Developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy

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3.2.2026 A10-0260/2

Amendment 2

Georgiana Teodorescu

on behalf of the ECR Group

Report A10-0260/2025

João Oliveira

Developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy

(2025/2095(INI))

Motion for a resolution (Rule 188(3) of the Rules of Procedure) replacing non-legislative motion for a resolution A10-0260/2025

European Parliament resolution on developing a new EU anti-poverty strategy

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Article 151 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to Articles 2 and 3(3) of the Treaty of European Union,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas poverty is defined as a circumstantial lack of means that precludes people from having a standard of living considered acceptable in the country in which they live and where they can fulfil their own development and that of all family members; whereas tangible indicators should be used to ascertain whether the basic needs of individuals and their families are covered; whereas addressing poverty and social exclusion requires a people-centred, intersectional, and holistic approach that acknowledges the diverse and intersecting dimensions of poverty;

B. whereas investing in early childhood education and in family support represents an effective social investment that helps prevent poverty and exclusion and strengthens long-term labour market participation; whereas early access to affordable, high-quality childcare and education is essential for children’s development and for enabling parents, in particular women, to participate in the labour market; whereas quality education and lifelong learning are key levers in combating poverty and inequality, as they improve employability, working conditions and overall well-being; whereas sustained investment in inclusive education and skills development, particularly for people from disadvantaged, minority and vulnerable groups, is one of the most effective structural measures to promote upward social mobility and reduce in-work and intergenerational poverty;

C. whereas the drivers of poverty in rural areas are distinct and require tailored policy responses, as vulnerable people living in rural areas face challenges different from those in urban settings; whereas rural communities experience disproportionately high levels of energy poverty, and in Member States where energy poverty exceeds the Union average, rural areas are often the most severely affected; whereas adverse demographic developments, including population ageing and depopulation, contribute to increased monetary and transport poverty and poverty of opportunity in rural areas; whereas women in rural areas are particularly exposed to poverty and social exclusion due to limited access to quality employment, essential services, childcare and social support, highlighting the need for integrated, place-based social and employment policies;

D. whereas the link between poverty and health is significantly influenced by barriers to healthcare access, lower use of primary care, and reduced hospital admissions; whereas people living in poverty face higher mortality rates and an increased risk of premature death; whereas investments in healthy and active ageing yield significant social and economic benefits, particularly given the increased risk of poverty among older and retired persons; whereas policy should focus not only on life expectancy but also on the number of healthy life years;

E. whereas a digital divide persists within the EU, potentially leading to digital exclusion, particularly among those experiencing poverty;

1. Recalls that any initiative undertaken by the Commission to present an anti-poverty strategy must fully respect the competences of the Member States in the field of social policy; considers it essential that such a strategy be guided by the following objectives:

(a) recognising that poverty is a significant barrier to economic opportunity and the enjoyment of rights, with emphasis on empowering individuals and communities to overcome it;

(b) ensuring proper coordination among the EU, the Member States, and regional authorities, with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity and the EU providing support where necessary;

(d) putting the family at the centre of social and governmental policy;

(e) supporting entrepreneurship by strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employed people, given their central role in the economy;

(f) promoting stable employment relationships and ensuring decent, safe and healthy working conditions in both the private and public sectors;

(g) reducing excessive administrative burdens and simplifying EU and national regulatory frameworks where disproportionate bureaucracy exists;

2. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote policies that foster job creation, innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on a competitive economy that can achieve full employment naturally; calls on the Commission and the Member States to combat poverty by promoting policies that respect the diversity of social models across the Member States and the Member States’ capacity to design appropriate solutions;

3. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to significantly increase public investment in policies that guarantee high-quality public services, including free and high-quality education and early childhood education and care; calls on the Commission and the Member States to also invest, in particular, in healthcare, social protection, and access to decent housing, water and sanitation, energy and transport; calls on the Commission and the Member States to foster coordination across these public services, whether through integrated service hubs or improved coordination mechanisms;

4. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop and implement targeted measures to combat school abandonment and to increase participation in education, with a particular focus on children living in rural and underserved areas, and to invest in tailored educational support programmes, including transport, digital access, mentorship, and family engagement initiatives, to ensure that children from rural areas can attend and remain in school; calls for anti-poverty measures to be integrated into education policies, promoting lifelong learning opportunities and vocational training to foster equal opportunities for children in rural and remote communities;

5. Reiterates the need to urgently ensure that the European Child Guarantee is provided with a sufficient budget;

6. Recommends that the Member States pay due regard to the fact that citizens who are elderly, have disabilities, come from large families or are single parents deserve special protection;

7. Recommends that the Member States develop policies to strengthen the family, the birth rate and maternity protection, and to promote a positive work-life balance and a decent retirement pension for women;

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt policies that ensure the application of the principle of equal pay for male and female workers for equal work or work of equal value, alongside measures that promote skills development and labour market flexibility and that combat inequalities and discrimination in the workplace, particularly those affecting women; calls on the Member States to foster a flourishing economy by investing in growth initiatives, including by promoting digital literacy for all citizens as a critical skill for participation in the modern economy;

9. Recommends that the Commission and the Member States address the issue of in-work poverty as a structural challenge that must be tackled to alleviate social and economic pressures on affected households and to ensure the retention of trained and skilled workers within the EU labour market;

10. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to promote and fund vocational training as an effective means to combat poverty; recommends that the Commission and the Member States protect and promote traditional jobs to combat poverty among those who perform them;

11. Calls on the Member States to strengthen public social security systems and ensure their long-term sustainability through essential reforms that ensure full and effective social protection for workers and pensioners, prevent poverty, particularly among young people in insecure or non-standard jobs who face age discrimination and have not made sufficient contributions to access social security benefits, and address demographic challenges;

12. Calls on the Member States to explore and implement proactive mechanisms to ensure that all individuals eligible for social benefits are effectively informed of and granted access to them, thereby reducing non-take-up; calls on the Member States to streamline administrative procedures for accessing social protection benefits, strengthen information accessibility and ensure clear and effective communication on related initiatives; calls on the Member States to adequately take into account, in their pension schemes, periods of absence from work due to parental leave;

13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to design appropriate strategies to combat energy poverty, especially in rural areas, since rural households spend more on electricity, gas and other fuels than households in urban and suburban areas;

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to evaluate the level of transport poverty, given that an estimated 20 to 28 % of the EU’s population experience some degree of transport deprivation; is concerned about the fact that transport poverty disproportionately affects rural areas, where public transport options are already limited, adding to social isolation and lowering opportunities for economic mobility; highlights the key role of infrastructure development in the economic and social growth of rural areas, given the need for transport systems, particularly public ones, with the capacity to improve connectivity and access to essential services;

15. Recommends that Member States grant fiscal facilities to producers and/or retailers of agri-food, textile and personal care goods that choose to make donations to day/night shelters; invites the Member States to better promote the urban agriculture model and its role in addressing food insecurity and in promoting healthier lifestyles in low-income communities by making use of unutilised urban land to produce affordable food;

16. Encourages the Member States to establish and support foster centres dedicated to offering both basic and specialised medical care tailored to the needs of homeless persons, including physical and mental health services, and to complement these with educational programmes aimed at preventing drug abuse, including counselling, and skills development initiatives to support reintegration into society;

17. Recommends that the Member States introduce and promote incentive schemes for companies that hire unemployed individuals, including, but not limited to, tax relief, wage subsidies and reduced social security contributions; encourages the Member States to implement a bonus scheme aimed at former unemployed persons who secure employment and maintain continuous work for a minimum reasonable period, as determined at national level, to facilitate the integration of vulnerable groups into the labour market and encourage long-term job retention and stability;

18. Recommends that the Member States establish and promote facilities and support mechanisms for companies that employ former prisoners, including incentives such as tax reductions, subsidies, or social security contribution relief; calls on the Member States to ensure cooperation between relevant public authorities, social services and employers to support the social and professional rehabilitation of former prisoners, including vocational training, mentoring programmes, and psychological support aimed at facilitating their successful reintegration into the labour market and society;

19. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

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