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