1. 13 EAPN: Fighting for a Social Europe Free of Poverty
EU Policy Update
October 2013
EAPN Policy Team
EAPN EU Inclusion Strategies Group
25 October 2013
Brussels
EUROPEAN ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK
RÉSEAU EUROPÉEN DES ASSOCIATIONS
DE LUTTE CONTRE LA PAUVRETÉ ET L’EXCLUSION SOCIALE

2. Structure of Presentation
Macroeconomic - the 2 pack in the driving seat
The Social Dimension of the EMU –what impact?
European Platform Against Poverty, SIP and Annual Convention.
Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative – what progress?
Structural Funds – have we won the
campaign?

3. Macro-economic – The 2 pack in the Driving Seat
Ever stricter economic governance is main driver
1st January the 2 pack came into force enforcing ex-ante coordination of budgets to deficit limit.
May/June: Commission presents mainly austerity CSRs + Excessive Deficit Procedures
June Council Message: ‘growth and fiscal consolidation are mutually reinforcing’..
15th October: National Budgets presented to Commission for surveillance procedure
EAPN Action: Letter to June Council and follow up advocacy with Social Platform
What can EAPN members do? Raise awareness of implications and impact at national level/CSRs.

4. The Social Dimension of the EMU – what impact?
New weaker Communication published on 2nd October with unclear impact
Main proposals: Increased social surveillance..
Social indicators in Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure-MIP
Employment and social scoreboard: unemployment, NEETs, disposable income, risk of poverty, inequality.
New financial instrument: CCI: Convergence and Competivness
EU wide unemployment benefit will need Treaty change
Increased involvement of social partners at all stages.
A step forward or back?
Important attempt to rebalance economic/social drivers but how will it work and what impact will it have?
No clear ex-ante assessment of potentially negative macroeconomic policies.
Lack of triggers on thresholds means no sanctions
No role for civil society
EAPN Action? Discussion in EXCO – Letter to Dec Council.

5. The European Platform Against Poverty, Annual Convention and SIP
6th Stakeholder meeting in Sept confirms fears about unclear strategy on poverty and declining role of stakeholders : particularly NGOs and PEP.
EPAP table of actions: particularly thematic eg European Quality framework on SS sectoral level, homelessness mapping, Study on conditionality etc but little coherence..
Attempts to integrate Social Investment Package in Europe 2020/Semester – the CSRs, and in Structural Fund with focus on economic case
Annual Convention:26-27 November similar to 2012: plenary, workshops, speed dating projects, side events but less strategic and participative.
EAPN to speak in plenary, Workshop on poverty reduction, reference budgets, organizing side event on in-work poverty and involved in Investing in Children side event.
Invitations split between national and regional so less places for NGOs. EAPN 2-5 places Role of PEP?
Main Concerns: SIP replaces poverty target as main focus; no link to national level and Europe 2020/NRPs etc; what impact?, reduced NGO + PEP engagement in design and delivery.
EAPN Action? Engage in Convention – Key Messages

6. Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative – what progress?
Member States to present implementation plans:
Those with youth unemployment over 25% - by December
The others – by Spring (unclear which month).
The Commission will evaluate these plans and incorporate feed-back into the CSRs;
Maybe include the Youth Guarantee in the NRP from 2014
Working Together for Europe’s Young People
Commission Communication released June 19th 2013
Details on how to use the ESF for youth employment
Youth Employment Initiative
For countries with over 25% youth unemployment
Youth Action Teams – Commission + Member States
European Alliance of Apprenticeships / Erasmus +
Launched / To be launched
What you can do: Youth Active Inclusion paper; Monitor Youth Gtee

7. Structural Funds: Have we won the campaign?
The ESF MINIMUM SHARES AGREED (agreement during the trialogue meeting on Oct 1)
Vote on all the Regulations in EP Plenary by the end of November
FEAD: EUR 3,5 bn (EUR 2,5 bn obligatory + EUR 1 bn optional) Trialogue negotiation process started on Oct 16. Main points of debate:
Extension of the scope of intervention to social inclusion activities
widening of target groups (to all the most deprived and not only children in poverty and homeless people).
What can Members do?
2 main openings to promote the social inclusion/ poverty reduction agenda in SF:
Pushing your Managing authorities to make Community-led local development possible in the OPs
Pressing your Managing authorities/ EC Desk Officers to fully respect the ex-ante conditionality on poverty reduction in PAs and OPs.

8. Thank you for your attention
EAPN Policy Team
Sian Jones, EAPN Policy Coordinator
Policy Officers:
Amana Ferro:
Vincent Caron:
Admin Support:
Rebecca Lee:
See:
EUROPEAN ANTI-POVERTY NETWORK
RÉSEAU EUROPÉEN DE LUTTE
CONTRE LA PAUVRETÉ ET L’EXCLUSION SOCIALE
SQUARE DE MEEUS, 18 – 1050 BRUSSELS
TEL: – FAX: -