Beyond Employment: Making the European Pillar for Social Rights Deliver for Children
Eurochild’s position paper on the renewed European Pillar of Social Rights 2026.
Eurochild welcomes the renewed commitment to the European Pillar of Social Rights but calls for children to be at the heart of its implementation.
While Europe is on track to meet its 2030 employment target, progress on reducing poverty remains far too slow. With only around 3.5 million fewer people at risk of poverty or social exclusion since 2019, Europe is still far from its goal of lifting at least 15 million people, including 5 million children, out of poverty.
Eurochild welcomes the stronger focus on the European Child Guarantee, the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, affordable housing, education, care and digital inclusion, while stressing that commitments must be backed by clear targets, stronger accountability and adequate funding.
The success of the Social Pillar should not be measured by employment alone. Europe must also be judged by whether it reduces child poverty, breaks the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage and ensures every child has an equal opportunity to thrive.
