Building Confidence in a European Dream

1. Building Confidence in a European Dream Input by: Fintan Farrell, Director, European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) Oslo, 12 January 2005

2. Areas of Input • Introduce EAPN • Participation and Involvement of People Experiencing Poverty and Social Exclusion • Access to the Labour Market for People experiencing disadvantage. • Building Confidence in a European Dream

3. Introduce EAPN • EAPN was established in 1990 • EAPN is an independent coalition of non governmental organisations involved in the fight against poverty and social exclusion • Membership of EAPN: • National Networks • European Organisations • EAPN is supported by the EU Commission

4. Aim of EAPN • EAPN aims to put the fight against poverty and social exclusion at the top of the EU political agenda. • Key Concerns: • Access to Fundamental Rights for all • Multi dimensional nature of Poverty • Participation and Partnership

5. EAPN is: • An Exchange Platform • An Information Platform • A Lobby Platform

6. Key areas of concern for EAPN: • The EU Inclusion Strategy – National Action Plans on Inclusion • The EU Employment Strategy – National Action Plans on Employment • EU Structural Funds • EU Enlargement • EU Development: Constitution, Lisbon Agenda etc.

7. Cross cutting themes: • Discrimination and poverty (Gender and ethnicity) • Participation of People Experiencing Poverty and Exclusion • Globalisation and Poverty

8. Some successes of EAPN: • Articles 136-137 Amsterdam Treaty • EU Inclusion Strategy • Better Recognition of the role of NGOs in Structural Funds and to a lesser extent in the EU Employment Strategy • Better recognition of the right of people experiencing poverty and social exclusion to participate • A strong platform for exchange and information (www.eapn.org)

9. Participation of People Experiencing Poverty • Factors Enabling a Participatory Process: • The Development of Independent Groups, Associations and Networks • The Openness of Authorities and Policy Makers • Societies that value the participation of all • The achievement of outcomes

10. Participation of People Experiencing Poverty ctd • Factors hindering the Participatory Process: • Dysfunctional Groups, Associations and Networks • Authorities and policy makers who fail to recognise the multi dimensional nature of poverty and exclusion. • A society that fails to recognise the realities of poverty and social exclusion or who are just content with a ‘charitable’ response.

11. Access to the Labour Market • Council of Europe Report on Employment for Marginalised Groups 2004 • Key Elements of Good quality Services to improve access to the Labour Market: • Organisation of Services • Coordination and Integration of services • Assessment of needs of people who are marginalised • Ongoing support or follow-up for people who are marginalised

12. Access to the Labour Market ctd. • Key elements continued: • Mentoring and Advocacy • Monitoring and Evaluation • Partnership • Participation of users and people excluded form the labour market • Equal opportunities

13. A European Dream • What is the European Dream in which we would want to see Confidence? • High Levels of Social Protection - Universally Accessible • Quality Employment • Economically competitive

14. Steps towards restoring confidence in such a dream: • Ensuring a balanced EU Agenda • Taking the EU Inclusion Strategy Seriously • Implementing a strong EU Equality Strategy • Mainstreaming the fight against poverty and social exclusion • Establishing a European Union Year against Poverty and Social Exclusion

15. From a dream to a reality Revisiting the question of wealth distribution Establishing European Union Standards for Social Protection and for fighting Poverty and Social Exclusion EU Directive Ethical Model of Development