On several occasions, we have presented the new EC procedure called the “European semester.” This initiative aims to balance member states’ budgets and reduce their debts. Recall that each State must present its budget forecast, which must be discussed and eventually approved by the Ecofin Council. This takes place under the supervision of the Commission. We praised the pursuit of virtue in this strict rectification of public accounts. We regretted, however, the lack of dialogue with social actors and the priority given to reducing social spending when there are so many other aspects to consider. Greece, for example, ranks 3rd in the world for military spending as a percentage of GDP. This leads to expenditures and orders that mostly benefit Germany.
Today, the influential European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) is highly critical of the national programs adopted by the Commission on June 7. These recommendations are essentially “cuts in public services, decreases in wages to delay retirement, and reduced spending on healthcare.”
EAPN “expected” other measures that “focused on the stated target of reducing poverty by at least 20 million people by 2020,” as announced during the 2010 year to combat the development of poverty in the EU.
For its part, the Commission acknowledges that “Member States must make more of an effort to reach the statistical target for reducing poverty.” So far, no concrete measure has been put forth to meet the objectives that the European Council established a year ago in June 2010.