This publication about the Future of the Welfare State is the fruit of
cooperation between Caritas Europa and some of its member organizations.
Caritas Europa member organizations are cooperating more closely since
some years now in the framework of Social Policy. Social Policy Advocacy
Work used to be less prominent for Caritas Europa than international
cooperation issues, like emergencies, development, justice and peace or also
than migration issues, where Caritas Europa and its member organizations
were experienced actors. After the fall of the wall, new members from central
and eastern European countries joining Caritas Europa were concentrating
more on the direct assistance to vulnerable groups than on a bad name
bearing “political action”. Though it took some years for the whole network
to establish advocacy work in the social field on an equally important stage.
Starting in 2002, following then in 2004 and 2006 Caritas Europa published
a series of three Poverty Reports, shedding light on poverty in European