EXCO Meeting – 23 April 2010 Taking Action together on Europe 2020

Update on current developments What’s coming up? Outline Update on current developments What’s coming up? EAPN actions so far – how effective? Next Steps: Flagship Platform on Poverty – what do we want? Lobbying options at EU and national level

Current State of Play 3rd March – Commission Communication: Europe 2020 – for smart, green and inclusive growth Not new social and sustainable but some step forward…. Proposes a target to reduce poverty by 25% by 2020, based on relative poverty indicator (60% median income) Flagship Platform to combat Poverty and social exclusion, based on a “transformed Social OMC” and backed by Structural Funds 3rd March – summary of consultation responses (long) Strong social input/particularly from social NGOs 25-26 March: Spring Council Conclusions Agrees 5 headline targets in principle But backtracks on poverty target – needs more work (June Council)

What’s coming up? 27th April: Commission to publish new Integrated Guidelines 10 Guidelines ( 6 economic and 4 employment – based on Treaty) 1 poverty and social guideline – but under employment guidelines? May - European Parliament Report and Resolution – but likely to be weak. SPC/EMCO preparing inputs on Guidelines and Flagship Programme on Poverty (April/May) 7-8 June: EPSCO Council 17-18 June: European Council – agrees main position on strategy, targets and guidelines (in principle) Autumn: Commission presents Flagship Platform on Poverty October: MS present new National Reform Programmes ( based on the Guidelines) –on targets, guidlines and “bottlenecks”.

EAPN Actions: EU and National Influencing the shape of the strategy EU We Trust: common proposals on post 2010 EAPN Parliamentary event – December 2009 Engagement with SP and Spring Alliance events and positions Letters and lobbying of Barroso, Commission and Van Rompuy Response to the Consultation – EAPN,SP and many national networks Responding to Commission’s proposals and Spring Council EAPN Response to Europe 2020 Letters to Barroso – communication/consultation/targets Letters to PM’s/Press Releases – Spring Council - Guidelines Arguments and Position on Targets and Guidelines Meetings with Van Rompuy’s Cabinet, Andor and cabinet. Meetings with EP = Employment Ctee/ Greens/s+d Discussions with Belgian and Spanish Presidency National Members Lobbying of MS makes all the difference! – particularly ES and BE linked to Presidencies.

Europe 2020 – What it’s not… No change in growth paradigm – smart,green and inclusive growth, not fairer sustainable society. No challenge to growing inequalities Little recognition of role of social security/protection and access to affordable quality services Focus on jobs but not on quality jobs or active inclusion Confusing architecture – what role for the OMC?

But important step forward! Social objective – Smart/green/ inclusive growth 5 headline targets with relative poverty target to reduce risk of poverty by 25% (60% median income) Flagship programme – European Platform against Poverty: « to ensure social and territorial cohesion, such that the benefits of growth and jobs are widely shared and people experiencing poverty and social exclusion are enabled to live a life in dignity and take an active part in society » A « transformed Social OMC – moving beyond cooperation and exchange to take concrete actions Social Innovation programmes – education, training and employment support for deprived groups/fight d iscrimination. Fully use social security and pension systems to « ensure adequate income support and access to health care »

Spring Council - MS ready to backtrack on poverty… MS agree “main elements” and key objectives including social inclusion Agree principle of 5 headline targets as “shared objectives” but.. Backtrack on poverty target – “promoting social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty” Decision delayed to June/ - further work on “appropriate indicators” DE, DK, SE, CZ and UK – main opponents – Main arguments – employment not poverty target/ MS not EU competence/ wrong indicator.

EAPN Achievement – Key Learning Points Taking advantage of political context (the crisis/new Commission/Parliament/ Van Rompuy/ New Treaty and 2010 EU Year for combating poverty Importance of lobbying from national networks Working in broad alliances but keeping our value-added… Combining targetted lobbying on detail with Commission/Council with broader political campaign – getting poverty on the map

What Next? : Key EAPN Areas for Action on Europe 2020 1) Saving the poverty target 2) Getting social guideline and process, not only delivered through employment recognizing Social OMC 3)Getting an ambitious EU flagship poverty platform 4) Getting new governance and participation – inputting into new National Reform Programmes and monitoring.

1. Saving the Poverty Target Defend the Commission’s proposals for a Poverty Target – 25% reduction in relative poverty – based on accepted OMC indicator (60% median income), broken down by age/gender etc) as a step toward goal of eradication of poverty Develop national targets which reflect different reality, guard against creaming ( ie selecting people easiest to help) and based on full set of OMC indicators Possible compromise – Target based on two indicators: relative poverty and material deprivation.

2. EAPN Proposals on Guidelines A cross-cutting social guideline and social impact mechanisms to ensure that the whole strategy delivers on social inclusion and poverty. A specific social guideline which delivers on poverty, separate from the Employment Guidelines Economic Guidelines that promote social inclusion and do not contradict the social objective Employment Guidelines that create quality jobs, fight discrimination and promote access to decent jobs for all, through integrated active inclusion approaches. A specific Governance and Participation Guideline to ensure structured dialogue with all key stakeholders including civil society and people in poverty.

3. Flagship Platform on Poverty – What do we want? Ambitious overarching strategy to combat poverty Social Impact assessment/ensuring all policies deliver on social inclusion Reinforced Social OMC built on strong governance and participation/ NAPs, effective monitoring/ link to NRP Progress on social standards – steps towards legislation Significant EU funding for inclusion and support NGO participation – Framework programme on poverty, Structural Funds and Progress.

4. Better governance and participation - engaging in New National Reform Programme? Commission underlines need for greater involvement of civil society actors in new NRP (delivering also on poverty target) Bilateral meetings between MS and Commission happening now!!. (End of April/May. NRP’s to be developed in autumn – what stakeholder involvement? What about National Action Plans on Inclusion and National Strategic Report?

How? Lobbying Commission – Guidelines, Poverty Platform and NRP process. Lobbying MS/Council – particularly on Poverty Target and Poverty Platform/Governance Lobbying EP – Guidelines and Governance Raising awareness – communication tools/website National level crucial – to get MS commitment to poverty target, flagship programme delivery.

Next Steps – Where do we go from here? Content: What do we want to see in a flagship platform? What role for OMC? Lobbying: What is position of your government? What action have you managed to take? How can national networks lobby effectively now? What do you need from the secretariat?

Building cooperation in the fight against poverty www.eapn.eu