Eradicating Poverty by 2050: More than words, a comprehensive EU-wide strategy is needed
Joint statement by the Coalition on the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy
In 2026, the European Commission will launch the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, the first of its kind in the European Union (EU). For the Coalition’s members, which represent organisations working directly with people experiencing poverty across diverse marginalised communities and social service providers supporting these groups, the strategy is the fulfilment of a long-standing demand.
The Strategy comes at a time of increasing hardship and exclusion. Today, at least 21% of the population and 24% of children in the EU are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, although some groups who are at especially high risk of poverty, like homeless and undocumented people, do not even make the statistics. Many people in poverty face persistent barriers when accessing support, including social protection, rights and essential services.
That is why the Coalition calls for a strong, comprehensive, and human rights-based approach to the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
However, so far, the European Commission’s current consultation processes fail to explore the systemic root causes of poverty and continue to focus too narrowly on the shortcomings of income and lack of access to employment, treating symptoms rather than causes, and leaving little space to provide feedback and expertise on the complexity and multidimensionality of poverty.
This is even more concerning in a context where security, defence, and competitiveness continue to dominate the EU agenda, pushing social policy priorities aside.
