Towards the Eradication of Poverty: EAPN's New Position Paper is Out Now!
On 18 July 2024, EAPN received with enthusiasm President Von der Leyen’s announcement of the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, to be launched in 2026. After all, since our creation in 1990, we have consistently advocated for a right-based and inclusive European strategy to eradicate poverty.
Since the very day of the announcement, we have been working tirelessly to push for a strong and ambitious EU Anti-Poverty Strategy (EU APS). We first launched the Roadmap Towards an EU Ant-Poverty Strategy. Then, through the last two editions of the People’s Summit, we brought together policymakers, politicians, EU institutions representatives, our members, civil society organisations, and people experiencing poverty to gather meaningful contributions for this historic initiative.
Today, we are proud to launch one of the most important milestones in this journey: our Position Paper Towards the Eradication of Poverty. EAPN Vision and recommendations for the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Eradicating Poverty is a Political Choice!
The first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy is a historic opportunity for the European Union to finally put an end to poverty and social exclusion. So far, EU level anti-poverty initiatives have had little impact. EAPN and other civil society organisations have fought incessantly to keep poverty and social exclusion on top of the EU policy agenda. But despite these efforts, progress has been too slow.
The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) Action Plan set a new headline target: To reduce the number of people living in poverty by at least 15 million, including at least 5 million children, by 2030. Yet, between 2019 and 2023, the number of people in poverty has only declined by 1.6 million.
That is why we stand firm:
The European Commission should come up with an ambitious, comprehensive, rights-based and adequately resourced EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
No law, policy, or budget should be created without the voices of those directly impacted by poverty and oppression. That is why our position paper Towards the Eradication of Poverty also calls on the European Commission to establish a Committee of People Experiencing Poverty, to ensure their lived experience shapes the Anti-Poverty Strategy from start to finish.
We urge the European Commission to adopt a clear and sustainable approach that recognises people experiencing poverty as essential partners in policymaking.
Our Position Paper Towards the Eradication of Poverty outlines EAPN’s key recommendations for the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. It highlights urgent challenges, proposes concrete measures, and presents 12 priorities to guide the strategy.
At its heart is a call for the meaningful participation of people experiencing poverty and a shift in the EU’s approach: from alleviation to eradication of poverty.
The paper also covers funding, links with national strategies, and the inclusion of EU candidate countries in the fight against poverty.
EAPN will keep working until poverty is no longer part of Europe’s reality. Thank you for supporting EAPN’s mission!
