Commission proposes new measures to fight poverty and improve lives of persons with disabilities

People are under pressure due to the housing crisis and a fast-evolving labour market. Half of Europeans say the cost of living is their biggest concern. While the most vulnerable are hit hardest, even middle-income households are increasingly at risk of slipping into financial insecurity.

Today, one in five Europeans is at risk of poverty or social exclusion. For children, the risk is one in four. This makes both prevention of poverty and protection of those at risk more urgent than ever.

In addition, more needs to be done to safeguard the rights of vulnerable people. That includes the rights of persons with disabilities which must be fully realised in every aspect of life, building on the progress made in recent years.

The social package includes

• the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy - the Commission's plan to help end poverty in the EU by 2050
• a proposal for a Council Recommendation on fighting housing exclusion
• a Communication on breaking the cycle of child poverty - strengthening the European Child Guarantee
• a Communication on enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030

A comprehensive approach to fighting poverty

The EU anti-poverty strategy sets a clear path towards reaching the EU targets of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030, as well as helping end poverty by 2050. It integrates three priorities

• quality jobs for all, as quality employment is the first way out of poverty for those who can work
• effective access to quality services and adequate income support
• coordinated action against poverty

Combating child poverty and the cycle of disadvantage

Children in the EU are at a higher risk of poverty or social exclusion than adults and this has not meaningfully improved over the past five years. The consequences of growing up in poverty are severe and long-lasting - it nearly doubles the risk of poverty in adulthood.

The strengthened European Child Guarantee aims to address this social emergency and the needs of vulnerable children today and break the cycle of poverty.

To achieve this, the Communication focuses on three pillars

• securing families' access to quality jobs, childcare and strong safety nets
• ensuring that all vulnerable children have access to the services they need to reach their full potential, including protecting children from growing threats to their safety and wellbeing, both online and offline
• boosting investment and bringing together partners to invest in children

Fighting housing exclusion

The most basic condition for living in dignity is a place to call home. Yet today, many people struggle to afford one. Since 2013, house prices have increased by 60% across the EU. This also disproportionately affects the most vulnerable: one out of three people at risk of poverty face housing cost overburden. Almost 17% of the EU population lives in overcrowded housing conditions and approximately 1 million people are affected by some form of homelessness.

The proposed Council Recommendation on fighting housing exclusion shifts focus from costly emergency measures to long-term solutions and prevention, including

• early interventions to identify households at risk and prevent housing exclusion and homelessness
• stable housing solutions for homeless people
• more social and affordable housing through public investment, not-for-profit housing and targeted funding
• a people-centred approach to help people find a stable home quickly and provide the integrated assistance they need to keep it in the long term

Enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030

Disability concerns us all. Around 90 million people in the EU live with a disability - over one in five Europeans. Ensuring their full participation in society is a matter of respecting fundamental rights and at the same time driving Europe's competitiveness, resilience and democratic strength.

In recent years, progress has been made, but barriers persist

• only half of persons with disabilities participate in the labour market
• 1.4 million still live in institutional settings, contrary to the commitment undertaken by the EU and Member States in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• one in three remains at risk of poverty and social exclusion

Discrimination against persons with disabilities across different areas of life carries a significant economic cost, with estimated annual GDP losses ranging from €840 million to €1.42 billion in the EU.

Today, the Commission is enhancing the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities up to 2030, bringing it up to date and stepping up its ambition with a stronger focus on implementation on the ground and real impact for people.

The strategy focuses on

• turning rights into reality: rolling out the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for Persons with Disabilities, improving accessibility across all transport modes, and supporting more accessible and inclusive democratic processes, including the 2029 European elections
• empowering persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in society: launching an EU Alliance to help create centres for independent living with EU funding, alongside actions on inclusive education and employment, and training to strengthen emergency preparedness
• engaging beyond the EU's borders: reinforcing disability inclusion in external action and funding, including in Ukraine's reconstruction

Next steps

The Commission will support all actors in rolling out the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and the strengthened European Child Guarantee. Member States will discuss the Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on fighting housing exclusion for its adoption by the Council.

The Commission will publish an updated monitoring framework for the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030, reflecting the new flagship initiatives and actions under the enhanced strategy.

Background

In 2021, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan announced an EU headline target on poverty reduction: reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030. Out of those, at least 5 million should be children.

The Action Plan also set the scene for a number of policy and legislative initiatives in the social field, including the 2019 Council Recommendation on Access to Social Protection, the 2021 European Child Guarantee, the 2022 Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, the 2023 Council Recommendation on Adequate Minimum Income Ensuring Active Inclusion and the launch of the European Platform on Combating Homelessness.

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