On June 21, EAPN and 17 other social NGOs sent a joint letter to Prime Ministers ahead of their General Affairs Council meeting on June 26, urging them to back the European Commission’s proposal on the Cohesion policy budget and on the European Social Fund (ESF) for social inclusion and fighting poverty.

This proposal is vital as nearly 1 in 4 persons are already experiencing poverty and social exclusion in the EU, a situation that demands urgent social investment. Still, a vast majority of Prime Ministers are ready to reject this proposal, jeopardising any potential delivery on the Europe 2020 poverty reduction target and, more widely, any kind of recovery, and giving signs of indifference to the - more and more numerous – people living in poverty and social exclusion.

The European Commission made a proposal in October 2011 to allocate 25% of the Cohesion policy budget to the European Social Fund (ESF) and to earmark at least 20% of the ESF for social inclusion and fighting poverty.

On May 15, a coalition of 18 NGOs launched their campaign and petition EU Money for Poverty Reduction NOW! - initiated by the European Anti-Poverty Network - calling on Member States to back the European Commission’s proposal and secure:

• The allocation of at least 25% of the Cohesion Policy budget to the European Social Fund (ESF);
• The earmarking of at least 20% of the ESF to social inclusion and poverty reduction.