Brussels, 21/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) has written to Commissioner Andor and to the members of the social protection committee (in advance of their meeting on 23 May) presenting its first assessment of the 2012 national reform programmes (NRPs). EAPN has called on the Commissioner to insist on country specific recommendations that require urgent integrated action to fight poverty and inequality.
“EAPN's review of the NRPs highlights a disappointing failure to take poverty reduction or meaningful stakeholder engagement seriously, in the majority of countries” said Ludo Horemans, President of EAPN. EAPN's initial key messages on NRP 2012 are: austerity policies are generating poverty and undermining an inclusive recovery; poverty not a visible priority in the NRPs; double punishment for Troika (IMF, ECB and EU) countries exempted from EUROPE 2020 targets; missed opportunity for social investment in quality jobs, social protection + integrated active inclusion; little sign of increased Structural Funds use for poverty-reduction and no visible improvement on stakeholder engagement. (LC/transl.fl)