European Anti-Poverty Network: EAPN takes part in the Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth 2016
The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), represented by delegates from all over Europe, attended the Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth 2016 (#ACIG2016) on 21 March, and put forward 4 Key Messages, along with 6 messages from the 14th Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty, held last November in Brussels.
The Convention was dedicated to identifying ways to improve Europe’s social dimension, by fighting poverty, reducing unemployment, and making sure no one is left behind, while the discussions mainly addressed the recently-launched consultation package around the establishment of a European Pillar of Social Rights.
EAPN’s participation in the Annual Convention
EAPN welcomed the proposal for a European Pillar of Social Rights and the ample time allowed for the consultation process. Key issues, which had emerged from previous debates and consultations, have been picked up, such as adequate income support, access to quality services including housing, inclusive labour markets and better supported transitions towards quality employment, and the importance of stakeholder dialogue. With political will and leadership, it seems possible to progress these issues, as part of Europe 2020, the European Semester, and other relevant processes. This commitment should be further reinforced by the White Paper to be released in early 2017, following the consultation on the Social Pillar.
However, two important questions remain. One is how will the Social Pillar will build on the existing processes, and bring added value to get Member State buy-in. The second is that, while the Social Pillar speaks about inequalities, poverty, and exclusion, it still follows a logic of prioritising macroeconomic objectives, and tackling social issues because they are perceived as “bottlenecks to growth”, rather than a question of fundamental rights.
EAPN President Sérgio Aires, in his intervention as part of the high-level panel discussion which reflected upon the day at the conclusion of the event, underlined these aspects, questioning the commitment to inclusive growth:
“While insisting on growth as the main orientation, we forget that inequalities amongst that kind of growth were responsible for the enormous raising of numbers of people living in poverty and extreme poverty. The main problem is still the redistribution of wealth and tackling inequalities. And let me be as direct as possible: it is time – if we really want citizens to believe in the EU project – to stop being cynical about the causes of this crisis and do something real to avoid a continuous repetition. If we want to be serious about the redistribution of growth and wealth, start by closing the tax havens! This is something that would help our social protection sustainability immediately and, therefore, also the implementation of the European Pilar of Social Rights.”
Read EAPN’s 4 Key Messages to the Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth 2016 and the 6 Messages from the 14th European Meeting of People experiencing Poverty.
