As of 1st of July 2010, Belgium holds the fort of the EU Presidency, taking over from the Spanish government. 

“Local authorities will be the radar of social changes,” said Magda de Meyer to delegates in 18th European Social Services Conference in Barcelona. De Meyer is the anti-poverty advisor to Philippe Courard, Belgian State Secretary for the Fight against Poverty and Social Exclusion and was a keynote speaker in the closing plenary session.

De Meyer argued that their proximity to citizens gives regional and local authorities an important role in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. “The Belgian Presidency wants Europe to pay attention to this important social role of local and regional authorities,” she said.

Unveiling the Presidency’s social policy programme, De Meyer stressed that Belgium will lead a ‘social presidency’: “More than ever our priorities will be to reduce inequalities, to aim at the inclusion of all, to enable every European citizen to have a decent income and a dignified life.” Read Magda de Meyer’s speech in full.
 

Belgian Presidency Priorities

The Belgian government has designed a serious and coherent programme in the area of social policy for the next six months. It covers a wide range of social issues from child poverty to disability, but also tackles some difficult institutional and political issues in EU policy through a series of important events:

•    Child Poverty: Roadmap for a recommendation to fight child poverty / 2-3 September
•    EU coordination in the social field in the context of Europe 2020: Looking back and building the future / 14-15 September
•    Round Table on Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion / 18-19 October
•    3rd Forum on Social Services of General Interest / 26-27 October

ESN is committed in supporting the participation of local and regional government in these events and supports the Belgian EU Presidency programme.

Find out more about these and all the events under the Presidency’s social policy programme here.