23rd European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty to Strengthen Participation Across Europe
11–12 December 2025 | Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, 10 December 2025 — At a decisive moment for Europe’s social agenda, over 50 delegates with lived experience of poverty from across the EU will gather in Brussels for the 23rd European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty (PEP), organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN). Taking place on 11–12 December 2025, this year’s meeting focuses on strengthening participation, reclaiming agency, and building a collective voice for social justice across Europe.
With 93.3 million people in the EU still at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the meeting comes as the European Commission moves forward with the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and its historic commitment to eradicate poverty by 2050. Despite this step forward, people experiencing poverty continue to face major barriers not only to meet ends but also to meaningful involvement in shaping the policies that affect their lives.
“Participation must be more than a slogan. At EAPN, we are committed to ensuring that people experiencing poverty can meaningfully shape the decisions that affect their lives. This PEP Meeting brings together dialogue, skills-building, and direct encounters with policymakers, giving delegates the tools and confidence to influence change at local, national, and EU levels.”
— Juliana Wahlgren, Director of EAPN
A Participation-Driven, Empowerment-Centred Gathering
The 2025 PEP Meeting places PEP delegates at the centre as agents of change, focusing on practical empowerment, collective reflection, and transnational solidarity. Across two days, participants will:
- Strengthen skills through hands-on workshops on public speaking, advocacy, digital civic space, movement-building, and more.
- Engage directly with EU stakeholders through spaces of influence, including interactive encounters with the European Parliament, European Commission, EESC, and civil society organisations.
- Build a shared roadmap for the future of participation of people experiencing poverty from the research field to the political arena.
“This meeting brings together people with expertise and tools to drive real change. From across Europe, voices and perspectives are coming together to highlight bottom-up solutions to poverty and social exclusion. Decision-makers must listen and act on the realities we are bringing forward. We are here in Brussels because we are experiencing realities that can no longer be ignored.”
- Anna S. Kechagia, PEP EAPN Greece
A Critical Moment for Lived Experience in EU Policymaking
Taking place shortly after the European Commission Consultation with People Experiencing Poverty ahead of the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy (Porto, September 2025) and the first Anti-Poverty Day at the European Parliament (November 2025), this year’s meeting builds on renewed political momentum. Delegates have been calling for the creation of a PEP Committee for the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, claiming that the eradication of poverty can only be achieved with the participation of civil society, especially those more affected by poverty.
“The Commission has run an extensive public consultation in view of the preparation of the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy which is planned for the next year. We are pleased by the variety of responses and the engagement of the civil society – we have indeed received a lot of useful input. It is clear that the active participation of people experiencing poverty is important for effective design and delivery of policies that concern them.”
- Jiri Svarc, Head of Unit in DG EMPL
Event Details
23rd Annual PEP Meeting
11–12 December 2025
The Hotel Nhow Brussels Bloom, Brussels (Belgium)
Organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), the meeting brings together delegates, EU institutions, and civil society partners committed to strengthening meaningful participation in the fight against poverty.
MEDIA CONTACT
Susana Mariano Anastacio
Senior Communications Officer, EAPN
Email: susana.anastacio@eapn.eu
Phone: +351 91 818 49 03
The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) is the largest European network of national, regional and local networks, involving anti-poverty NGOs and grassroot groups as well as European Organisations, active in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. It was established in 1990.