SJ\_Draft1\_220914 SJ\_Draft1\_220914

Although there has been a welcome increase in the number of 'anti - poverty CSRs' from 3 in 2011 to 11 and 12 in 2013 and 2014 (across 28 MS), these are often ambiguous in their impact on poverty, being overly concerned with increasing efficiency of welfare states rather than reducing poverty, and undermined by the predominance of CSRs focussed on the macroeconomic and fiscal requirements, which are currently promoting austerity policies. For example almost all MS received CSRs related to budget consolidation with cost effectiveness and cutting the visible focus in Health and/or Care Services (BE, CZ, IE, ES, FR, HR, LV, LU, MT, NL, AT, RO, PT, SI, SK, FI), which have a major impact on the living/health standards of people in poverty, without requirements on quality, coverage and affordability. Europe 2020 needs to be the driving partner in the Semester, promoting a coherent and balanced economicand 17 social vision, if its goals are to be delivered.

- • the knowledge of what other EU countries are doing in Europe 2020 areas impacted • the knowledge of what other EU countries are doing in Europe 2020 areas impacted on the approach followed in your country? Please give examples.

EAPN is a EU-wide network, and is therefore not able to give an assessment for one country. It is also difficult for national NGO members to know how far governments have been influenced by other Member States in the development of their policies, as this is rarely acknowledged in the public arena.

We need input from members on national examples here, otherwise we will not answer the rest of the question.

- • there been sufficient involvement of stakeholders in the Europe 2020 strategy? Are • there been sufficient involvement of stakeholders in the Europe 2020 strategy? Are you involved in the Europe 2020 strategy? Would you like to be more involved? If yes, how?

EAPN members ' responses in 2013 and 2014 highlight clearly that there has been insufficient involvement of stakeholders, particularly anti-poverty and other social NGOs, in Europe 2020, despite the initial commitments of Europe 2020. Even where some engagement has been established, it's evaluated as tokenistic and of low quality, and with uneven progress in different Member States. Our members have shown a great perseverance in trying to get engaged, despite continual setbacks. Most show great willingness to get further involved, however this commitment is conditional on 1) that the NRP itself is a meaningful document, and process which can have reflect real decisions linked to national policies, rather than just a report on already completed actions. 2) That the engagement with stakeholders is pro-active and meaningful, and has the chance to have real impact on policy. The key demand is for the establishment of an on-going structured dialogue with stakeholders at national and EU level, developed throughout the year through regular meetings and inputs, underpinned by EU guidelines where NGOsand other stakeholders are continually involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of the NRPs and policy proposals. A recognition that such engagement will need political will, financial support, capacity building and training of both stakeholders and

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