knowledge of using technology) impacted the access to the services mentioned above and others?

170 people experiencing poverty from 28 European countries are preparing around these topics and will meet on 24-25 November to share their knowledge and experience with each other, and with EU decision-makers.
The crisis has severely impacted people experiencing poverty, and the Meeting is a concrete opportunity for PEP to express directly their experiences, concerns and recommendations in the context of a direct dialogue with key policy makers and politicians at EU level. This year therefore, in the context of a future-looking EU, the meeting will be shining a spotlight on the political priorities of PEP for rethinking and building a new future for Europe and its citizens.
This year, we propose an online meeting combining plenary sessions with online interactive workshops and short symbolic/visibility actions at national level. It is open to all representatives of National and EU level Institutions, interested in hearing experiences from the ground and engaging in dialogue with people experiencing poverty.
For further information, please contact Magda Tancau (Membership Development & Participation Officer) magda.tancau@eapn.eu
Practical info:
10:00 – 16:30 (24 Nov 2021) & 10:45 – 12:15 (25 Nov 2021), online

EAPN Annual Policy Conference 2021 | Building Back Better without Poverty!
2021-06-29 09:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Brussels)
On 29 June, the annual EAPN Policy Conference will take place. This time around we will have a timely discussion of the further impacts of a continuing COVID-19 pandemic on poverty, but also look at how the green and digital transitions of the EU will impact people at risk of social and economic exclusion in Europe.
The objectives of the conference are to:

Generate a high-level political debate on the ongoing impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable and poor and how to advance social rights and the creation of a cohesive and inclusive society for all
Update the situation of poverty according to the different profiles of people in poverty affected by the pandemic (hearing from experts on Child and Elderly Poverty, Gender Inequality, undocumented migrants, and the Homeless)
Discuss the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (EPSR AP)
Debate a possible new overarching Europe 2030 strategy against poverty, linking the Green Deal, Digital Europe and the EPSR AP in order to ensure an equal commitment to realise green, digital and social targets
Evaluate the EPSR Action Plan’s goal of reducing the number of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million.

The event will be formed of two panels, with Katarina Ivanković Knežević, Director of Social Affairs in the European Commission providing a keynote speech.
The full agenda can be viewed here.
The complete list of confirmed speakers can be found here:

Katarina Ivanković Knežević, Director of Social Affairs, DG EMPL, European Commission
Annoula Magga, Vice-President of EAPN Greece, Person experiencing poverty
Jiri Svarc, Head of Unit for Social Investment Strategy DG EMPL, European Commission
Maciej Kucharczyk, General Secretary, AGE Platform Europe
Freek Spinnewijn, Director, Feantsa
Ally Dunhill, Head of Advocacy, Eurochild
Michele Levoy, Secretary General, PICUM
Mary Collins, Senior Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, European Womens Lobby
Dennis Radtke MEP
Cveto Ursic, State Secretary for Social Affairs at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Slovenia
Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
Marisa Matias MEP
Federico Lucidi, Deputy Head of Unit for Employment and Social Aspects of the European Semester, DG EMPL, European Commission
Graciela Malgesini, EAPN EU Inclusion Strategies Group co-Chair/EAPN Spain

Registration
You can sign up for the event here.
Practical Information

9:00 – 13:00 (Brussels time)
Zoom online conference
English, Spanish, Greek and French languages!!

Follow the conversation on Twitter @EAPNEurope

EAPN Portugal|Europe webinar | Action Plan for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights
2021-03-22 10:00 - 17:00 UTC
On 22 March, EAPN Portugal and EAPN Europe will hold an online conference “Action Plan for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights”. It will be opened by the Minister of State for the Portuguese Presidency of the EU, Mariana Vieira da Silva, and the President of EAPN Portugal, Padre Jardim Moreira, and José Antonio Vieira da Silva , Advisor to the Presidency will give a keynote speech. Ana Mendes Godinho, Ministry of Labour, Solidarity & Social Protection, will close the afternoon session. See other key speakers below.
There will be two round tables, the first in the morning on the Action Plan for the Implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the second in the afternoon on Adequate Minimum Income.
On 4 March 2021, the European Commission issued its Action Plan, and EAPN issued a first reaction on 5 March. We are working on a more comprehensive analysis, building on the EAPN Response to the EC Consultation on the EPSR AP (June 2020).
The event seeks answers to the following questions: How can we best use the Action Plan to reduce poverty and social exclusion and to improve the access to and quality of public services for all? How can we ensure that everybody has access to adequate and enabling minimum income schemes? And how can we best give a role and voice to people experiencing poverty?
It will cater for interpretation in English, Portuguese and French and will be livestreamed on the EAPN Portugal Facebook page.
Access the agenda and background information here.
Key speakers in morning round table on the Action Plan’s meaning for citizens’ lives | chair: Sandra Monteiro, Le Monde Diplomatique:

