The EU is cutting poverty more slowly than it needs to meet its 2030 goals. Brussels must act faster and go further, mainly for the sake of children, European Commission executive vice-president Roxana Mînzatu told a high-level debate at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
The committee's two-day plenary session in Brussels began on Wednesday. Topics included technological sovereignty, poverty and access to housing.
The background: EU economic and social body meets in Brussels to discuss digital independence and poverty
Between 2019 and 2025, the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU fell by 3.5m. By 2030 there should be at least 15m fewer than in 2019, including at least 5m children. "The truth is that we are falling behind," Mînzatu said.
She asked that the fall be judged against the backdrop of the pandemic, the energy crisis and high living costs, which hit the most vulnerable hardest. What has been achieved came from steps taken by the EU, member states and regions on incomes, jobs and access to social services. If those steps do not become broader and faster, the 2030 goals will be very hard to reach, she warned.
Mînzatu called the EU's anti-poverty strategy only the first stage of a complex process, whose success depends on everyone doing their part. The long-term aim is for the Union to help member states end poverty by 2050. European decisions, she insisted, must turn into practical action that reaches people locally.
The first priority is children. They must have access to education, care and basic services, and every child in need should get support. The Commission wants to strengthen the European Child Guarantee so that inequality does not continue from early childhood into adult life. Mînzatu explained that the number of children helped does not in itself show success. Affordable childcare lets mothers work and bring income to the family, she said.
The second priority is people who face barriers to entering the labour market. Consultations with Europe's social partners on this have been running since July. About one in ten workers in Europe is affected by poverty, with big differences between countries. Next year the Commission will draw up recommendations on the issue with member states and social partners, taking account of the situation in each country.
For people who cannot work and rely on benefits, Brussels wants to remove obstacles to getting help. Next year the Commission will publish a collection of good practices. In 2027 it will encourage member states to exchange views on whether pensions are enough and how older people are supported, as the population ages. Housing is also part of the fight against poverty, Mînzatu said.
The Commission will keep meeting twice a year with people who live or have lived in poverty, to judge whether its decisions work. Mînzatu said their experience helps to find gaps. Brussels plans to build a coalition against poverty with companies, charities and other partners, including European financial institutions, to bring in more and better targeted investment. A memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the EESC is also due, which Mînzatu linked to specific commitments under the strategy.
The debate was titled "Eradicating poverty by 2050: delivering on our collective responsibility". European institutions, national authorities and civil society groups took part. They discussed child poverty, support for low-income workers and money for social programmes in the EU's next long-term budget.
Li Andersson, chair of the European Parliament's employment and social affairs committee, said progress is far too slow. In a video message, she said trust in the whole European project depends on how the institutions respond to worries about food prices, heating and rents. "There can be no credible social policies without economic policies that actually support this process," Andersson said. She insisted that the European Social Fund must stay separate and be stronger, with its own budget, management and goals. In her view, child poverty and youth unemployment must be a mandatory priority in national programmes, with more involvement from local authorities, social partners and civil society groups.
Irish minister for social protection, rural and community development Dara Calleary spoke about his country's experience in a video message. Poverty is not beaten by one programme or a short-term fix, but by a lasting strategy and clear accountability, he said. Ireland has a roadmap for social inclusion with 63 government actions and 25 headline indicators, and aims to bring persistent child poverty below 3%. The government tracks progress with civil society and the voluntary sector, reports every quarter and sends an annual report to parliament. Calleary said this means constant oversight, and the communities affected are heard.
Carlos Susías, president of the European Anti-Poverty Network, described poverty as a structural problem that depends directly on political decisions. In his view, strategies should be judged by the real change in people's lives. Susías called for adequate minimum income schemes, affordable housing and social goals that fit the EU's next multiannual financial framework. He insisted that people living in poverty should take part in decisions, and that policies should take account of the fact that women are more vulnerable.
Follow-up: European Commission and EESC sign memorandum on joint action against poverty