European Anti Poverty Network

EU Legislative Interests

The goal of EAPN is to establish across Europe a democratic and effective network of voluntary groups or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working against poverty, which shall primarily be an expression of the desire of people experiencing poverty to initiate and effect change in the structures that keep people in a marginalised position. The explicit and main purpose of groups that join the Network must be to empower people and groups experiencing poverty and social exclusion to fulfill their responsibilities, to exercise their rights, to break their isolation and counter their social exclusion. The Network shall pursue three main objectives:  To promote and enhance the effectiveness of actions against poverty and social exclusion;  To help shape social policies and design action programmes  To lobby for and with people and groups experiencing poverty and social exclusion. While EAPN is committed to the eradication of poverty globally the primary focus of our activities is on the eradication of poverty within the member states of the European Union.

Communication Activities

The Publications listed below give a clear indication of the areas we work on. It also shows our communication activities and the event s we organised were linked to the main publications. EAPN reaction to the 2025 European semester autumn package  An Exploratory Study on the Use of Digital Tools by People Experiencing Poverty (August) EAPN Roadmap towards an EU Anti-Poverty Strategy (October 2024)  People’s Summit Report (December 2024) Statement from EU civil society organisations: The EU must protect welfare states at any costs People Experiencing Poverty at the Center of Policy Making, PEP Summit 2024 Report (December 2024) Equal Access to Affordable, Quality Essential Services I Report (January) Reaction to the European Semester Autumn Package (January) Minimum Income Council Recommendation: Not Enough to Fight Poverty I Position Paper (February) Poverty Watch 2022 | Unequal Times of Crises (February) Joint Statement | Why adopting the Social Climate Fund is the right choice for Europe (April) Manifestation for a Ban on Energy Disconnections in Europe | contribution to Fondation Abbé Pierre’s brochure (May) PEP 2022 meeting report | The Unbearable Cost of Living (May) PEP 2023 meeting report | The Unbearable Cost of Living | #PeP2023 EU election edition People’s Summit: No Social Europe without Social Rights Putting People at the Heart of Policies (April 2023)   Policy and Advocacy Mapping Report  Advocacy Toward Adequate Minimum Income Schemes European Poverty Watch (2023) European Semester 2023: EAPN urges Commission to prioritise social rights over profits (October) Equal Access to Affordable, Quality Essential Services Report (January) Right to Affordable Clean Energy for all Europeans | Joint EAPN-EPSU report (January) Social and Labour Aspects of the Just Transition towards Climate Neutrality | EAPN Position Paper (February) A Socially Just and Poverty-Proof Green Deal | EAPN Capacity Building Report (March) Civil Society Response to the Gas Price Crises (March) EAPN EU 2021 Poverty Watch Report (June) Czech and European Civil Society Statement on priorities for the Czech Presidency | Joint statement (June) EAPN Policy conference on Adequate Minimum Income report (July) Energy poverty in the context of the green transition and the cost of living crisis | 2022 review (July)  European Commission proposal on Council Recommendation on adequate EU Minimum Income Schemes | Joint EAPN-Eurodiaconia-Caritas statement (October) Key messages on Access to Essential Services (October) Response to Council Recommendation on Access to Affordable High-Quality Long-Term Care | EAPN Statement (October) Poverty Watch 2022: In Unequal Times of Crises | EAPN Key EU Findings and Recommendations (October) EC Proposal for EU Directive on Minimum Wages | EAPN Statement (February) Working towards a Socially Inclusive & Poverty-proof Recovery from the Pandemic | EAPN Assessment of ASGS & JER (February) EAPN Reaction to EPSR Action Plan (March) Working for a Green and Social that ends poverty | EAPN’s Response to the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy and Joint Employment Report (Jan) EAPN reaction to European Commission’s Communication: A strong Social Europe for Just Transitions (Jan) Ensuring Education, Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning (March) Putting Social Rights and Poverty Reduction at the heart of EU’s COVID-19 Response (April) EAPN Poverty Explainer on What is poverty and how to combat it? (April) EAPN Position Paper on Adequate Income (May) EAPN Input to the consultation on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (June) EAPN Assessment of the 2020 Country-Specific Recommendations (June) The impact of Covid-19 on people experiencing poverty and vulnerability (July) EAPN Key Messages on the European Green New Deal and “Just Transition” (July) EAPN Statement: AN EU Poverty Target as priority for post Europe 2020 (Nov)

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

Social Platform (The Platform of European Social NGOs) Civil Society Europe (CSE)

Organisation Members

EAPN Austria EAPN Belgium - Réseau belge de lutte contre la pauvreté - Belgisch(1), EAPN Bulgaria - Bulgarian Anti Poverty Network(1), EAPN Cyprus - National Anti-Poverty Network Cyprus(1), EAPN Croatia EAPN Estonia EAPN Finland - EAPN-Fin(1), EAPN France(1), EAPN Germany - Nationale Armutskonfrenz Deutschland(1), EAPN Greece - Ελληνικό Δίκτυο για την Καταπολέμηση της Φτώχειας(1), EAPN Hungary - Hungarian Anti Poverty Network (HAPN)(1), EAPN Iceland EAPN Ireland(1), EAPN Italy – CILAP(1), EAPN Latvia EAPN Lithunia – Lithunian National Anti Poverty Network(1), EAPN Malta(1), North Macedonian EAPN EAPN Netherlands – EAPN Nederland(1), EAPN Norway – Velferdsalliansen(1), EAPN Portugal Rede Europeia Anti Pobreza / Portugal – REAPN(1), EAPN Romania - RENASIS(1), EAPN Serbia EAPN Slovakia – Slovak Anti Poverty Netrwork(1), EAPN Slovenia EAPN Spain - EAPN-España(1), EAPN Sweden - EAPN Sverige(1), AGE Platform Europe (AGE) ATD Fourth World EMMAUS Europe Eurochild European Consumer Debt Network (ECDN) European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA) European Network against Racism (ENAR) International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) Mental Health Social Exclusion Europa (SMES Europa) Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) Salvation Army