Katarina Ivankovic-Knezevic, Director, DG Employment, European Commission
Edmundo Martinho, Coordinator of the Portuguese Strategy to combat Poverty
Graciela Malgesini, EU and Advocacy Officer, EAPN Spain and Co-Chair of EAPN EU Inclusion Strategies Group
Representative of Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Vladimir Špidla, Former European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and Advisor to EAPN Czech Republic
Jeanne Dietrich, Housing Technical Councellor, UNIOPSS and EAPN France
Valentina Vehovar, Acting-Director, Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Key speakers in afternoon round table on Adequate Minimum Income | chair: Sandra Araujo, EAPN Portugal:

Mathias Maucher, EAPN Policy Officer
Dr. Andreas Aust, Social policy Officer, Der Paritätische and EAPN Germany
Cidalia Barriga, Representative of National Citizens Council, EAPN Portugal
Linnéa Partanen, Person with experience of poverty representative, EAPN Finland

Practical Info and registration:

22 March 2021, 10:00-13:30 CET; 15:00-17:00 CET
Interpretation in EN, PT, FR
Livestreaming on Facebook page of EAPN Portugal
Registration link.

Follow the conversation on Twitter @EAPNEurope
For further information on content, contact Mathias Maucher (Policy Officer) mathias.maucher@eapn.eu, or on registration, contact Rebecca Lee (Information & Events Officer), rebecca.lee@eapn.eu

This event is supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI” (2014-2020). The information contained does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission. For further information please consult: http://ec.europa.eu/social/easi.

Launch of Poverty Watch 2020 – "Covid-19 supercharging poverty": data and experiences from the ground
2021-01-29 14:00 - 16:30 UTC
The Poverty Watches start from the reality of people experiencing poverty and the perspectives of NGOs who work with them. With poverty predicted to rise to at least levels seen in the 2008 crisis, and the EU Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights and Recovery and Resilience Plans around the corner, the time is now to get poverty elimination right.
The event, hosted online by MEPs Cindy Franssen and Marisa Matias, will hear about realities and recommendations from our members in Belgium, Portugal, Slovenia and in the International Federation of Social Workers. MEPs and the Commission will respond and together we will discuss ways forward.
Draft Programme
You can find the draft programme here (PDF).
Registration
To register to the conference, please fill in this form before 22 January 2021.
Practical information
Format: via Zoom
Date: 29 January 2021 – 14:00 – 16:30

For further information on content, contact Anna Krozser (Policy & Advocacy Coordinator) anna.krozser@eapn.eu, or on registrations Rebecca Lee (Information & Events Officer), rebecca.lee@eapn.eu | Tel. +32 2 226
#PovertyWatch

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - European Parliament Poverty Intergroup event
2020-10-15 15:00 - 17:30 UTC
Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all
We and members ATD Fourth World have been working with the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Poverty who are planning an online event on 15 October 2020. The focus will be ‘Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all’, which links to the global theme (see here).
Time: 15:00 – 17:30
To register, click here
Interpretation: English, French, Italian and Portuguese
PROGRAMME

15:00 – 15:10
Introduction
Cindy Franssen | Co-Chair of the IG Fighting Against Poverty

15:10 – 15:25
Key Note Speech
Olivier De Schutter | UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty

