1. Europe 2020 and European Semester Policy Update March 2018
Amana Ferro
Senior Policy Officer
European Anti-Poverty Network

2. Outline Reminder of the European Semester cycle
Key drivers of the process
EAPN Action October 2017 – March 2018
What’s coming up?
Focus in this meeting: Country Reports and shadow CSRs

3. The European Semester Cycle
Annual Growth Survey (AGS) 2018 – 22 November 2017
Country Reports / Winter Package – 7 March 2018
National Reform Programmes (NRP) and Stability or Convergence Programmes (SCP) – Mid-April 2018
Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) – May 2018
Revision of MS budgets from Euro area – Mid-October 2018
Bilateral meetings – COM and MS on implementation – Jan, March
Annual Growth Survey (AGS) 2018 – November 2018

4. Key drivers of the process4a
Key drivers of the process
The European Pillar of Social Rights, adopted in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017, will be delivered primarily through the European Semester:
Social Scoreboard supposed to underpin AGS, Country Reports, CSRs
Member States expected to incorporate the Pillar in the NRPs
Employment Guidelines: amended to reflect the Pillar and provide legal basis for Country-Specific Recommendations
Poverty Reduction Target of Europe 2020
29 million people shortfall (barely inching back to baseline level of 2008)
Post-2020 strategy
Current Commission not in a hurry to start process and limit new Commission
European Parliament elections and new Commission – key strategic moment
Interplay with European Funds (MFF) and the SDGs, but also EPSR

5. EAPN Action October 2017 to March 2018
Finalized and disseminated letter to President Juncker for AGS 2018 (16 October 2017)
Produced statement and full response upon the release of the AGS / JER (November-December 2017) and disseminated to key contacts (January 2018)
ECFIN high-level research seminar on inequality and fairness – on closing panel (20 November)
Letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, asking for Council Conclusions to rebalance economic & social priorities through the European Semester (6 December 2017)
European Parliament event, co-hosted with S&S and Greens/EFA, on the European Semester and Key Messages from the NRP report (7 December 2017)
Disseminated Poverty Watch summary table with links to key DG Employment officials, including desk officers (November – December 2017)
Key strategic meetings with Chairs of EMCO and SPC, and European Commission officials – dissemination of positions and key messages (February 2018)
Input to Semester Alliance, Social Platform, Investing in Children Alliance (October-December)
Finalized and disseminated Toolkit for Stakeholder Engagement (European Semester and Social Pillar) for EAPN members (February 2018)

6. Letter to President Juncker on the AGS 2018
Key Messages:
1) Use the AGS to launch a coherent, balanced EU Economic and Social strategy – economic goals must defend social rights; participative ex-ante distributional impact assessment; fiscal flexibility to count social investment as a benefit and not a cost.
2) Make Social Rights and Social Standards a priority in the AGS! – roadmap for EPSR in the Semester; link to poverty target; benchmarks for minimum income, wages, and social protection; ESF 20% earmarking used effectively to fight poverty, ensuring access to grass-roots NGOs.
3) Give equal weight to civil society actors engagement in the European Semester – clear, compulsory, common guidelines on Semester governance; full and meaningful participation of civil society organisations and people experiencing poverty; improve the effectiveness and impact of the NRPs by taking contributions on board. .

7. Annual Growth Survey and Joint Employment Report
Progress: positive step forward for the European Semester, with reference to more balanced economic and social priorities, and support to the implementation of the Pillar… but will it be more than rhetoric?
EAPN welcomes:
economic and social convergence – EPSR as ‘compass’; distributional impact of reforms on tax/benefit policies encouraged – increasing public revenue rather than cuts; support for investment and wage growth, creation of quality jobs, tailored support for key groups into employment, curbing precariousness; adequate income support; affordable, accessible and quality services; role of social partners; fight against corruption.
EAPN concerns:
Stability and Growth dominant, Europe 2020 absent; no concrete proposals on EPSR mainstreaming; employment still the main goal, rather than Active Inclusion; social protection not a right (emphasis on conditionality and ‘incentives to work’) and no proposals on adequate financing; services seen only as support to labour market integration; no reflection on the use of EU funds; no mention of civil society or people in poverty. .

8. Annual Growth Survey and Joint Employment Report
EAPN’s response: Five key priorities for action
Ensure macroeconomic policies are coherent with social rights
Set out a roadmap with EU funding to implement the Social Pillar and reduce poverty
Give equal weight to adequate minimum income and social protection as a right, ensuring adequate financing
Promote quality jobs, as part of integrated Active Inclusion approaches
Make Civil Society equal partners in the Semester!

9. What’s coming up? Timeline March – June 2018
7 March - Country Reports: discussion with members at the EU ISG meeting; written input; synthesis report with shadow CSR proposals
13 March - Social Fairness Package (follow-up on implementing the Social Pillar, including mainstreaming in the Semester): briefing for members and full response
20 March – Meeting Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis: put forward concerns about civil dialogue and governance in the European Semester and Social Pillar processes
22-23 March – Spring Council: send letter with Key Messages based on Country Reports assessment and shadow CSR proposals
15 April – National Reform Programmes: read and assess with members at the June meeting
17 April – DG Employment conference (Semester and EPSR) – seek speaking slot, participation
27 April – Annual Convention on Inclusive Growth: prepare Key Messages, seek speaking slots, engage in workshops and side-events with members
May – Country-Specific Recommendations: prepare assessment table with members
June – Poverty Watch Reports: preparation before and during EU ISG meeting; national events
Ongoing – seek engagement and lobby around our messages at national and EU level

10. Focus in this meeting: Country Reports and shadow CSRs
Plenary:
Update on EU processes, feedback on national engagement
Exchanging on the Country Reports in groups:
- Executive Summary of the Country Report underpins the CSRs – good proposals / what is missing?
- Reports should integrate the Social Scoreboard of the EPSR, including poverty indicator & poverty target
- Poverty Watch & shadow CSRs are the basis for the analysis + delivery on good Commission CSRs
1) Are the Social Scoreboard and Poverty Target picked up?
2) Implementation of CSRs / comparison to Poverty Watch & shadow proposals
3) Overall key messages on the Country Reports
After the meeting:
Send brief assessment + shadow CSRs by 20 March
Staff team prepares synthesis report and circulates for comments
See also: Toolkit on Engaging with the European Semester & the European Pillar of Social Rights 2018

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