SOCIAL POLICY : PLATFORM AGAINST POVERTY: CONVENTION SOUNDS ALARM.

The third annual convention of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, held on 26-27 November, gave a mixed review of progress by the EU on social policy last year. As aptly pointed out by the European Commission at the opening session, on 26 November, "although we are seeing a return to growth, indicators of unemployment and poverty are not moving in the right direction". In 2012, around 50 million people of working age lived with less than 60% of the national equivalised median income in the EU28, 33.1 million lived in extreme material deprivation and 30.4 million aged 18 to 59 lived in jobless households.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

The annual convention, one of the Europe 2020' flagship initiatives, aims to promote dialogue between policy makers, key stakeholders and people who have experienced poverty. It offers a...