15:25 – 16:00
Experiences and recommendations from the point of view of persons experiencing poverty
Video | Dialogue on sustainability with persons experiencing poverty in Belgium
Céline Dock | ATD Fourth World / Belgium
Cidália Barriga | European Anti-Poverty Network / Portugal
Pacou Dessicy | European Anti-Poverty Network / Belgium

16:00 – 16:20
First reactions
Marisa Matias | Vice-Chair of the IG Fighting Against Poverty
Marie Toussaint | Vice-Chair of the IG Fighting Against Poverty
Santina Bertulessi | Deputy Head of Cabinet – Commissioner Nicholas Schmit
Representative of the Green New Deal European Parliament Intergroup

16:20 – 16:50
Open the floor for other participants

16:50 – 17:00
Wrap-up and Closure
Pierfrancesco Majorino, Co-Chair of the IG Fighting Against Poverty

Conference Our Social Europe - Strong Together | Germany's Presidency of the Council of the European Union
2020-09-16 09:30 - 17:00 UTC
EAPN will take an active part in the conference “Our Social Europe – Strong Together” on 16 September 2020. This conference organised by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs under their presidency of the Council of the European Union will be the opportunity to discuss:

How can we use social and employment policy but also economic and fiscal policy to bolster the upward convergence of living conditions in Europe and overcome the crisis?
What are effective ways to promote inclusive growth and combat inequality and poverty in Europe?

The Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU
The aim is to promote solidarity and to work together on the issue of upward convergence in living and working conditions in view of the Corona crisis. Our Social Europe is only strong together.
EAPN’S workshop
EAPN, along with Caritas Europe, Eurodiaconia and the Social Platform, will hold a workshop on Adequate, accessible & enabling minimum income schemes across Europe. We are going to specifically advocate for an EU Framework Directive on Adequate Minimum Income to lay the foundation of a basic social safety net, while at the same time reducing poverty and inequalities by fostering upward social convergence within and across EU Member States and mitigating the immediate and long-term socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speakers
The conference will include contributions by:

Violeta Alexandru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Romania
Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Protection, Portugal
Hubertus Heil, Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany
Renate Hornung-Draus, Managing Director, Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA)
Jana Maláčová, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic
David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament
Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)

Registration
Please note that the conference will be held on-line but in case the situation allows, a limited number of seats will be available for on-site guests. If you want to participate on-site in Berlin, you need to register by 12th August 2020 here!
Read the programme

EAPN’s online policy conference | How to ensure the poor don’t pay for Covid-19 – From short-term response to an effective rights-based integrated antipoverty strategy ~14 July 2020
2020-07-14 14:00 - 16:30 UTC
EAPN’s annual policy conference will be held online on 14 July, 14-16:30, which will focus on how to ensure the poor don’t pay for Covid-19 – and ensuring that short-term responses feed into an effective long-term rights-based EU strategy to fight poverty. There will be interpretation between English and Spanish.
The current COVID19 epidemic is decimating Europe, with a far-reaching social impact, particularly on the poor and most vulnerable who are hardest hit. This is already leading to a substantial increase in poverty and inequality, unequally spread across different regions and countries (see EAPN COVID-19 statement). Most Member States have developed immediate aid packages which in many cases directly benefit the poor and vulnerable. Most however are only temporary. Will these deliver concrete results for people experiencing poverty? Will these short-term measures feed into a progressive, rights-based EU strategy to fight poverty? What needs to be done to ensure this outcome?
EAPN and its members responded quickly to the outbreak of the virus with a Statement and letter to the European Council on key measures as well as a letter to Commissioner Schmit, signed by large number of MEPs and key stakeholders. See our dedicated online resource, including voices from the ground, here. Over the past 2 months we have carried out a detailed study including webinar exchanges with our members in 32 countries, tracking the impact of the crisis on people experiencing poverty and the efficacy of the measures being taken.
In the longer term, we want to see these measures underpinned by an EU integrated strategy to fight poverty, that invests in adequate incomes (decent wages, adequate minimum income and social protection) and access to essential services, as part of the Action Plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights. Adopting a social and sustainable Agenda 2030 strategy, that makes ending poverty a pre-requisite, will be key to ensuring real results for people experiencing poverty. (See EAPN’s position Paper on post 2020: Delivering Agenda 2030 for people and planet).
With this online conference we will now present our study’s main findings and policy recommendations for national and EU levels and discuss them with decision makers & stakeholders.
See the programme here
Register here by 10 July!

