In Europe, one in five people – around 93 million people – is now at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The situation is particularly alarming for children: one in four children, totalling 19.3 million, is growing up in precarious conditions. At the same time, around one million people are homeless. In the 2021 European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (EPSR),  the EU set a goal of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty by 15 million by 2030 – a goal that the EU currently risks to miss by a wide margin.  The European Commission now wants to take it a step further: the aim is to eradicate poverty in Europe entirely by 2050. To achieve this, the Anti-Poverty Strategy focuses on three key priorities: quality jobs for all, effective access to quality services and adequate income support, and coordinated action against poverty.

Social package with a holistic approach to tackling poverty and social exclusion

The Anti-Poverty Strategy forms part of a comprehensive social package, which also includes measures to tackle housing exclusion, to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities and to strengthen the European Child Guarantee. This includes greater public investment in social and affordable housing, along with expanded person-centred support services such as debt counselling and targeted rent assistance. Another key focus is on long-term solutions regarding homelessness based on the ‘Housing First’ principle.

In addition, a digital European Disability Card and a European Parking Card are to be introduced to improve accessibility in transport and public services. There are also plans to launch an EU Alliance to establish and fund Centres for Independent Living (CILs). The introduction of a European Child Guarantee Card is also planned. This is a digital platform designed to assist public authorities in managing support services for children affected by poverty. Furthermore, the European Child Guarantee and the European Youth Guarantee are to be more closely linked.

Measures in the Anti-Poverty Strategy

The Anti-Poverty Strategy comprises three chapters aimed at combating poverty from childhood to old age. The first chapter looks into measures to tackle poverty along the life cycle. The European Child Guarantee is to be strengthened to ensure access to essential services and to support disadvantaged families with children. A consultation with the social partners on the activation of persons excluded from the labour market is to be carried out by the end of 2026. Furthermore, new guidelines on combating in-work poverty are to be published.

The second chapter focuses on challenges affecting all generations at the same time. These include improved access to high-quality services, particularly social services, and expanding the provision of social and affordable housing. Furthermore, discrimination and stigmatisation are to be tackled by raising awareness of socio-economic disadvantage. The third chapter provides opportunities to improve governance, funding and monitoring at all levels. The Commission is urging Member States to put in place an appropriate policy framework and plans to issue guidelines to support this. There are also plans to establish an EU-wide coalition against poverty and to involve people who have experienced poverty more closely in the development of solutions. This is to be facilitated by setting up a forum for structured consultation.

Comprehensive action is needed, but funding remains uncertain

Whilst the Anti-Poverty Strategy sets out a wide range of key measures to combat poverty, adequate funding at both European and national level will be crucial to their implementation. The Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 (MFF), which is currently under negotiation, will show whether the commitment to combating poverty is genuine. MEP Evelyn Regner and MEP Andreas Schieder (S&D), for instance, have called for clearly allocated funds. MEPs from other political groups took a similar stance during a debate in the European Parliament’s plenary session this week.

Caritas Europa, like the European Trade Union Confederation, pointed out that employment alone is not sufficient protection against poverty, particularly given the persistence of poverty despite people being in work. In its AK EUROPA Position Paper on the earlier consultation on the Anti-Poverty Strategy, AK called for adequate funding through the MFF and as well, for the strategy to include legally binding guidelines. Key laws in this regards would include EU minimum standards for unemployment insurance and minimum income support schemes, legal entitlements to training and further education, a European job guarantee for the long-term unemployed, and a Just Transition Directive.

Further information

AK EUROPA Position Paper: EU Anti-Poverty Strategy
AK EUROPA:  Fighting poverty in the EU. European Parliament report calls for effective measures
European Commission: EU Anti-Poverty-Strategy
European Commission: Commission proposes new measures to fight poverty and improve the lives of persons with disabilities
S&D: Europe’s first Anti-Poverty Strategy gives hope, but 93 million people need strong action now
Caritas Europa: A first-ever EU anti poverty strategy
Solidar: Anti-Poverty Strategy: is this really all the EU can do to eradicate poverty?
Bocconi University: EU’s Anti-Poverty Strategy Announced: Now the Push for National Implementation