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In line with the aim of linking its members to serve for solidarity and justice, Eurodiaconia intends to bridge the gap between the concrete reality of its members' experience in the area of poverty and social exclusion and EU policies.
To do so, Eurodiaconia
- monitors EU policies and strategies in the area of poverty and social exclusion
- takes part in the consultation and participation mechanisms at EU level
- advocates on EU policies, drawing on its members' experience and expertise
- equips its members to take part in the process at national level
- networks with Institutions, NGOs, to share ideas and good practices
Eurodiaconia is currently concentrating its work on the follow-up of the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy's objective of inclusive growth, and the process of the European Platform against poverty. It also works on specific issues such as the impact of the financial and economic crisis, financial inclusion and over-indebtedness, homelessness, child and family poverty, and other issues of interest to its members.
Downloads:
To know more about Eurodiaconia's work on Social Exclusion and Poverty, please contact Clotilde at
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Joint letter to Commissioner Andor on the financing of the food aid program |
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May 2012
Eurodiaconia, the Red Cross, Caritas Europa and the European Food Banks organisation wrote together to Commissioner Andor on the financing of the food aid program.
As organisations whose membership at national level is actively engaged in the fight against poverty and social exclusion, our four organisations offered their experience and perspectives of the Food Aid Programme, its impact, and link to the on-going fight against poverty and social exclusion as the European Commission develops a proposal on the future of this instrument.
Read the full text of the letter here |
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Marginalisation and Exclusion network met in Stockholm, 19-20th April 2012 |
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Updated on 7th May 2012
Last week, 14 representatives from Eurodiaconia's members, met on the occasion of the Marginalisation and Exclusion Network meeting, hosted by the Church of Sweden in Stockholm. The group was composed of representatives from all over Europe, from Iceland to Armenia. It worked on the proposed content for an EU Recommendation on Child Poverty, and members spend a lot of time exchanging about the reality of their work, be it from a national headquarter or a local parish perspective. They particularly spoke of the need to combine and balance the family and child centered approach to child poverty, and the importance of working with the family, to secure inclusion and to tackle youth unemployment and to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
For many participants, the highlight of the meeting was the visit with the Imam from the area who is very involved in cooperating with the Kallan Center, a cooperation from the Church of Sweden, the Catholic Church and the Islamic center.
This local centre provides services for the local community such as Swedish language classes, cookery group, youth clubs, etc. The centre fosters intercultural and interreligious dialogue through social work. The aim is to “firmly establish a cultural and existential dialogue in the local community (…) and to create the conditions for a dialogue that takes as its starting point work for social change.”
Read the full report of the meeting here.
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European Commission consultation on bank accounts |
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16 April 2012
(Updated on 4 June)
The European Commission launched a consultation on bank accounts, aiming to assess the need for action at EU level. More precisely, the consultation asks what measures, if any, could be taken to:
- Increase the transparency of fees linked to the operation of bank accounts;
- Help consumers to smoothly switch between account providers;
- Make it easier for consumers to open basic bank accounts.
The consultation is open to individual citizens, organisations and national public authorities until 12th June 2012.
Eurodiaconia has prepared a draft response to this consultation. If you would please be able to comment on it before Monday 11th June, please contact
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For Eurodiaconia, this is an important consultation, particularly regarding “access to a basic bank account” (page 8 and 9 of the consultation document) as it relates to financial inclusion. Access to a bank account determines the ability for full participation in society and social inclusion, through, for instance, the opportunity to manage the paying of bills and the possibility to receive social benefits from public authorities. It is therefore a necessary element of social cohesion and should be protected at European level.
Some of the key questions to be addressed on this point are the following: do you dispose of information on consumers encountering difficulties in access to a basic bank account? Are you aware of any measures taken by banks to facilitate access to a basic payment account? Have these initiatives been successfully enforced? If more needs to be done what additional measures should be envisaged?
European Commission consultation on bank accounts: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consultations/bank_accounts_consultation-2012_03_20_en.htm |
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Eurodiaconia calls for protection of Food Aid Programme |
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2 April 2012
Today, Eurodiaconia, together with the European Anti-Poverty Network, Eurochild, ENAR, FEANTSA, Caritas Europa, Red Cross/EU Office and the European Food Banks have become increasingly concerned about the future financing of the European Food Aid Programme after the end of 2013. This concern has also been shared by members of Eurodiaconia who are afraid that some of the most vulnerable people in Europe will be affected by political and legal wrangling over the programme. A solution has been found for 2012 and 2013 which we welcome. Nevertheless, the future of this Programme after 2013 still remains unclear. This situation is all the more insecure especially at this time of EU-wide deep social and economic crisis, with more and more people struggling to meet their basic needs.
As a result, the eight organisations have sent a letter to all 27 Member States asking that the European Food Aid Programme be given proper funding and a clear legal basis post 2013. However, we are clear that Food Aid should not be seen as a replacement of a long-term, social and sustainable European poverty reduction strategy. The commitment to such an EU Strategy, despite the commitments in the Europe 2020 strategy, is currently seriously under threat because of the implementation of austerity measures in each EU Member States on the basis of the macro-economic decisions taken at EU level. In this regard we highlight the importance of a continued strong European Social Fund as part of the future European Structural Funds, in line with the proposal made by the European Commission. We stress the importance of the 20% ring fencing for Social Inclusion in the ESF which in cooperation with the 25% allocation to ESF within the overall Structural Funds package could represent a significant response to the agreed EU poverty reduction target. We stress that the funding for the future EU Food Aid Programme must not be within this 20% ear marked for social inclusion.
We strongly encourage members to circulate this letter at national level and join with your partners at national level to call on your government to work to protect Food Aid and therefore some of the most vulnerable in our communities. If you would liek further information or would like to develop a common letter with Eurodiaconia at national level please contact Clotilde Clark Foulquier or Heather Roy in the secretariat. You can read the full text of the letter here.
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Almost 1 in 4 people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Europe new data reveals |
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14 February 2012
February 2012 Eurostat data (for 2010), shows signs of rising poverty in many Member States, especially in the Baltic States, Spain and Ireland. It reveals that in 2010, 115 million people, or 23.4% of the population, in the EU27 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This represents an increase of close to 2 million compared to 2009, and it is likely that this situation has worsened further in a number of Member States.
Subgroups suffering the most obvious effects of the crisis are those who were already at greater risk before the crisis and with weaker links to the labour market, namely young adults, families with children and especially single parents. Children are particularly at risk in Hungary, Romania, the UK and Luxembourg where the rate for children poverty was more than 5 points higher than the rate for the total population.
The highest shares of persons being at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Bulgaria (42%), Romania (41%), Latvia (38%), Lithuania (33%) and Hungary (30%), and the lowest in the Czech Republic (14%), Sweden and the Netherlands (both 15%), Austria, Finland and Luxembourg (all 17%). Poverty has increased the most in Slovenia (1.4 pp) and Spain (1.2 pp) in 2010.
These results are particularly interesting in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy through which EU 27 Member States agreed on the objective to reduce poverty by 20 million people by 2020. Initially looked as insufficient, this objective looks hard to reach in light of the social and economical crisis striking Europe today.
Source: Eurostat
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Monday, May 20, 2013