The Time is Now to make Europe Poverty Free! #2019PEP
2019-11-18 08:00 - 2019-11-19 14:30 UTC
The Time is Now to make Europe Poverty Free! #2019PEP

The 18th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty is organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) with the support of the EU Commission and the EAPN Fund, and with the participation of the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The programme of the Meeting is available here.

The National Networks Preparation page will soon be filled with even more news from different countries of how preparations for this year’s Meeting are going! You can also follow us on Facebook EAPN – European Anti-Poverty Network and Twitter @EAPNEurope!
Objectives of the 2019 European meeting
This years’ Meeting of People experiencing poverty will be centered on five important discussion topics:

Access to housing,
Participation of people experiencing poverty in the lives of their communities and societies,
Access to adequate minimum income,
Access to good quality health care services,
and access to decent jobs and equal employment opportunities for different categories.

Over a hundred people experiencing poverty from 30 European countries are preparing around this topic and will be in Brussels on 18-19 November to share their knowledge and experience with each other, and with EU decision-makers.
The 2019 European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty is taking place during a new term of the European Commission and Parliament. We are hoping to use this opportunity to raise awareness about the history and the importance of the PeP meetings, which have been organized since 2000. This meeting, as with all the past meetings, will allow people with direct experience of poverty to discuss their political priorities, first at the national level and then during the European meeting. We would like to use this meeting to shape the agenda of the new European institutions to include the common priorities of those experiencing poverty throughout Europe.

Practical info:
9:30 – 17:30 (18 Nov) & 9:00 – 14:30 (19 Nov), Crowne Plaza, Rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels
Places are limited so please contact us if keen to participate @ magda.tancau (@) eapn.eu!

EAPN Annual conference | Beyond Europe 2020 to Agenda 2030: Working together for a post 2020 strategy that really benefits people and planet
2019-06-13 08:30 - 13:00 UTC
EAPN’s annual conference will be 13 June. We will provide a participative reflection space to progress concrete proposals.
The conference will aim to:

To raise awareness of current challenges facing people experiencing poverty in the context of a lacking strategy.
To exchange with stakeholders & decision-makers on concrete proposals for the EU post 2020 Strategy.
To debate on how to create synergies to benefit people and planet, as part of a transformative EU and in the context of the new Commission and Parliament.

See the programme here!
2020 marks the end of the Europe 2020 strategy that aimed to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Despite unacceptable failure to deliver on the key target to reduce those in poverty by at least 20 million people by 2020, no review or public consultation of the strategy is planned.
The main proposals coming from the Commission are through the Future of Europe Reflection papers. In January 2019 a new Reflection Paper “Towards a sustainable Europe by 2030’’ was adopted. This paper aims to stimulate discussion on the EU’s vision and strategy for the long-term implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as part of a broader debate on the future of Europe and the priority setting for the new European Commission. It sets out three scenarios on how Agenda 2030 and the SDGs could be incorporated into the EU’s priorities.
One of the priorities is a socially fair transition to a sustainable economy that should leave no one behind, yet the paper predominantly focuses on how to deliver green growth, with the social objectives left to the European Pillar of Social Rights.
In 2017, EAPN’s policy conference Learning from the past to beyond Europe 2020 already agreed key messages on the need for an ambitious post 2020 built on Europe 2020 targets that could deliver an “ambitious social, sustainable and democratic vision for Europe based on Agenda 2030 and the SDGs”. This strategy should implement the European Pillar of Social Rights and develop an explicit rights-based integrated anti-poverty strategy based on active participation and backed by EU funding. This has been further developed under EAPN’s Future of Europe Position Paper, calling for support for a sixth scenario.
This participative conference comes therefore at a timely moment – just after the election of the new European Parliament and the start of the new Commission, – to agree concrete demands that can ensure that the post 2020 strategy really delivers on social rights and poverty, putting SDG 1 at the heart of a truly social and sustainable post 2020 strategy.
Key speakers

