The European Parliament Intergroup on Fighting against Poverty, along with the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) and ATD Fourth World, are calling for a strategy that delivers measurable results for people experiencing poverty.
Ahead of the publication of the EU’s first Anti-Poverty Strategy on 6 May, we are calling on the European Commission to ensure the strategy contains the essential building blocks needed to turn its 2050 poverty eradication pledge into reality.
Currently, 92.7 million people in Europe live in poverty, representing nearly one in five people including almost one in four children. At a time of rising living costs, austerity measures and with the impact of international conflicts, an ambitious strategy must not only lift people out of poverty but also prevent more people from falling into it. Given the complex and structural causes of poverty, the strategy must be mainstreamed across different policy areas and include a strong anti-discrimination approach.
Over the past months, the European Parliament, together with civil society organisations, has called through its report on the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy for a number of key elements to be included. Among them, four priorities consistently stand out: the meaningful participation of people experiencing poverty; adequate funding, including urgent strengthening of services, particularly housing and the Child Guarantee; stronger and more comprehensive indicators to measure real outcomes; and the need for anti-poverty strategies at national level.
“EAPN welcomes the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and looks forward to its implementation across Europe. It is crucial that the strategy is built on the meaningful participation of people experiencing poverty, including marginalised groups such as Travellers and Roma, among others, so that it delivers fair, effective, and lasting solutions.”
"Poverty is not an individual failure it reflects structural inequalities and the barriers people face in their daily lives. If the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy is to make a real difference, it must be backed by strong social investment, adequate minimum income schemes, and concrete support for families and children. Across Europe, children are still being placed in care due to poverty and a lack of adequate support- this is a failure of policy, not of parenting, and it must end. Ambition must be matched with resources, and with policies that truly reach those most in need.”
“If we want this strategy to work, it must be built with people experiencing poverty, not just for them. Their participation should shape every stage, from design to implementation and evaluation. This is how we ensure policies reflect real lives and deliver real change. This also requires clear responsibility at EU level: the European Commission must take the lead in ensuring delivery, rather than leaving implementation solely to Member States.”
“The Anti-Poverty Strategy must recognise the multiple factors that keep people in poverty if it is to succeed in eradicating it. A fairer distribution of income, stronger investment in public services, access to fair and affordable housing, access to quality and full employment, and the fight against all forms of discrimination cannot be treated in isolation they must be integrated into a multidimensional approach that delivers a comprehensive and lasting solution to poverty and fulfils everyone’s rights in their full scope.”
A credible response must therefore be cross-cutting, addressing both immediate needs and the structural causes that keep people trapped in poverty. It must also involve all levels of governance, a point reinforced by EAPN’s latest report on the role of National Anti-Poverty Strategies, which highlights common challenges across Europe and provides concrete recommendations.
As 6 May approaches, civil society organisations and Members of the European Parliament are clear on what is needed. The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy must be built with people experiencing poverty, adequately funded, and backed by minimum standards for national strategies. Without these elements, the commitment to reduce and ultimately eradicate poverty risks remaining on paper rather than becoming reality.
Person of Contact:
Susana Anastácio
+351 91818 49 03
Senior Communications Officer at the European Anti-Poverty Network