2010 and Beyond: EAPN Proposals on a legacy for 2010 and post 2010 EU strategy.

1. 2010 and Beyond: EAPN Proposals on a legacy for 2010 and post 2010 EU strategy. Workshop 2: Moving Forward on Social Standards - adequate minimum income and quality services. Ludo Horemans, EAPN President

2. Outline • Presenting EAPN • 2010 – Key Challenges • EAPN Overarching Proposals • Proposals on social standards – minimum income and quality services.

3. Who is EAPN? • Independent EU Network of NGOs committed to fight against poverty and social exclusion • Started in 1990 – key actor in poverty programmes and development of social OMC. • Receives financial support from the European Commission (PROGRESS) • 25 National Networks and 22 European NGOs as members. (1,500+ organisations)

4. 2010: Key Challenges • 2010 – EU year against poverty and social exclusion, 10 years on from Lisbon, new post 2010 strategy • An economic model that has failed to deliver on poverty and prosperity for all and has contributed to the crisis. • A crisis that is exacerbating impact on poor/ and widening gap between old and new poor • No more business as usual – Time for change

5. EAPN Overarching Proposals. • An EU We Can Trust: New Goals • Put people and planet before profit • Put the economy at service of social and sustainable development • Make the fight against poverty, inequality and social exclusion, a pre-requisite for progress

6. An EU We Can Trust: 3 Key Demands • A new social and sustainable post 2010 EU strategy • A Social Progress Pact – Delivering on rights and solidarity • Building a dynamic partnership for change

7. 1. New Social and Sustainable post 2010 Strategy • New overarching objectives and architecture Promoting social cohesion and fundamental rights delivered through 4 pillars. (Economic/ employment/social/ environmental) • New tools To ensure implementation and political visibility eg poverty targets, new indicators beyond GDP, use of Structural Funds to deliver social inclusion.

8. 2. A Social Progress Pact • Reduce inequality/ share the wealth • Guarantee adequate minimum income and access to services. • Create a pathway to inclusion – Active Inclusion • Invest in quality social/green jobs and social economy • Challenge discrimination/promote diversity • Promote global social justice and equity

9. 3. Building a dynamic partnership for change • Implementing participative governance, involving NGOs and people in poverty in an on-going structured dialogue, at all stages of policy cycle. • Ensure financial and other support to NGOs who support/empower people in poverty and provide services.

10. 2.1 Transforming Social Protection into a springboard – adequate minimum income • Everybody has a right to an adequate income for a dignified life. • Social Protection systems are the most effective means of reducing poverty (reducing poverty in the EU by 38%) and fundamental part of European Social Model • EU Economic recovery plan supports strengthening social protection as a vital “automatic stabiliser” in the current crisis. • Recent progress at EU level in defending adequate minimum income with the 92 Recommendation and the Active Inclusion Recommendation in December 2008. (Right to minimum income, access to quality services and quality jobs), • But weak implementation, inadequate levels and take up – 4 countries with no minimum income (Greece, Italy, Hungary + Norway). MI schemes do not take people out of poverty,problems of take-up.

11. 2.1 Transforming Social Protection into a springboard – access to universal services • Everybody has a right to essential Services of General Interest - to a decent home, to affordable fuel and water, quality healthcare and education… • New Charter of Fundamental Rights – to become legal text when Reform Treaty signed. • EU recognizes the need to provide equal access for all to accessible, affordable, sustainable quality services, but no clear EU legal framework, allows internal market regulations to dominate over social rights. • Reality on the ground – negative impact of liberalisation and privatisation on access and affordability – hitting the poor. • The choice becomes: “heating and eating/ paying your rent while sinking further into debt”

12. EAPN Recommendations 2.2 • EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Income – building on the 92 Recommendation/Active Inclusion Recommendation – at least at poverty threshold, with adequacy defined through participative independent budget standard methodologies. • Move towards Framework Directive on Services of General Interest and sectoral Directives on SSGI - guarantee right for all to access affordable, quality services for a life in dignity. Use legal base from new protocol in Reform Treaty and Article 14. • Study of impact of privatisation/liberalization – on accessibility and affordability of SGI. Involve NGOs and people in poverty. • Recognize financial services as SGI and move towards EU legislative framework to combat financial exclusion, guarantee access to affordable bank account/ fair banking and credit services.

13. EAPN Recommendations 2.2 • Reinforce support to social protection systemsthrough Lisbon and and Stability Pact – Include new Macro and Micro economic guidelines to defend these fundamental rights and support adequate financing • Quality Standards Framework – Move towards an obligatory framework, building on Social OMC/similar to health and safety. • New EU champions - Intergroup on Services of General Interest and cross-cutting working group – chaired by DG Employment – to develop action plan for way forward on social standards and minimum income

14. Further Information Thank you for listening! Ludo Horemans, President of EAPN. For further information on the EAPN paper or EAPN activities Contact: Sian Jones, Policy Coordinator at EAPN.(sian.jones@eapn.eu)