The Black Sea resort of Albena played host to the General Assembly of the European Anti
Poverty Network (EAPN), which adopted a working program for 2009 and a final declaration on fighting poverty.

In Bulgaria, 14.1-14.2 pre cent of the population is threatened with poverty, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Lazar Lazarov told journalists. This compares with the average of 17 per cent for the EU.

According to the Lisbon criteria, women's employment should reach 60 per cent in 2010. Currently, in Bulgaria this figure is 59.4 per cent, Lazarov further said.

EAPN may set up a special fund to finance projects, oriented towards fighting poverty, said the organization's President Ludo Horemans. 78 million people in the EU live in poverty and EPAN will insist that the national governments of the Member States make harder efforts to eradicate poverty by 2020.

Source: BTA