NETWORKING ON SOCIAL INCLUSION
The European Anti-Poverty Network
STRUCTURE
MAIN ACTIVITIES
CHALLENGES AHEAD
GETTING ENGAGED
STRUCTURE
WHAT IS EAPN
 EAPN is an independent coalition of NGOs and groups
involved in the fight against poverty established in 1990
- 26 national networks of anti-poverty NGOs and
grassroots groups (in the EU, Norway)
- 24 European-wide organisations
 Tackling different aspects of poverty (access to labour
market, housing, education, social services…)
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
National Networks + European Organisations
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
25 reps NNs + 3 reps of EOs
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MAINSTREAMING GROUPS
(Discrimintation , Gender,
Globalisation)
WORKING GROUPS
(Employment,
Structural Funds,
Social Inclusion)
CAMPAIGN
GROUP Minimum
Income, 2010
BUREAU
5 EXCO members coordinating between
PLANNING
GROUP
Sustainable
Financing for NN
Participation
Group
Members of EAPN
in all EU
member states
+ Norway,
except for:

Latvia, and
Estonia

Contacts in
Iceland

Project
partnership
with Turkey
NATIONAL NETWORKS’ PROFILE
(MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITY)
Who makes up National Networks:
 self-organized groups
 Service providers
 Social workers
 Issue-focused organizations
 Academics and researchers
Members differ in size, membership, structure, legal form
and activity
NETWORK PROFILES
Size and membership:
 Grassroots/service providers/movement
Status and Structures:
 Almost all legally registered
 Some have regional networks in their structure
Focus of their work:
 Only European, European and National, National focus
Staff and resources
 Most have 1 or 1/5 time staff, 1 Network has 37 staff!
 Mainly operating on voluntary work
 Most networks primarily project funding, some get core funds
MAIN ACTIVITIES
OVERVIEW OF EAPN ACTIVITIES
 Lobbying and alliance building
 Exchange forum and information platform
 Network development, empowerment
and training for NGOs
EAPN PRINCIPLES
 A rights-based approach
 Participation
 Partnership and solidarity
 Mainstreaming
MAIN POLICY FOCUS (1)
 EU commitment to the fight against poverty and social
exclusion in all policies
 EU Social Inclusion Strategy (since 2001): exchange of good
practices, common goals and benchmarks
 Structural Funds (European Social Fund)
 Employment (European Employment Strategy since 1997,
labour law): need for an inclusive labour market, quality jobs,
issue of working poor
MAIN POLICY FOCUS (2)
 Services (social, health, public services…)
 Minimum income (towards common principles?)
 Constitutional process (social dimension)
 Mainstreaming specific issues throughout the work of
EAPN: participation, globalisation, discrimination
NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
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Guidance
Training
Financial support for OMC implementation
Information tools
Representation
Lobbying and advancing issues
Networking and cooperation
INFORMATION TOOLS
 AntiPoverty Magazine (printed publication
4/year)
 EAPN Flash (weekly online newsletter)
 EAPN Policy Brief for members only
(updated by policy topic every two months)
 www.eapn.eu
 www.adequateincome.eu
 www.endpoverty.eu
 Printed publications: reports, policy
documents, reactions, campaigning
materials, and other
CHALLENGES AHEAD
2008-2011 PRIORITIES
 Putting poverty on top of the EU agenda
 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion
 Social and antipoverty policy in EU after 2010 (revising Lisbon
Agenda)
 Working for a cohesive and strong social policy in EU
 Challenging economic and financial policy’s impact on poverty
 Developing a campaigning approach
 Participation of People Experiencing Poverty
 Enlargement and strengthening of the network
GETTING ENGAGED
THE ADDED VALUE OF EAPN
EAPN
NATIONAL NETWORKS
EUROPEAN UNION
MEMBER STATES
LOCAL ORGANISATIONS
People experiencing poverty and
social exclusion
Networking
axis
REGIONAL AND LOCAL
AUTHORITIES
Lobbying axis
‘Impact’ axis
Policy
axis
HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE…
 My network
 Statutory bodies
 Working structures
 Seminars and exchanges
 Communication tools
 Following processes at national level
 Inputting into EAPN documents
HOW TO CONTACT US
Square de Meeûs 18
B-1050 Brussels
Tel. +32.2.226.58.50 - Fax. +32.2.226.58.69
[email protected]
www.eapn.eu