On 17 February a delegation of civil society organisations from the Human Rights and Democracy Network met with Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission. Initially we asked to meet to discuss an EU Internal Strategy to Promote Human Rights. The Vice-President insisted on discussing migration integration, yet we made the point that European Union […]
The European Parliament’s committee on Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affaits (LIBE) recently conducted a study entitled ‘Fit for purpose? The Facilitation Directive and the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance to irregular migrants’. I had the opportunity to contribute to the study on the basis of input our members provided for our campaign against ‘Criminalising Solidarity’, and I […]
Today [27 January], the European Disability Forum (EDF) participated in the European Parliament’s Public Hearing focusing on the UN’s recommendations to the EU on how to better promote the rights of 80 million people with disabilities. For the first time in history, last year the EU was reviewed by the United Nations (UN) Committee on […]
From the right: Jana Hainsworth (President Social Platform), Michael O’Flaherty (Director FRA), Waltraud Heller and Dennis van der Veur (FRA). Today we had the pleasure to meet for the first time with Michael O’Flaherty, the new Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), together with the Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN) and […]
I was recently reminded that “when emotion is high reason is low and vice versa” and I find it very relevant to the latest developments in discussions about migrants and refugees. On New Year’s Eve hundreds of assaults on women took place in Cologne. In the aftermath emotions ran high, naturally, and began to run […]
Before the end of 2015, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the contribution of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) to the European Union’s main priorities set for the period 2014-2020. In particular, it highlights the main results of negotiations between Member States, their partners and the Commission. The first striking element that […]
On 13 January, I attended a meeting on “The Communities of our Future: Housing, Migration and Integration” organised by our member Housing Europe together with the European Parliament’s committee on Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs (LIBE). The meeting gave a great overview of the current challenges and pressures that the housing system faces in […]
On the occasion of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Caritas Europa reminds the European Union that the suffering of migrants could be avoided if EU leaders would agree to open more safe and legal channels to Europe. “I fled the war in Syria with my family. We had no other choice than to […]
9-10 June | ‘Palais d’Egmont’, Petit Sablon 8, Brussels, B-1000 In 2010 the Belgian Presidency of the EU organised a European consensus conference on homelessness together with FEANTSA (the European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless) and the European Commission. The aim was to establish together with all relevant stakeholders a European consensus on […]
Published by EurActiv, 17 December 2015 As the European Council prepares to discuss terrorism and migration, heads of state must address causes and solutions at home as well as abroad, writes Pierre Baussand. Pierre Baussand is the director of Social Platform, the largest platform of European social NGOs. On 17 and 18 December European leaders […]
