Caritas Europa Social Policy Positions

• Political Proposals to European Decision-Makers [DE] [EN] [ES] [FR]
  
  Madrid, 4-5 June 2010 - Series of proposals for the European leaders to take into consideration to achieve a society where a new culture of solidarity and co-responsibility has the same value as individual freedom, and where social justice and the fight against poverty are key objectives for all political action.
  
  
  
  
  
• For a Value-driven EU agenda 2020
  
  Brussels, 14 January 2010 - Contribution to the European Commission consultation on the Union's agenda for the next decade. Caritas Europa encourages the European Union to pursue an agenda that privileges the protection of the human being and the environment. It also urges EU decision-makers to stop relying welfare on the labour market only, but to see welfare as relying on three sources: paid employment in the labour market, solidarity within the family, and the wealth-redistributing and correcting institutional meechanisms provided by the welfare state.
  
  
  
  
• Response to consultation on EU Draft Impact Assessment Guidelines
  
  Brussels, 25 July 2008 - In a world where more than 40% of the planet's population barely survive with less than 2 US dollars a day, Caritas Europa urges the European Union to improve the current EU draft on Impact Assessment Guidelines to effectively avoid incoherent and inefficient policies that can jeopardise the Union's committments towards the poor. 
   

• Contribution to consultation on EU 2008/2009 Budget Review - "Reforming the Budget, Changing Europe"
  
  Brussels, 15 April 2008 -  Responding to a public consultation from the European Commission on the review of the 2008/2009 EU Budget, Caritas Europa calls for giving to the social dimension a clear and strong priority in the EU budget.
  
   

• Response to consultation on Modernising social protection for greater social justice and economic cohesion
  
  Brussels, 28 February 2008 - Despite being one of the richest regions in the world, the European Union is still far away from the Lisbon Strategy's objective of making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty. Caritas Europa welcomes the Commission's approach to 'active inclusion', but misses a better incorporation of the social inclusion/social protection process into the Lisbon strategy. 
  
   

• Written Declaration from the European Parliament on ending street homelessness in Europe
  
  Brussels, 18 February 2008 - Caritas Europa has joined an initiative of the European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) calling on Members of the European Parliament to support a Written Declaration on ending street homelessness in Europe. For Caritas Europa this Written Declaration is in accordance with the Social Teaching of the Church and would be an important step towards putting an end to this ongoing violation of human rights.
  
  » Read the joint letter send by a coalition of 14 Social NGOs to all Members of the European Parliament: Supporting a Written Declaration from the European Parliament on ending street homelessness in Europe
  
  

  » Refer to our article "Caritas Europa joins major European networks' call for political commitment to end homelessness" for more information and to download the full text of the Written Declaration. The text is available in the Union's 22 official languages.