On developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy
A-10-2025-0260
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs · Rapporteur: João Oliveira
- Voted on · Adopted 385–141–53 · See the decision →
- Full procedure 2025/2095
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Parliament's resolution on developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy calls for a comprehensive, adequately funded strategy to eradicate poverty by 2035 at the latest, with a life-cycle approach and child poverty at its core.¶¶¶ It urges measures on fair working conditions, minimum income, public services, housing, healthcare, and social protection, and stresses participation of people with lived experience of poverty.¶¶¶ It calls for a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion for the European Child Guarantee in the 2028-2034 MFF and for Member States to allocate at least 5% of ESF+ funds to combat child poverty.¶
Committee position. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls on the Commission to present a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy with the goal of eradicating poverty by 2035, and sets out detailed demands on employment, social protection, housing, and child poverty.¶¶
Key points
- Calls on the Commission to present a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy with the goal of eradicating poverty by 2035 at the latest, including interim indicators and a monitoring framework.¶¶
- Urges addressing gender-based violence as key to eradicating poverty, boosting public investment, and ensuring access to shelters and support services regardless of residence or migration status.¶
- Calls for full and decent employment, fair wages, and no in-work poverty, and stresses the importance of collective bargaining and the transposition of the minimum wage directive.¶¶¶
- Urges the Commission to present an EU directive on adequate minimum income and active social inclusion, setting common standards on adequacy, accessibility and coverage.¶
- Calls for universal access to affordable, high-quality public services, including housing, healthcare, water, energy and transport, and for a European affordable housing plan with robust EU funding.¶¶
- Urges an action plan to end homelessness by 2030, with specific targets and measures for child, family and female homelessness, and support for Housing First programmes.¶
- Calls for closing the gender employment and pension gaps, strengthening care systems, and supporting informal carers and returnship programmes.¶¶¶
- Calls for measures to address digital exclusion, including digital skills training and ensuring that digitalisation of public services does not widen inequalities.¶¶
- Calls for the European Child Guarantee to have a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion in the 2028-2034 MFF and for Member States to allocate at least 5% of ESF+ funds to combat child poverty.¶
- Calls for ensuring every child's right to family life, preventing institutionalisation due to poverty, and investing in foster care and family support services.¶
- Calls for mechanisms for the meaningful participation of people with lived experience of poverty in policymaking, and for an annual conference to assess implementation.¶¶
- Calls for a designated Commission task force on poverty eradication, national coordinators and action plans, and for ex ante impact assessments on poverty in all relevant EU policies.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- People at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including children, women, Roma, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups.¶
- Member States, which are called on to implement national action plans, strengthen social protection, and allocate funds to anti-poverty measures.¶
- The European Commission, which is asked to present the strategy, a directive on minimum income, and an action plan on homelessness.¶¶¶
- Social organisations and civil society involved in combating poverty, which are to be involved and supported.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 93.3 million people in the EU at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024.¶
- 21.9% of the EU population in family households with dependent children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024.
- 6.4% of the EU population experienced severe material and social deprivation in 2024.¶
- Target to reduce the number at risk of poverty by at least 15 million by 2030, including at least 5 million children.¶
- EUR 20 billion dedicated budget for the European Child Guarantee in the 2028-2034 MFF.¶
- At least 5% of ESF+ funds to be allocated to combat child poverty.
- At least 10% earmarked for Member States with child poverty levels exceeding the EU average.
Legal basis: Articles 2 and 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union and Articles 145 to 161 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.¶¶