Diplocat and the Catalan Social Action Organisations (ECAS) federation host a seminar on poverty and employment

The organisations are looking to convey the country's priorities and situation to European Union social policymakers

On 8 July the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat) and the Catalan Social Action Organisations (ECAS) federation are hosting the online seminar 'Poverty and Employment: what do Catalan social action organisations want to say to Europe?' in order to convey the country's priorities and situation to European Union social policymakers.

Wednesday 8 July, 10 am, JOIN the debate

The event will be inaugurated by Director-General for European and Mediterranean Affairs, Alfonso González Bondía, then the General Secretary of Diplocat, Laura Foraster, and the President of ECAS, Xavier Puig will welcome the attendees. This will be followed by a panel of speakers moderated by Marta Cid, ECAS international member, and consisting of Ana Carrero, European Social Fund Spain and Malta team leader in the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission, and Isabel Caño, Vice-President of the European Economic and Social Committee, on behalf of European institutions; and Ferran Busquets, ECAS member for poverty and Director of the Arrels Foundation, and Sonia Moragrega, a member of the ECAS Board and Operations Director at the Intermedia Foundation, representing the Catalan organisations. Afterwards, there will be a Q&A session with social action stakeholders.

Finally, there will be a open debate with the general public moderated by Ana Ollo, a member of the ECAS international and social innovation committee. The event will be closed by Diplocat Secretary General, Laura Foraster. It will last an hour and three quarters and be held entirely in Spanish.

The conference will enable Catalan organisations to convey the situation in the country and their priorities to the key European players in employment and poverty issues and contribute to the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan which the European Commission is currently drawing up. They will also be able to learn about the social protection and inclusion policies and instruments in the new 2021-2027 programme and the European initiatives and actions planned to address the social crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the most recent European elections in June 2019 and with the new European Commission in place, the social action organisations are keen to bring their priorities and concerns to the attention of EU players who are working on social issues to influence them and show what the situation is like in Catalonia. While most social rights instruments are handled by member states, European Union institutions can help to lay down guidelines and recommendations on these policies, especially in terms of employment-related poverty and social exclusion.

As part of drawing up and implementing its European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the European Commission is welcoming input from state, regional, local and European institutions and civil society organisations in order to prepare this Action Plan which is to be presented in 2021. The European Pillar of Social Rights was proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission at the Gothenburg Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in 2017.

Programme

Register

Organized together with:

ECAS