First Vice-President, Commissioner Frans Timmermans, European Commission (tbc)
Carlos Susías, EAPN President/EAPN ES
Vera Hinterdorfer, EAPN Vice-President/Activist with direct experience of poverty/EAPN AT
Heather Roy, Secretary General, Eurodiaconia
Freek Spinnewijn, Director, FEANTSA
Jana Hainsworth, Secretary General, Eurochild (tbc)
Leida Rijnhout, Steering Group member, SDG Watch and Agenda 2030 Multi-Stakeholder Platform
Mary Collins, Senior Policy & Advocacy Coordinator, European Women’s Lobby
Graciela Malgesini, Chair of EAPN EU Inclusion Strategies Group/EAPN ES
Marco Cilento, Senior Advisor, ETUC
First Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mairead McGuiness (via video)

Practical information
13 June 2019, 9:00 – 13:00, Area 42, rue des Palais 46A, 1030 Brussels
Around 80 EAPN members, including people with direct experience of poverty, and around 50 external stakeholders will participate.
For further information on content, contact Sian Jones (Policy Coordinator) sian.jones@eapn.eu or on registrations Rebecca Lee (Information & Events Officer), rebecca.lee@eapn.eu | Tel. +32 2 226 58 50
Follow us on Twitter @EAPNEurope
Photo: © Rebecca Lee, EAPN
This event is supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI” (2014-2020). The information contained does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission. For further information please consult: http://ec.europa.eu/social/easi.

Dignity and Well-being: Exchange for changing Seminar
2019-05-09 | Warsaw
SMES-Europa, with partners of the project Erasmus+, organise the European Seminar : “Dignity and Well-being- Exchange for changing” , to conclude and to disseminate the results of the Erasmus+ project.
The Seminar will take place in Warsaw on 9 May 2019.
The purpose of this seminar is to exchange of experience and views on:

how to promote fundamental rights and well-being for persons in extreme poverty situation, connected with severe mental health problems, helping them for :

social assistance,
adequate housing,
proper healthcare,
participation opportunities;

how to ensure better cooperation and coordination between services and institutions helping such persons – especially on the junction of social and health fields;
how to reach out to those isolated in most precarious conditions.

More information is available in this MANUAL
The organization of this final European meeting is particularly assured by the local Erasmus+ partner: the Diocesan Caritas of Warsaw, in collaboration with the other seven partners: Applicant : Centro Hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa (PT) – SMES-Europa (BE) – Projekt UDENFOR (DK) – ISTITUTO ANDREA DEVOTO (IT) – Society of Social Psychiatry & Mental Health (GR) – PARC SANITARI SANT JOAN DE DEU (SP) – Midladns Simon Community (IRL)

Agenda
The agenda is available here

Registration
To register, please submit your registration before 20 April (you can find the registration form here)
Please send back this form filled in by email to: aczarnocki@caritasaw.pl
Or contact Andrzej Czarnocki: +48 602 698 054

Popular Political Economy in Europe? Looking for a pathway for job-creating and ecological public investment
2019-03-14 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | RLS Brussels, Rue Saint-Ghislain, 62, Brussels, 1000, Belgium
It is obvious that the economy after the major global crash in 2007 did not return to a sustainable path that would guarantee a decent life in dignity, providing socio-economic security and unfolding of human capabilities to the majority of European citizens. At the beginning of 2019, it is highly likely that we are entering a new recession. Also, while there are signs of stability in some places, it is equally clear that such achievements are established on the shoulders of social strata and/or countries and regions that are not winners of global value chains, but losers, standing at the end of poverty chains. Within the EU, it is evident by the arrogance, expressed in using the term “PIIGS” for a group of member states that are victims of an oppressive economic strategy; globally, it is obvious that the catching-up of the so-called emerging economies means increasing inequality in countries such as Brazil, China and India.
The European Economists for an Alternative Economic Policy in Europe (the EuroMemo Group) is a network of European researchers and scholars addressing these issues by a critical analysis of contemporary developments in the European Union. Critical research and policy analysis alone will however not trigger political change on the ground. In order to achieve the latter, discussion and coordination with political activists is essential for asking the important questions and to move things forward.
We face the urgent need to go beyond the orientation of coping with the manifest crisis and the temporary recoveries. We need – globally, regionally and nationally – socio-economic programmes that allow for a transformation towards a ‘people’s economy’, also being a bulwark against authoritarian populist advances. This evening will briefly present the EuroMemo Group’s work and recent analysis. The main aim is to continue and enhance the debate with other actors, aiming to solidify the common ground for a popular Europe, able to withstand an apparent populist Zeitgeist.

