Europe 2020

The Government has today published its National Reform Programme 2018, as submitted to the European Commission.  In informing this process Social Justice Ireland submitted two papers to the Department of An Taoiseach - our comprehensive Europe2020 report and our analysis on the Country Specific Recommendations set out in the 2018 Country Report for Ireland.

The European Commission has just published the 2017 Country Specific Recommendations for Ireland, accompanied by an assessment of Ireland's National Reform Programme and 2017 Stability Programme.  This forms part of the European Semester process.  Social Justice Ireland's initial response to the Country Specific Recommendations is available below.  

Ireland is not making progress towards meeting some of its Europe 2020 Targets.  This is one of the main findings of Social Justice Ireland's  latest report, Ireland and the Europe 2020 Strategy.  The report finds that Ireland needs to make greater efforts to meet the Europe 2020 targets on employment and reducing poverty and social exclusion.

Economic recovery has yet to be experienced by large numbers of people in Europe.  Many remain excluded as they continue to lose out in employment, education, healthcare, poverty and related services.  This is undermining the confidence many people had in the European project because they see the EU constantly giving priority to economic issues ahead of social challenges.

Social Justice Ireland today (April 4, 2016) presents its latest EU-wide study to the EU's Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. Entitled 'Europe: A Union for the Powerless as well as the Powerful' it analyses what has been happening in all 28 EU countries on issues such as poverty, unemployment, services and taxation.

There has been a profound failure of policy across the EU since the 2008 crash, a failure that raises serious questions concerning the EU’s commitment to protecting its millions of powerless and vulnerable people, according to Social Justice Ireland’s latest research study on EU developments.

Government policies are further excluding people who are already clinging to the margins of society, according to a new review from Social Justice Ireland. The Review analyses how Ireland is performing with regard to key national targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy.