Access to Public Services

Currently the EU is putting all its efforts into liberalizing and privatizing these services of general interest, so as to promote competition in the internal market. They argue that these services are of “economic interest”, that privatization and liberalisation will benefit the “consumer” through increased “choice”… but EAPN asks – Who really benefits? What has been the real impact on the poor and socially excluded? What real choice do they have?

EAPN is urging national Government and European Institutions to promote and support universal access to affordable, quality services, as part of integrated Active Inclusion approaches, based on its three mutually reinforcing pillars: adequate income support, access to services, and pathway approaches to inclusive labour markets and quality jobs. We are equally engaging in the framework of the Social Platform, to demand progress on developing a horizontal EU framework which will ensure social standards are met and ensure universal access to affordable, quality services, as a basic element of the EU social model.

 

EAPN work on housing and health

During 2015-2016, EAPN, together with its national and European Organisation members, carried out an in-depth mapping regarding main obstacles in access to housing and health services in Europe, as well as potential solutions and best practices in overcoming these obstacles. This mapping was based on dedicated sessions of discussion and exchange in the framework of the meetings of EAPN’s EU Inclusion Strategies Group (EU ISG), as well as a questionnaire to our membership. A comprehensive report, building on this mapping, can be found below.

 

EAPN work on energy poverty and vulnerable consumers

EAPN has been campaigning actively on energy poverty since 2008, together with other NGOs and actors (eg EPSU), particularly in collaboration with the rapporteur from the EP over the Third Energy Package in 2008, to develop proposals on energy poverty and strengthened consumer rights.  The Commission is now giving a key focus to strengthening the social dimension of the Energy Union in the Energy Union Strategy by focusing on energy poverty, in particular wanting specific inputs for key legislation being debated: the review of the electricity market design, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

EAPN is currently involved in key initiatives related to this topic:

1. The Vulnerable Consumer’s Working Group – a structured Dialogue established by DG Energy with DG Justice.
2. An EPC Task Force, established with financial support from Schneider Electric Foundation.
3. An EU project Assist 2gether.
4. The Right2Energy coalition of unions, anti-poverty organisations and environmental organisations.
5. A co-authorship of an energy poverty handbook with MEP Tamas Meszerics.
6. A campaign with the European Federation of Public Services Unions: Right to energy for all Europeans!

EAPN’s key concerns are to defend the right to affordable energy, through the development of an EU framework which can promote integrated approaches to energy poverty which tackle low income, high prices and high consumption/low energy efficiency and to reinforce consumer rights within the current internal-market dominated approach. A key concern is prevention of disconnection at critical times and the involvement of NGOs with people facing energy poverty in both the monitoring and delivery of community-based solutions.

Documents