Council calls for greater efforts to combat child poverty

The Council is calling on the Commission and EU countries to provide greater support to children, in order to increase their well-being and combat poverty and social exclusion.

In conclusions approved last March 9, the Council draws attention to the potential long-term implications of child poverty, and calls for adequate funding for policies that address child poverty.

Boosting the EU’s competitiveness

The Council’s conclusions note that promoting child well-being can strengthen economic resilience. According to Mario Draghi’s report on the future of EU competitiveness, Europe’s long-term prosperity depends, among other things, on fairness and inclusion. Furthermore, the transmission of disadvantage from childhood to adulthood leads to an estimated loss of 3.4% of GDP every year.

Investing in children, the Council argues, is therefore a strategic investment in the EU’s future competitiveness, stability and cohesion. The conclusions call on EU countries and the Commission to ensure adequate funding for projects that address child poverty.

Targets for poverty reduction

The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, published in 2021, sets an EU-level objective whereby five million fewer children should be at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 2030. The conclusions call on EU countries to accelerate progress towards this goal, with support from the Commission. They also highlight other initiatives that can help combat child poverty, including implementing the Council’s recommendations on adequate minimum income and the European Child Guarantee.

Early childhood education and care

The conclusions stress the importance of early childhood education and care in enabling all children to achieve higher socio-economic outcomes. They therefore call on the Commission to continue supporting member states in investing in accessible, inclusive, affordable and high-quality early childhood services, focusing in particular on the most vulnerable children.

Online safety

In addition to poverty, the conclusions also call on the Commission to enhance child well-being by promoting a safe, inclusive and age-appropriate digital environment. In particular, the Commission should emphasise the importance of protecting children from online violence, exploitation, and illegal and harmful content, while also fostering greater digital and media literacy. The Council also notes that harmful online content may affect girls and boys in different ways.

Background

Child well-being is a cross-cutting priority for the EU, as reflected, inter alia, in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Pillar of Social Rights, and the 2022 Council recommendation on early childhood education and care. The well-being of children is a key priority of the Cyprus presidency, in particular tackling poverty and promoting participation in accessible, affordable and high-quality early childhood education and care, in line with the Barcelona targets. A high-level conference dedicated to child well-being is scheduled to take place in Cyprus in May 2026.

For more information: Council of the EU