1. NETWORKING ON SOCIAL INCLUSION The European Anti-Poverty Network Tanya Basarab, Development Officer

2. RISK OF POVERTY THRESHOLD: < 60% MEDIAN INCOME 84 million Europeans (16%) But strong differences across countries: 10-12 % in CZ, NL, SE, AT, HU, SL 19-21% in RO, UK, EL, PT, ES, LV 19% of children, 20% older people, 20% of young people (18-24) 34% of single parents 8% of working population (in-work poverty) Lack of strong progress in poverty eradication over last decade Increase in income inequality (between top and bottom 20%), from 4.5 to 4.8% from 2000 to 2007 POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION

3. STRUCTURE MAIN ACTIVITIES CHALLENGES AHEAD GETTING ENGAGED

4. EAPN Origins Established in 1990 A network of independent NGOs involved in the fight against poverty and social exclusion (within EU countries, mostly) To defend the interest of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion in the development of EU policies and programmes

5. EAPN Membership and Financing 27 National Networks 23 European Organisations Emerging Networks (Latvia, Iceland, Turkey…..) Project partnerships with Macedonia and Serbia Receives financial support from the European Commission (PROGRESS Programme)

6. EAPN some achievements 1. Building a participative and sustainable network Sustained and growing network Increasing participation of people in poverty Increasing funding of national (some) and EU networks 2. Impact on EU Policy? New Articles in the EU Treaties EU Social Inclusion Strategy (OMC on Social Protection and Social Inclusion EU Programme to support the strategy (PROGRESS) EU Recommendation on Active Inclusion (Adequacy of Income, Access to Services, Support for access to employment) Partnership Principle in Structural Funds EU Meetings of People Experiencing Poverty 2010 EU Year Against Poverty and Social Exclusion

7. BUREAU 5 EXCO members coordinating between GENERAL ASSEMBLY National Networks + European Organisations SECRETARIATSECRETARIAT WORKING GROUPS (Employment, Structural Funds, Social Inclusion) MAINSTREAMING GROUPS (Migration, Gender, Globalisation) CAMPAIGN GROUP Minimum Income, 2010 PLANNING GROUP Sustainable Financing for NN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 27 reps NNs + 3 reps of EOs Participation Group

8. NATIONAL NETWORKS’ PROFILE (MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITY) Who makes up National Networks:  self-organized groups  Service providers  Social workers  Issue-focused organizations  Academics and researchers Members differ in size, membership, structure, legal form and activity

9. NETWORK PROFILES Size and membership: n Grassroots/service providers/movement Status and Structures: n Almost all legally registered n Some have regional networks in their structure Focus of their work: n Only European, European and National, National focus Staff and resources n Most have 1 or 1/5 time staff, 1 Network has 37 staff! n Mainly operating on voluntary work n Most networks primarily project funding, some get core funds

10. MAIN ACTIVITIES

11. OVERVIEW OF EAPN ACTIVITIES  Lobbying and alliance building  Exchange forum and information platform  Network development, empowerment and training for NGOs

12. EAPN PRINCIPLES  A rights-based approach  Participation  Partnership and solidarity  Mainstreaming

13. What is needed to stand up against poverty? Poverty as a denial of fundamental rights – rights and dignity for all, breaking stereotypes, addressing discrimination An economy at the service of people – achieving a fairer distribution of wealth Policy mix – poverty can not be solved by social policies alone Universal, targeted services – not poor services for poor people A well functioning democracy - representation and participation Solidarity across the globe – the fight against poverty outside and inside Europe is part of the same struggle POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION

14. MAIN POLICY FOCUS (1)  EU commitment to the fight against poverty and social exclusion in all policies  EU Social Inclusion Strategy (since 2001): exchange of good practices, common goals and benchmarks  Structural Funds (European Social Fund)  Employment (European Employment Strategy since 1997, labour law): need for an inclusive labour market, quality jobs, concerns about increasing working poor

15. MAIN POLICY FOCUS (2)  Services (social, health, public services…)  Minimum income (towards common principles?)  Constitutional process (social dimension)  Mainstreaming specific issues throughout the work of EAPN: participation, globalisation, discrimination

16. NETWORK DEVELOPMENT  Guidance  Training  Some funding to carry out EU related work  Information tools  Representation  Lobbying and advancing issues  Networking and cooperation  Building participation of people experiencing poverty in organizations and in policy-making

17. INFORMATION TOOLS  AntiPoverty Magazine (printed publication 4/year)  EAPN Flash (weekly online newsletter)  EAPN Policy Brief for members only (updated by policy topic every two months)  www.eapn.eu  www.adequateincome.eu  www.endpoverty.eu  Printed publications: reports, policy documents, reactions, campaigning materials, and other  AntiPoverty Magazine (printed publication 4/year)  EAPN Flash (weekly online newsletter)  EAPN Policy Brief for members only (updated by policy topic every two months)  www.eapn.eu  www.adequateincome.eu  www.endpoverty.eu  Printed publications: reports, policy documents, reactions, campaigning materials, and other

18. CHALLENGES AHEAD

19. 2008-2011 PRIORITIES  Keeping poverty on top of the EU agenda  Political demands from 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion  Poverty target in the Europe 2020 and the Platform Against Poverty as the main implementing framework  Challenging economic and financial policy’s impact on poverty  Developing a campaigning approach (minimum income framework directive)  Stronger Participation of People Experiencing Poverty  Enlargement and strengthening of the network

20. Flagship Platform against Poverty – an Important step forward! Social objective – Smart/green/ inclusive growth 5 headline targets with relative poverty target to reduce risk of poverty by 20 million based on aggregated of 3 indicators (60% median income, material deprivation and jobless households) Guideline 10 : Promoting poverty and social inclusion 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 discrimination. Strengthened Governance – including civil society – Recital 11 – Employment Guidelines

21. EAPN concerns 1 ) Implementing the poverty and the employment targets at national level – not just jobless households and not any kind of jobs but quality and sustainable jobs 2) Implementing social guideline (Guideline 10), based on rights, not just employment, recognizing and strengthening the role of Social OMC through a stronger national monitoring process not only through NRPs but also NAPs 3) Getting an ambitious EU flagship poverty platform based on a systematic, integrated, bottom up approach ensuring active participation of the Stakeholders at national level and not a platform reduced to EU Experts 4) Getting new governance and participation – enabling NGO and People experiencing Poverty to be partners/structured dialogue in new OMC/National Reform Programmes. 5) On Cohesion Policy : The focus on solidarity The point on revitalizing the partnership principle The promotion of ring fencing expenditure for specific target groups on local developments

22. Flagship Initiative New Skills for New Jobs – EAPN proposals -Quality and sustainable jobs as a core priority with specific objectives: adequate income, job security, good social protection, respect for human rights -Starting from the needs of the people instead of from the needs of the labour market -Supply side measures must be balanced by demand side -Do not focus on flexicurity policies (active labour market measures..) but create a pathway to inclusion through active inclusion integrated approaches targeting the most vulnerable people implemented through the new NRPs and the social OMC -Make the implementation of the active inclusion principles an overarching framework for the targeted use of Structural Funds -Increase public investment in social and green jobs, ensuring accessibility for key excluded groups, and provide guidance to Member States on the role that Structural Funds can play in supporting this process -Ensure monitoring of the quality aspect in education and training -Provide an adequate EU framework to expand the role of social economy and inclusive entrepreneurship. Ensure that microfinance instruments really target the most excluded through a combination of the new EPMF and the ESF supporting accompaning measures (coaching, counselling, mentoring…)

23. HOW TO CONTACT US Square de Meeûs 18 B-1050 Brussels Tel. +32.2.226.58.50 - Fax. +32.2.226.58.69 Tanya.basarab@eapn.eu www.eapn.eu