Agenda
You can download the agenda here

WELCOME by Andreas Thomsen, Head of RLS Brussels Office
PRESENTATION of the EuroMemo 2019 by Werner Raza & Marija Bartl
PANEL DISCUSSION: POLITICAL PRIORITIES FOR A POPULAR POLITICAL ECONOMY IN EUROPE

Sian Jones, European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
Nick Meynen, European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Peter Herrmann, EuroMemo
Alter Summit (to be confirmed)

Registration
If you would like to participate please register by March 11th, by sending an email to janna.aljets@rosalux.org.

For more information, click here

Poverty Watch: The reality of poverty and social exclusion in the EU
2019-01-29 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | European Parliament, room ASP 5E3, Brussels, Belgium
The European Parliament’s Intergroup Fighting Against Poverty and EAPN are pleased to invite you to the meeting of the Intergroup on:
Poverty Watch: The reality of poverty and social exclusion in the EU.
An exchange on the European Anti-Poverty Network’s 2018 Poverty Watch Reports.
The event will be held on Tuesday 29 January 2019, from 13h00 to 15h00 at the European Parliament in Brussels, room ASP 5E3.
The conference will be an opportunity to exchange together on the Poverty Watch reports from Finland, Spain, Italy and Lithuania.

Practical information
The agenda is available here
The Poverty Watch Summary is available here
Registration is now closed

For further information on content, contact Sian Jones (Policy Coordinator) sian.jones@eapn.eu, or on registrations Florence Tornincasa (Information & Events Officer), florence.tornincasa@eapn.eu | Tel. +32 2 226 58 50

"Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2018" Presentation-debate
2018-12-11 08:30 - 12:30 UTC | The International Auditorium, Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5, Brussels, 1210, Belgium
To mark the 19th edition of their flagship publication, the European Social Observatory (OSE) and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) are holding a presentation-debate.
A dominant issue in this annual review is the way in which the European Pillar of Social Rights has influenced EU policy making even before it was politically endorsed. The book examines the impact of the Pillar’s new ‘rights-based social investment approach’ while also questioning if the Pillar could encourage a fully-fledged ‘European Social Union’. But will it also be able to steer the EU’s macroeconomic policies? This volume looks at social protection of the self-employed, recent progress in occupational health and the impact of the digital transition on job quality. Eco-social policies need to be put on the agenda urgently – but at whose expense?
Confirmed speakers: Anne Bergenfelt, EC, DG for Climate Action; Liina Carr, ETUC; Maxime Cerrutti, BusinessEurope; Dalila Ghailani, OSE; Maurizio Ferrera, University of Milan; Max Koch, University of Lund; Vasiliki Kokkori, Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen; Philippe Pochet, ETUI; Slavina Spasova, OSE; Sebastiano Sabato, OSE; Bart Vanhercke, OSE; Mathijn Wilkens, EUROFOUND.
Practical details & participation:
Date: Tuesday 11 December 2018 (8h30 – 12h45).
Venue: The International Auditorium, Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5 – 1st floor – 1210 Brussels
Interventions in EN and FR: interpretation in these languages will be provided.
Please register here (registration is mandatory)
More information and agenda here
Follow the debate on Twitter: #SPEU18

“Building Social Europe”, Flagship conference by Social Platform
2018-11-29 09:00 - 2018-11-30 14:00 (Europe/Lisbon) | Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Av. de Berna, 45 A, Lisbon, Portugal, 1067 001, Portugal
We are pleased to announce the Flagship Conference “Building Social Europe” that will take place on 29-30 November 2018 in Lisbon and which is organised in cooperation with the Portuguese Government. Arrivals are foreseen on 28 November and a networking dinner is planned for all members on that day. We very much hope that many of you and your Portuguese members will join us and make our very first Flagship Conference a big success! We invite and encourage you to register soon, as the number of places is limited.
You can find more information and the provisional programme on our website and facebook event where all the updates and practical information will be posted.

