EAPN WELCOMES INCLUSION OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AT EUROPEAN CONVENTION.

The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) has welcomed the progress towards mainstreaming social inclusion which was contained in the report from the Convention on the Future of Europe's Working Group on Social Europe which was presented to the February 6-7 plenary session of the Convention. Among the EAPN's recommendations are:

- The importance of the addition of "social justice, solidarity" to the list of basic values of the European Union. EAPN also welcomes the addition to the statement of values of "equal treatment, in particular between men and women and equal opportunities" but would like to see this wording strengthened.

- Including in the EU's basic objectives "social justice, sustainable development, the promotion of full employment and quality of work, the promotion of access to basic and continuous education, social inclusion, and a high degree of social protection, equality between women and men, promotion of children's rights, a high level of public health, and access to efficient and high-quality services of general interest". EAPN also asked for the eradication of poverty to be included in the objectives set out in the Constitutional Treaty.

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