Europe 2020 and European Semester Policy Update June 2017 Sian Jones Policy Coordinator European Anti Poverty Network Eapn.eu

Outline Reminder of the Cycle and key new developments EAPN Action and results Assessing our impact NRP questionnaire and workshops

The European Semester Cycle Annual Growth Survey (AGS) 2017 – November 2016 Country Reports / Winter Package – February 2017 National Reform Programmes (NRP) and Stability or Convergence Programmes (SCP) – Mid April 2017 Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) – May 2017 Revision of MS budgets from Euro area (Mid Oct) Bilateral meetings – COM and MS on implementation – all year Annual Growth Survey (AGS) 2018 – November 2017 EAPN Action What’s coming up

EAPN Key Messages to AGS Propose a transformative social and economic agenda putting social objectives on a par with economic Demonstrate a clear social dimension: social rights, social investment and social standards, with an antipoverty strategy Democracy now! – Establish clear mechanisms to ensure effective NGO participation and impact.

Country Reports – EAPN response 27 Country Reports adopted on 22 February 2018, (excluding Greece). Also includes: Country Reports Communication EAPN Response: Making progress on Social Europe? Poverty reduction, social rights and standards. 13 national networks (AT, BE, HR, CZ, FI, DE, IE, LV, PL, PT, ES, SE, UK) 7 priorities for CSRs 2017 Refocus on fight against poverty and integrated strategy Shift narrative from austerity to social investment in social rights Raise levels of social protection, including minimum income Guarantee universal access to affordable quality services. Invest in inclusive labour markets Don’t leave anyone behind – complementary support for groups at risk Take ative steps to promote meaningful civil dialogue. Communication from Commission Fiscal

CSRs 2017 – signs of progress? 4a CSRs 2017 – signs of progress? 22nd May CSRs 2017 adopted with Communication Positive rhetoric on poverty, inequality, Europe 2020, social investment and rights. “Tackling income inequality and poverty requires a comprehensive set of preventive and mitigating policies. These include equal access to education and health care, improved labour market opportunities and earnings prospects, affordable quality services and well-designed tax and benefit systems” 11 CSRs on poverty – EAPN messages and specific CSR EAPN proposals picked up (AT, DE, LV, IE..)

Other EAPN Action Tool Kit for engagement – 2017 Semester Template letter to introduce to Semester Officers Engaging with ECFIN Seminar with members 26/27 April – ES, BE, SK, EO’s – New ‘social focus’ and inequality. Dialogue meetings with European Commission Presented EAPN positions at EMCO – particularly related to new ways of work Presented EAPN positions on the Semester to SPC - May and June (country reports, social pillar and CSRs) Feeding in proposals to Semester Alliance report on CSRs.

What engagement/what results? Did members follow up with the Country reports and the CSRs? In the NRPs? Who are you targeting? Member States? Semester Officers, Desk Officers? Are we getting progress/more impact? What could we do better? to have more impact? To make our work more visible.

4a NRP Workshops How did you engage this year in the NRPs or CSRs? compared to last year? What results? What’s positive/negative about the NRP (macroeconomic, employment, poverty, education, Structural Funds)? Any more signs of social rights? What 3 messages do the group want to send about delivery on poverty and participation in the Semester and how to improve it (1 message on participation)

Thank you for your attention! For more information, please contact Sian Jones EAPN Policy Coordinator sian.jones@eapn.eu