Bus tour across Europe to promote minimum income schemes

Publish Date: 
Thursday, April 26, 2018

On 24 April, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), which coordinates the European Minimum Income Network, launched a bus tour across Europe to raise awareness of the importance of adequate, accessible and enabling minimum income schemes.

The European Minimum Income Network (EMIN) is an informal Network of organizations and individuals committed to achieve the progressive realization of the right to adequate, accessible and enabling Minimum Income Schemes and to fight against poverty and social exclusion. The network was inspired by the European Pillar of Social Rights, which sets out “the right to adequate minimum income benefits ensuring a life in dignity at all stages of life for everyone lacking sufficient resources

The tour, which will cover 32 countries over 64 days and comprise more than 120 events, will bring advocates of minimum income schemes into big cities and small villages across Europe.

According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, almost 119 million people, or 23.7 % of the population of member States of the European Union are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Members of EMIN argue that this situation is not inevitable, but, rather, is actually the consequence of political choices. EMIN advocates for the progressive realization of well-designed minimum income schemes, which would guarantee income support for everybody who needs it, for as long as they need it, enough to live a life in dignity and fully participate in society. The proposed scheme would be adapted to the cost of living in each European country.

European anti-poverty advocates argue that well-designed minimum income schemes would allow people to be active in society and facilitate their progressive (re)integration into the labor market. They would set a minimum floor for income levels and therefore help to ensure decent wages and help to reverse the dangerous trend of ‘working poor;’ a growing phenomenon of people affected by poverty in Europe even while they are employed. According to the EAPN, minimum income schemes will render European societies more equal and support people and families with limited financial means to live in dignity.

Please see a petition launched by EMIN calling for minimum income schemes in Europe and consider signing!