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

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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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..)

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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)

10. Thank you for your attention!
For more information, please contact Sian Jones EAPN Policy Coordinator