We need an intelligent agreement on the
future EU budget
Social NGOs petition hand over more than
11.300 signatures calling on Member States to respect their commitments to
poverty reduction!
Brussels, 15 November 2012 – Next
week, on 20th November, at the General
Affairs Council meeting, the question on whether Member States are to respect
the commitments they made when agreeing the EU poverty-target will finally get
a clear answer: Prime Ministers of EU Member States will indeed seal the future
of Structural Funds for the next programming period 2014-2020, either
supporting or rejecting the European Commission’s proposal, strongly backed by
the European Parliament and social NGOs, to increase funding for fighting
poverty. This decision will have a great impact on over 115 million people officially
recognised as living in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion, as well as
on the EU citizens’ trust in their governments and in their response to the
crisis. 20 Social NGOs have run a campaign coordinated by EAPN to urge Member
States to support the Commission’s proposal, gathering over 11.300 signatures that
will be handed over to the Council in front of the Council’s building the day
before the meeting (19.11)*. They have also sent a joint letter to the
General Affairs Council representatives.
“We’ve
handed our signed petition to all Member States sitting in this Council – It is
now up to them to take the EU population seriously and finally to start to respect
the commitments they made regarding poverty-reduction”, said Heather Roy,
Secretary General of Eurodiaconia, one of the organisations involved in this
campaign. She added “they particularly
have to respond to the millions of people in poverty and the million more to
come if they continue to respond to the crisis without any regard to the social
consequences of their decisions”.
“We
need an intelligent debate and agreement about the future budget for the EU”
said Fintan Farrell, Director of EAPN. He added, “Prime Ministers who just say we need to reduce the budget are blind to
the finances needed for a real solidarity-based EU and avoid any sincere debate
about what sort of Europe we need and what finances are needed to deliver such
an EU, including how to use better existing finances”.
“These narrow
nationalistic perspectives play a dangerous role, feeding the worst feelings
and attitudes, dividing people, regions and countries, putting at risk social
cohesion, democracy and peace in Europe” said Sergio Aires, President of
EAPN. “Now is the time to stop the rot
and build a vision for Europe in line with the Europe 2020 strategy and deliver
the necessary budget to be able to realise such a vision”, added Mr Aires.
MEP Elisabeth-Chartier, Rapporteur
on the Regulation for the next round of the European Social Fund (ESF) confirmed
the determination of the European Parliament to support the Commission’s
proposal: “As parliamentarians,
representing the European citizens, we want and we’ll fight for this 20%,
ring-fenced for the fight against poverty”.
The European Commission issued a
draft regulation 2014-2020 in December 2011 where they propose to allocate
minimum shares for the European Social Fund (ESF), i.e. at least 25% of the
Cohesion Policy’s budget for the ESF, and, at least 20% of the ESF earmarked
for social inclusion and poverty reduction. Social NGOs and the European Parliament are strongly backing
this proposal.
This proposal was severely
undermined by the Council at the June General Affairs Council**, as a vast
majority of Member States seemed to reject it. At their next meeting on 20th November, they will
take a definite decision on whether they support or reject the Commission’s
proposal on the Structural Funds’ Regulations for the next programming period
(2014-2020).
Social NGOs have run a campaign
coordinated by EAPN ‘EU Money for Poverty
Reduction, NOW!’ to push Member States to defend the minimum shares for the
European Social Fund (ESF) as proposed in the draft regulation by the European
Commission.
/END/
* Social NGOs will hand out the
list of signatures at the Council Building on 19th Nov at 11 a.m. to
Mr Adonis
CONSTANTINIDES, Ambassador and Minister Counsellor, in
charge of Multiannual Financial
Framework - Cohesion Policy for Cyprus. To attend the event, bring identity cards or press pass to get pass security.
** It is at the General Affairs
Council, gathering Prime Ministers and/or Ministers for European Affairs, that
issues such as Structural Funds’ Regulations are dealt with and decided upon.
European Council meetings gather Prime Ministers and heads of States and
discuss more overarching issues such as the multiannual financial framework (MAFF) and the overall
European Budget. The next European Council meeting, which will be held on 22-23
November, should reach to an agreement on the MAFF.
See more:
· Social NGOs campaign’s petition:
· Webpage EU Money for Poverty Reduction NOW! Campaign:
· EAPN interviews MEP E. Morin-Chartier, Rapporteur in the European
Parliament:
For further information, contact Fintan Farrell (Director) fintan.farrell@eapn.eu, Vincent Caron
(Policy officer) vincent.caron@eapn.eu
or Nellie Epinat (Communications officer) nellie.epinat@eapn.eu. Tel: +32 (0)2 226 58 50.
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