Practical details & participation:
Registration deadline: Monday, 5 November 2018. You can register here.
Reimbursement: Up to 500 euro of travel and accommodation costs for two nights on 28 and 29 November for one person per member organisation will be reimbursed. In addition we will reimburse up to 200 euro to support the participation of one delegate from your Portuguese member.
Accommodation: Social Platform is currently pre-booking rooms in hotels near the conference venue. More information will be sent to you after confirming your registration.
Language of the conference: The conference will be in English and Portuguese. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided during all panels and workshops.

17th EU Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty - Let’s make education a way out of poverty! #2018PEP
2018-11-07 09:00 - 2018-11-08 14:30 UTC | MCE Conference & Business Centre, Rue de l'Aqueduc 118, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
Over a hundred people experiencing poverty from 30 European countries are preparing around this topic and will be in Brussels on 7-8 November to share their knowledge and experience with each other, and with EU decision-makers.
For EAPN, education is a state of being ready for continuous learning, and ready for life. It is a fundamental right that should be accessible to all and not solely seen as a means to access the labour market. Thus, we will be using participative methodologies to discuss issues like:

Developing a broad and inclusive education policy
Early-learning, early school-leaving and child poverty
Lifelong learning beyond labour market needs
Ensuring participation of students and parents experiencing poverty in education schemes… And much more.

The programme is available on our dedicated Voices of Poverty section of this website.
You can also follow the preparation of the meeting on Facebook EAPN – European Anti-Poverty Network and Twitter @EAPNEurope (#2018PEP)!
For further information, contact Stéphanie Genteuil (PeP Support Officer) stephanie.genteuil@eapn.eu | Tel. +32 2 226 58 50
The 17th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty is organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) with the support of the EU Commission, the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the EAPN Fund.

Co-creating open digital services for age-friendly cities and communities - Join Mobile Age Final Conference
2018-10-10 10:00 - 16:00 UTC | Royal Library of Belgium, Boulevard de l'Empereur 4, Brussels, 1000, Belgium
AGE has been involved in the EU-funded project Mobile Age since early 2016. The project aims at co-creating together with older persons digital services to support their independent living, offer greater opportunities for social participation, and improve their mobility.
Local governments are more and more using open data to provide public services to their citizens. However, they lack tools on how to involve citizens, especially older citizens, in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of these initiatives in order to make them address citizens’ needs and expectations in their daily life. To fill that gap, the Mobile Age project, together with older persons, local government, social care service providers, has developed and tested a co-creation methodology and tools in four pilot sites: Bremen (DE), South Lakeland (UK), Zaragoza (ES) and Region Central Macedonia (EL).
AGE is now co-organising the final conference of the project in Brussels on 10 October 2018. The event will offer the opportunity to learn about the tools and discuss our lessons learnt and policy briefings in order to help other cities and regions to benefit from them.
Practical details & participation
More information on this event can be found here.
You may already register here | Deadline: 30 September 2018
Agenda and speakers can be found
here

Please note that the event is free of charge.

Policy Conference: Implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights – Experiences and Practices in European Countries and International Perspectives
2018-09-28 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | Cultural hall of the VHS Wien Rudolfsheim, Schwendergasse 41, Wien, 1150, Austria
The policy conference is organized by the European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) and the Austrian Network “Die Armutskonferenz”, in the framework of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The conference supports the exchange of experiences of national networks about the use of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) in the European Semester, policy papers and public relations / media work. It aims to find ways and elaborate strategies to use the EPSR to meaningfully combat poverty and social exclusion at the European and National Level.
Conference language is English.
Registration until 20. September by sending an Email to office@armutskonferenz.at
The participation is free of costs.
The conference is supported by the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Debate on Democracy & "The People"
2018-09-19 09:00 - 18:00 UTC | Room 1, ‘Palais de l’Europe’, Council of Europe, 528 Avenue de l'Europe, Strasbourg, France, 67000, France
On 19 September 2018, to mark the International Day of Democracy, the Directorate General of Democracy and the Conference of INGOs are organising a debate entitled: Democracy & “The People”, aiming to re-assert the value of our democratic institutions based on individual human rights, civic participation in public decision-making and the rule of law. Click here to see more information.
The keynote address by Yascha Mounk, author of “The People vs Democracy”, will set the tone and the framework for this discussion – that the values and institutions of democracy and human rights must be preserved and defended not only by capable leaders dedicated to the common good, but also with integrity and courage by engaged citizens. Click here to access the full programme.
Practical details & participation
Languages of debate: English / French.
Location: Room 1, ‘Palais de l’Europe’, Council of Europe.
Register online before 11 September 2018. You can find the registration form here.

