European Preparatory Assembly

European Preparatory Assembly (EPA) is the European body and meetingplace which makes decisions about the ESF-process at the European level. Decisions can be about where the next ESF will take place, or principle issues about the work with the ESF program, about participation fees and so on. There is also an ongoing discussion about how to develop and enhance the ESF.

The organizing of the ESF is therefore a cooperation between the national/regional organizing committees (for this forum the Nordic Organizing Committee) and the EPA. Most of the practical work is done by the national/regional organizing committees, but when it comes to principle issues about the forum and the ESF-process, decisions are taken by the EPA.

In connection with the EPA-meetings there are usually also European network meetings and an Assembly of Social Movements, where current political issues, calls for actions and campaigns are discussed.

The EPA-meetings are usually held 4-5 times per year, and like the ESF the meetings rotates between different parts of Europe. The last EPA-meetings have been held in Stockholm, Istanbul, Berlin and - most recently - in Kiev on June 7-8th 2008. All EPA-meetings are open for all organizations who are interested in or allready involved in the ESF-process.

More information about EPA can be found on the main webpage for the ESF-process.