The 15th FEAD Network Meeting took place on 5 April in Brussels, Belgium, welcoming 87 delegates from 22 Member states.

The second event of 2019 focused on the different approaches to FEAD delivery, specifically the step-by-step FEAD delivery chains. The meeting brought together EU-level partner organisations, FEAD Managing Authorities, European Commission representatives and NGOs from across Europe.

The day consisted of panel discussions and workshops concentrating on the identification of eligible end recipients, procurement of foods and goods as well as food distribution via e-vouchers. Throughout the day, delegates also had the chance to learn from case studies which prompted engaging discussions and networking with peers.

Approaches to FEAD delivery

Moderator Nigel Meager welcomed delegates and introduced the day. The meeting kicked off with a welcome update from Marie-Anne Paraskevas, Senior Policy Officer DG EMPL, and Jan Behrens, Policy Officer at DG EMPL.

Following this, the first panel discussion began. Delegates heard about the good practices and challenges involved in identifying eligible end recipients for FEAD activities. This included speakers such as Tom Anthuenis, Head of Belgian Managing Authority, Zenonas Klerides, of the Cyprus FEAD Managing Authority and George Pittalis, representing the Cyprus Education Ministry a FEAD Partner Organisation.

A second panel discussion followed, focusing on the different types of delivery chains with a focus on the procurement of food and basic goods. Speakers for this panel included, Cristina Rodriguez, Director of the Programmes Support Unit of the Social Security Institute, Noora Limnell, a volunteer at the Kainuu’s Citizen Centre (Finland), Sari Niemi, Finnish Food Authority. Jiří Bradáč from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, (Czech Republic), Anna Lupi, Legal and Policy Officer, European Commission and Nele Bossuyt from the FEAD Managing Authority in Belgium. They relayed the varying challenges and considerations taken when sourcing these products for end-recipients. This included making procurement more environmentally friendly, as well as social considerations such as procuring clothes that did not involve child work or exploitation in their production.

Delegates were presented with a workshop on the concept and practices of e-vouchers. These will be eligible under the new ESF+ Regulation, as proposed by the Commission. Examples of this alternative delivery model were presented by Kärt Mere, Estonian European Anti-poverty Network, Susana Gende Feely and Maria Jesús Gil Meneses, Spanish Red Cross. Speakers explained to delegates how a municipality in Estonia, and the Red Cross in Spain currently use a voucher system. They were then given a brief insight to the e-voucher system (Electronic benefit cards) used in the United States of America.

Throughout the workshop, delegates used an online application to ask questions in real time whilst the panels were taking place. This allowed for a fruitful exchange of views, comments and discussions on the topics discussed by speakers.

Case Study Marketplace

During the second half of the meeting, delegates could choose two out of four parallel case study presentations, learning about specific examples of methods of delivery of FEAD activities. This included case studies delivered by José Luis Diez del Corral, Federation of Food Banks (Spain), Eleni Fotopoulou, Greek FEAD Managing Authority, Barbara Cerrato, Federal Public Service for Social Integration, Anti-Poverty and Social Economy (Belgium) and Catherine El Arouni, Restos du Coeur (France). Topics ranged from building solidarity supermarkets chains in Spain to the provision of fresh foods in Greece. Additionally, delegates learned about social restaurants ran with FEAD-funded products in Belgium as well as IT tools appropriate for data collection and monitoring in France. 

Throughout the event, delegates were encouraged to consult the FEAD Network website, interact with the FEAD Network Facebook group, an online space that aims to connect members, encourage discussion and share the latest policy news. Join the Facebook group today; we will be sharing photographs, speaker videos, presentations and reports from the meeting. You can also view photos from the event on Flickr.