Half Day Conference on “Guaranteed Minimum Income Policies in Cyprus and Greece and the European Intervention” took place on Thursday, May 11th, at the “Marcos Drakos” Hall, at SEK Building in Nicosia . The conference marked the launch of the European Minimum Income Network (EMIN2) program and was organized by EAPN-Cyprus.

The conference was welcomed online by Fintan Farrell the Project Manager, Ninetta Kazantzis the President of EAPN-Cyprus, SEK (Cyprus Workers’ Confederation) General Secretary Andreas Matsas and the General Manager of the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance, Andreas Assotis, on behalf of the Minister Mrs Zeta Emilianidou.

The basic presentation of the EMIN2 program was made by EMIN national coordinator Nicos Satsias, who analyzed the program. EMIN2, said Mr Satsias, is an informal network of organisations and individuals, committed to achieve the progressive realisation of adequate, accessible and enabling Minimum Income Schemes.  EMIN unites various experts, professionals, academics and diverse entities active in the fight against poverty and social exclusion.

The second module of the conference consisted of a contribution by the advisor of the Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Insurance, Mr Fanos Kourouphexis, who analyzed the philosophy and policies of the Guaranteed Minimum Income in Cyprus and of course all the related evolutions since the day of the implementation of the new system, July 2014.

Two very interesting contributions were then submitted, by Dr Gabriel Amitsis, Professor of TEI of Athens, entitled  “The Development of Minimum Income Policies in the Greek Social Welfare System” and by Mrs Fotini Marini, SYGKLISIS, on “The Model of National Strategies for Social Integration – Lessons from Greece and Cyprus “.

The seminar was concluded with discussion, interventions by participants and questions. As a general conclusion it was accepted that there is always space for improvement, in all the areas (access, adequacy and enabling) of Guaranteed Minimum Income.