EAPN, with members of the EU Alliance for Investing in Children, recently published two statements welcoming the prioritisation for a European Child Guarantee by the European Institutions.
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In the first one, the Alliance explained Why the Child Guarantee Council Recommendation is best launched in 2020
Today, 23 million children grow up at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU. At particularly higher risk of social exclusion, are children in vulnerable situations and disadvantaged groups such as Roma children, children in migration, children with disabilities, children living in institutional care, and children of single-parent or large families. This is unacceptably high for one of the most prosperous regions in the world. The EU has committed to supporting the eradication of child poverty by developing a Child Guarantee that ensures children in the most vulnerable situations have access to key social rights. The EU Alliance for Investing in Children welcomes the EU’s prioritisation for the Child Guarantee and is calling on the EU to ensure that the Child Guarantee Council Recommendation is launched in 2020. This will ensure actions are in line with the next EU long-term budget and the programming of these financial resources by the EU Member States. The EU Alliance for Investing in Children calls on:
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- the European Commission to present its proposal for a Child Guarantee immediately. We urge the Commission to ensure that the proposed Child Guarantee Council Recommendation builds on the 2013 Recommendation on Investing in Children, which is based on three pillars- access to adequate resources, to affordable quality services and of children’s right to participate.
- the EU Member States to adopt within 2020 a Council Recommendation on the Child Guarantee which will guide EU and national investments and policy development aimed at reducing child poverty.
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In the second one, published ahead of the EPSCO meeting held on the 19 March, the Alliance gave a proposal for a Council Recommendation on the Child Guarantee for the wellbeing of all children across the EU and is calling the:
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- European Institutions to:
- Set an ambitious target to reduce child poverty and inequality across the EU
- Reinforce the 2013 Recommendation on Investing in Children through a Council Recommendation on a Child Guarantee
- Ensure that the Council Recommendation on the Child Guarantee is launched as a matter of urgency and to support strategic investments and policy development in EU Member States.
- Member States to:
- develop country specific Child Guarantee implementation plans
- ensure the application of the Child Guarantee to all children from the age of 0-18, whilst highlighting the need to support children in vulnerable situations,
- European Institutions to:
