The European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) signed a memorandum of understanding in Brussels today, agreeing to work together on the EU's anti-poverty strategy. Commission executive vice-president Roxana Mînzatu and EESC president Séamus Boylan signed the document.
The committee's session began on Wednesday. In a debate on poverty, Mînzatu said the EU is cutting poverty more slowly than it needs to in order to meet its 2030 goals.
What happened before: EU falling behind on goal to cut poverty by 15m people by 2030, Minzatu says
The strategy aims to cut the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030, including 5 million children. Poverty is to be eradicated by 2050.
The memorandum was signed at the conference "Eradicating poverty by 2050: delivering on our collective responsibility", part of the EESC's October plenary session.
It sets up a permanent political dialogue between the Commission and the committee, and a way to share good practice. Employers, trade unions and civil society groups are to play a bigger part in drawing up and carrying out the steps against poverty.
The two bodies may work on recommendations on how to prevent and reduce poverty among people who have jobs. Another possible topic is linking the European Child Guarantee with the Youth Guarantee.
The EESC will help set up an EU Anti-Poverty Coalition, in which businesses and charities would join forces on specific action. The committee will also take part in tracking progress at European, national, regional and local level. People living in poverty will get more involved through hearings, conferences and consultations.
The memorandum takes effect today and will run until the end of the Commission's current term. It adds no new financial commitments: activities will be paid for from existing funds, unless the institutions agree otherwise in separate written agreements.