EAPN’s People’s Summit: Advocating for Ambition in the First-Ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy
Building the Future of Social Rights. Towards an EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Brussels, [26 November] – On 28 November 2024, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) is bringing together key voices from across Europe at the People’s Summit in Brussels, with a clear demand: the newly announced first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy must be ambitious and aim for poverty eradication across Europe.
The People’s Summit will be a crucial moment to influence a transparent process in developing this strategy. With poverty affecting millions across the EU, the Summit highlights the importance of integrating input from all stakeholders – people experiencing poverty, civil society organisations, and key policymakers – to ensure effective, evidence-based policy solutions.
Poverty remains a pressing challenge in the European Union. According to the Eurostat, in 2023, over 23.9 million people lived in extreme poverty, enduring severe material and social deprivation, while 94.6 million individuals, 21.4% of the population, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Recent indicators reveal troubling trends: child poverty has risen from 23.6% in 2019 to 24.8% in 2023; in-work poverty affects nearly 20 million workers, as precarious employment and low wages become increasingly prevalent; the impacts of social protection on poverty reduction also decreased from 2021 to 2023*.
With the recent announcement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of the first-ever Anti-Poverty Strategy and the new Commission taking office on 1 December, this Summit could not be more timely.
A Call for Transparency and Inclusion
EAPN’s Director, Juliana Santos Wahlgren, stresses the importance of inclusive policymaking:
“There is no effective Anti-Poverty Strategy without actively involving people experiencing poverty. Their expertise is essential to overcome gaps between policy and reality, addressing blind spots. Otherwise, policies risk being incapable of responding to the everyday challenges that keep people trapped in the cycle of poverty.”
The People’s Summit aims to highlight this participatory approach, advocating for a transparent, co-creative process to ensure the strategy’s success.
Key Speakers and Agenda Highlights (check attached agenda for more information)
The Summit will feature prominent policymakers, experts, and individuals with lived experience of poverty:
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Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion (European Commission).
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Jiří Švarc, Head of Unit, Social Policies & Child Guarantee, DG Employment.
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Civil society representatives, including Julie Pascoet (ENAR), Sarah Chander (Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice), and Anthony Zacharzewski (Democratic Society).
Highlights include:
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Panel discussions exploring the integration of anti-poverty measures with EU social rights and housing initiatives.
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Interactive group sessions, addressing themes such as inclusive policymaking, funding mechanisms, and connections to anti-discrimination strategies.
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The participation of people experiencing poverty (PeP), whose insights will help bridge the gap between policy and reality.
A Crucial Moment to Advocate for the Fight Against Poverty
Poverty threatens the EU’s core principles of social justice, equality, and dignity while undermining social cohesion and stability. With EU priorities increasingly shifting toward defence and security, maintaining focus on social inclusion is vital to ensuring a fair and equitable Europe.
The People’s Summit represents a decisive opportunity to advocate for bold, inclusive, and comprehensive policies. By prioritising input from all stakeholders, it seeks to ensure the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy becomes a transformative step toward eradicating poverty in Europe.
*Sources:
“Statement on the future EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, De Schutter, in https://www.srpoverty.org/fr/2024/10/15/statement-on-the-first-eu-anti-poverty-strategy/
“Living conditions in Europe – poverty and social exclusion”, in https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Living_conditions_in_Europe_-_poverty_and_social_exclusion#Key_findings
“Social Scoreboard”, in https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/dashboard/social-scoreboard/
For further information, please contact:
Susana Anastácio
+351 91 818 49 03
Senior Communications Officer, European Anti-Poverty Network