EAPN annual Policy conference 5 July: Social Protection for All! How can the Social Pillar and SDGs build stronger welfare states?
2018-07-05 08:30 - 13:00 UTC
EAPN’s annual conference will be on 5 July, 9:00-13:00, under the title Social Protection for All! How can the Social Pillar and SDGs build stronger welfare states?
The conference will be an opportunity to exchange together on the following questions:

What is Social Protection for all?
How can we ensure that all people, children, adults and older people get right to adequate and equal protection against all life risks?
Do we need a new concept of ‘Welfare States’?
How can this be achieved ensuring fairer redistribution?

It aims to:

Present why social protection for all is key, including input from people experiencing poverty;
Discuss the challenges and promising practices from the national level;
Get feedback & debate on access to social protection and guaranteed minimum income with the European Commission, European Parliament, Council & Civil Society partners;
Give special attention to the financing and concept of Welfare states with input from the ILO and other Civil Society Organisations.

Key speakers invited:

People experiencing poverty & EAPN members
Joost Korte, Director General DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Jana Hainsworth, President of Social Platform and Eurochild General Secretary
A representative of the EMIN project (European Minimum Income Network)
MEP Maria João Rodrigues, Vice-President of the S&D Group and President of FEPS
Jan Farzan, German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
A representative from ILO
Francine Mestrum, Founder of Global Social Justice
Conny Reuter, Solidar General Secretary

Practical details & participation
The conference will be from 9:00-13:00 in the Crowne Plaza hotel, rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels.
Participants: Around 80 EAPN members, including people with direct experience of poverty, and around 60 external stakeholders participants.
For further information on content, contact Sian Jones (Policy Coordinator) sian.jones@eapn.eu, or on registrations Rebecca Lee (Information & Events Officer), rebecca.lee@eapn.eu | Tel. +32 2 226 58 50
See the full webpage about the event here.

WORLD CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DUBLIN
2018-07-04 - 2018-07-07 | Dublin, Ireland

World Community Development Conference
2018-06-24 - 2018-06-27 | Maynooth, Ireland

Future Challenges for the Homeless Sector in Europe | FEANTSA 2018 Policy Conference
2018-06-14 - 2018-06-15 | Berlin, Germany
FEANTSA and Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Wohnungslosenhilfe e.V. (BAG W)
invite you to save the date for the 2018 annual FEANTSA conference.
Mingle with over 300 participants and a range of high-level speakers from across the homeless sector and wider European policy-making field.
With a range of different workshops, site visits and working spaces to choose from, come and share your inspirational practices and engage in policy debates on a diverse range of issues.

26th European Social Services Conference
2018-05-28 - 2018-05-30 | Seville, Spain
The 26th European Social Services Conference (ESSC) will take place in Seville (Spain) on 28-30 May 2018, organised by the European Social Network and for the first time in association with the Regional Ministry of Equality and Social Policies of the Regional Government of Andalusia.
The 26th anniversary edition of the ESSC will explore how we can improve services through social investments.
Throughout the conference, various organisations from all sectors will be hosting workshops showcasing the latest good practice examples from across Europe – and your organisation could be one of them!
Within the overarching theme for 2018, the EESC will feature innovative initiatives on the following four streams:

INVESTING in people-centred services
INVESTING in new forms of partnerships
INVESTING in the social service workforce
INVESTING in technology

Click here for more information.
