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Joint Campaign “EU Money for poverty reduction NOW!”

Support the 20% allocation of ESF for social inclusion and poverty reduction

Nearly 1 in 4 persons is in or at risk of and/ or social exclusion in the EU
Member States must respect their commitments and allocate the necessary funds to the fight against poverty.

We need your support
The following organisations are running the joint campaign “EU Money for poverty reduction NOW!”:
Who we are:
EAPN with its national networks and European members: the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), Caritas Europa, Eurochild, Eurodiaconia, AGE Platform, Salvation Army, as well as the Platform of European Social NGOs (Social Platform), SOLIDAR, the European association of Service Providers for persons with disabilities (EASPD), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) Europe, Workability Europe, the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW) Europe, the European Women's Lobby, the European Disability Forum (EDF).
What we need:
We seek the support of organisations and individuals at national and EU level to sign up for this campaign which we explain in this note.
We all have a key role in getting people to sign the petition in support to our campaign and to get involved in activities to lobby national governments and MEPs To have a significant impact, we aim at getting at least 5000 signatures that will be forwarded to EU policy-makers.


 The aim of the campaign
  • The aim of the campaign: Defending a strong ESF budget, backed by the earmarked 20% to deliver on the poverty target in all Operational Programmes towards national Governments and EU institutions
  • Raising awareness of public opinion and media about the importance of our demands.

 Duration of the Campaign
·         6-month campaign from May till November 2012
(ie the time span for the adoption of the MFF and ESF Regulation by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament).



Context 
The Commission’s legislative proposal on the ESF Regulation for 2014-2020 is being discussed within the European Parliament. The Commission’s proposal represents a major step forward, ensuring that the ESF will steadily contribute to the delivery on the poverty reduction target[1], especially through 1) the increased and secured budget for the ESF through a minimum share of at least 25% within the Cohesion Policy budget; 2) the 20% allocation ring-fenced for social inclusion and the fight against poverty.
But this key role of the ESF in achieving the poverty reduction target is at risk, as it needs to be endorsed by Member States, while most of them are keen to reject it. It raises an issue of accountability of Member States, who have agreed on an EU poverty reduction target, and hereby committed themselves to achieve their national poverty targets. The ESF should be used for delivering on the poverty reduction target, even more so in the context of shrinking resources at national level.

Why?
Why is it vital to defend a secured budget for the ESF and ring-fence 20% of the ESF for social inclusion and poverty reduction?
  • It is the most effective way to contribute to the delivery on the poverty reduction target that Member States commitment themselves to achieve by 2020.
  • The economic and social context in the EU, dominated by an increase in poverty and social exclusion as result of the crisis and austerity measures, is leading to an even greater need for more resources dedicated to achieving poverty reduction and promotion of social inclusion, including defending social protection systems and social services.
  • It promotes territorial equality, by ensuring an even level of contribution of the ESF to poverty reduction between all EU Member States.

How?
A minimum share of at least 25% of the Structural Funds’ budget for the ESF, must first be endorsed both by the Council and the European Parliament, as a pre-requisite to ensure that ESF will play a powerful role in delivering on the social targets of Europe 2020 in an even manner, in all EU regions.
  •  The 20% earmarking mechanism should be used to reduce poverty and social exclusion and to promote integrated active inclusion approaches (adequate minimum income, access to quality jobs and quality services) rather than purely narrow activation policies, as well as to integrate marginalised communities or to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origins, religion or age or sexual orientation.
  • We support the continuation of the Food Aid Programme for the next programming period 2014-2020, but this cannot be done by integrating this Programme into the 20% ring-fenced for social inclusion, without thus significantly reducing the possibility to fund integrated social inclusion projects on the ground.
  • We support binding social ex-ante conditionalities on social inclusion & poverty reduction, gender mainstreaming, anti-discrimination and disability so as to make sure from the start that all the programmes will be socially inclusive, but we reject macro-economic conditionality (leading to the suspension of funding to Member States in a situation of excessive deficit) because it contradicts the principles of solidarity between regions and citizens, as well as social cohesion and it risks penalizing ultimately vulnerable people.  
  • The partnership principle should be obligatory and covers all relevant partners including social NGOs at all stages of the Structural Funds’ process (from the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) both for the partnership contracts and the Operational Programmes.
  • A monitoring mechanism, based on Commission guidelines and clear indicators and reporting via the National Reform Programmes and Social Reports; should be established to ensure transparency and to enable the sharing of practice on how Member States use this 20% ring-fenced for social inclusion and combating poverty.   

Who does this campaign target?
  • Institutional actors at the EU level (MEPs, Council of Ministers) and at national level (Governments, SPC Members, Managing Authorities);
  • Media (European press and national media);
  • Public opinion.

 Key initiatives
1) Towards public opinion
It features:
    • campaign tools:
-          The campaign leaflet is available in a word document, so that any organization can translate it and print it easily. Please notify vincent.caron@eapn.eu if you translate it. We will put all versions on the campaign website (in a PDF version).
For the moment, this campaign leaflet is available in English: http://www.eapn.eu/images/stories/docs/campaigns/leaflet-campaign-EAPN.pdf
-          A background paper for people to get more information about European social policies, the ESF and its role for fighting against poverty and social exclusion (http://www.eapn.eu/images/stories/docs/campaigns/background-paper-campaign.pdf)
  • A specific space in the EAPN Members’ Room

2)      Towards media / institutions
At the national level
What can you do?
·         Contact members of the EAPN EU Inclusion Strategies Group (EAPN’s Policy Group) about developing a national coalition with common actions.
·         Organize joint actions: letters, meetings, events with Government representatives & MEPs.  A template letter will be provided shortly to help you in your lobbying activities as well as updated information about the discussion at Council and European Parliament levels.
·         Disseminate the campaign at local level by:
-          Putting a link to the campaign on your website and encourage other organizations to do the same;
-          Encouraging individuals to sign the petition;
-          Translating and disseminating the campaign leaflet.  
·         To provide updated information about the initiatives undertaken at national level:
-          Send it to vincent.caron@eapn.eu
-          Post on EAPN’s Facebook page
·         For Tweeter users: #EUMoney20Percent is the hashtag

At the EU level
Key milestones
27 April
Kick-off meeting with EOs and other European Networks interested in joining the Campaign
15 May
Official launch of the campaign (with the petition for individuals to join the campaign)

If possible, joint meetings with the Rapporteurs and Shadow Rapporteurs of BUDG and EMPL Committees.
Mid-June
If possible, organise a meeting hosted by the European Parliament (through a political group, Committee or individual MEPs).
Send the joint letter in view of the June General Affairs Council meeting.
November
A joint lobbying letter prior to the General Affairs Council meeting (including the list of individuals who will have signed up for the campaign)

For any question, contact vincent.caron@eapn.eu

[1] In the Framework of the Europe 2020 Strategy, Member States agreed on 5 headline targets including one on poverty reduction consisting in lifting 20 million people out of poverty by 2020. 

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