EU backs investing in children, but missing earmark puts real impact at risk

Eurochild's Reaction to the Council Conclusions on Investing in Children.

Eurochild welcomes the Council Conclusions on Investing in Children adopted under the Cypriot EU Presidency, commending their comprehensive scope and the strong political signal they send on addressing child poverty, early childhood, and promoting child participation. However, without earmarked funding to tackle child poverty in the MFF (The European Union's Multiannual Financial Framework) negotiations, sustained long-term investment, and explicit attention to the most marginalised children, these commitments risk not reaching those who need them most.

Background

On 9 March 2026, Employment and Social Affairs Ministers from all Member States adopted Council Conclusions on Investing in Children: Strengthening Child Well-being, Social Inclusion and Combating Child Poverty in the European Union. The Conclusions call on Member States and the Commission to accelerate efforts on child poverty, strengthen the European Child Guarantee (ECG), and advance child well-being across interconnecting policy areas. Eurochild is explicitly cited as a civil society evidence source, reflecting the contribution of our network's expertise across 41 European countries, informing and shaping these Conclusions.

Key Commitments and Why They Matter

Member States are urged to accelerate the process of reducing the number of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion by five million by 2030, to step up implementation of the European Child Guarantee, and to apply the Council's Recommendation on Adequate Minimum Income. The Conclusions also call on the Commission to support implementation of the Child Guarantee, fund accessible early childhood services, and strengthen child well-being in the digital environment. The forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy is expected to embed child well-being at its core and tackle the structural drivers of poverty through a life-cycle approach. Delivering on these commitments ultimately depends on robust, rights based implementation of the Child Guarantee, which remains the primary instrument for turning political promises into services that reach children who need them the most.

The Conclusions rightly recognise that barriers to services may manifest differently for girls and boys depending on their circumstances, age, and living environment. Effective policy cannot treat children as a homogeneous group. The explicit economic argument, that failing to address child poverty costs European economies 3.4% of GDP annually, is a powerful tool to for mobilising political will. Equally important is the framing of investment in children as a social obligation grounded in rights. Member States should make this rights-based foundation explicit in implementation: children are rights holders, and their entitlements must be upheld regardless of economic return.

We welcome the Conclusions’ commitment to a comprehensive approach and the recognition that child poverty requires child-specific responses. The acknowledgement of rural and urban disparities, the call to strengthen integrated child protection systems, and the reference to the EU Children's Participation Platform all reflect a genuinely broad and accurate understanding of what children need.  Particularly important is the emphasis on improving disaggregated data and evaluating the long-term impacts of child-related reforms. Without clear evidence of which children are being reached and with what outcomes, accountability and effective policymaking is impossible.

What the Conclusions Leave Unaddressed

The most significant omission is the absence of any link to EU funding.  As negotiations for the 2028-2034 EU budget intensify, political commitments must be backed by an earmarked financial envelope. Without dedicated allocations, such as maintaining the current 5% European Social Fund Plus earmark for ECG, progress will remain vulnerable to shifting political priorities. The Conclusions fail to address the long-term sustainability of investment. Too often, promising initiatives are discontinued just as they begin to demonstrate impact, undermining the trust, relationships, and community infrastructure that took years to build.

A second gap is the limited visibility of the most excluded children. Children with disabilities, children with a migrant background and children with a minority ethnic origin, including Roma children, appear only in footnotes. While their mention is welcome, their marginal placement signals a lack of prioritisation. When these groups are not explicitly recognised in the main text, they risk being overlooked in implementation, perpetuating the very inequalities the Conclusions aim to address. Finally, while the Conclusions reference child participation mechanisms, they stop short of requiring Member States to demonstrate how children's views have actually shaped decisions. Without such an obligation, participation risks becoming procedural rather than meaningful, with little accountability for whether children’s perspectives influence policy design or delivery.

Concluding Remarks

Turning political commitments into real improvements in children’s lives depends on three mutually reinforcing actions.

• Member States must convert high-level agreements into concrete measures backed by adequate funding.
• EU Institutions must ensure that child poverty remains a priority in the ongoing MFF negotiations, embedding it across funding instruments rather than treating it as an optional add-on.
• In addition, civil society must be adequately supported so it can monitor implementation, amplify children’s experiences, and hold governments accountable for results.

Eurochild therefore calls on EU institutions and Member States to secure earmarked funding in the next EU budget to sustain and scale the implementation of the Council Conclusions on Investing in Children: Strengthening Child Well-being, Social Inclusion and Combating Child Poverty in the European Union. Dedicated resources are essential to ensure that these commitments translate into lasting, equitable outcomes for all children.