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EU Anti-Poverty Strategy

Employment and social affairs

The Strategy will contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and to achieving the EU 2030 poverty reduction target. It will reflect on the multi-dimensional nature of poverty and its root causes and address poverty through a life cycle perspective building on the social investment approach.

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Public consultation

ID: 14683

Lobbying Activity

54 responses

European Trade Union Confederation Demands Legally Binding EU Anti-Poverty Measures

EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION, 23 Oct 2025

ETUC calls for legally binding EU directives on minimum income and unemployment insurance, quality jobs legislation, progressive taxation, and stronger social conditionalities on public funds. They demand trade union involvement in designing and monitoring the strategy and reject treating poverty merely as unemployment.
This would strengthen collective bargaining power and ensure workers' rights shape employment policy.
Employers face higher compliance costs through binding quality standards and collective bargaining requirements.

WWF urges structural energy poverty solutions in EU anti-poverty strategy

WWF European Policy Programme, 24 Oct 2025

WWF calls for binding EU measures to assess and address energy poverty, shifting focus from price subsidies to deep renovation programs and clean heating systems. They recommend recognizing cooling needs and transport energy poverty in official definitions.
This would advance their climate agenda by linking renewable energy and energy efficiency to social policy.
Fossil fuel interests lose as the strategy promotes clean heating over traditional energy subsidies.

Eurelectric Urges National Solutions for Energy Poverty Crisis

Eurelectric aisbl, 27 Sept 2025

The organization requests energy poverty be addressed through national and local frameworks rather than EU-wide rules. They argue governments should use existing tools like energy vouchers, bill discounts, and social tariffs while the EU focuses on monitoring and sharing best practices.
This would avoid new EU regulatory requirements for electricity suppliers and preserve national flexibility.
Vulnerable consumers lose consistent EU-wide protections against energy poverty and disconnection.

ENGIE Calls for National-Led Energy Poverty Strategy

ENGIE, 22 Oct 2025

ENGIE requests that energy poverty be addressed within broader social policy rather than in isolation. They urge that identification and definitions remain at Member State level, with EU coordination focused on monitoring and exchange rather than new binding instruments.
This maintains their direct partnerships with local authorities while avoiding EU-wide obligations.
Vulnerable consumers lose harmonized EU-wide protections against energy poverty.

Save the Children demands €20bn child poverty fund with binding earmarks

Save the Children Europe, 24 Oct 2025

Save the Children calls for the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy to be anchored in the next budget with a dedicated €20 billion for the Child Guarantee, a binding 5% earmark of ESF resources for child poverty in every Member State (10% where rates exceed EU average), and a Child Marker across EU funds to track spending. They demand the ESF remain a stand-alone social fund with predictable ring-fenced resources for children.
This would secure predictable, ring-fenced funding streams for their child poverty work across Member States.
The 19.5 million children at risk of poverty across the EU lose if binding earmarks are not adopted.

SGI Europe calls for infrastructure investment to combat EU poverty

SGI Europe, 24 Oct 2025

The organization requests that the Anti-Poverty Strategy prioritize access, affordability and quality of services of general interest. They call for closing investment gaps in infrastructure, promoting social investment over short-term fixes, and embedding structured involvement of social partners in policy design.
This would secure funding for essential service infrastructure and give their members a formal role in shaping policy.

Finance Watch urges affordable financial services in anti-poverty strategy

Finance Watch, 23 Oct 2025

They demand affordable bank accounts and strict AI regulation for insurance. They also call for an EU-wide framework for personal insolvency.
These measures reduce financial exclusion and prevent citizens from falling into poverty.
Lenders and creditors would lose income due to shorter debt discharge periods.

Caritas Europa calls for comprehensive EU anti-poverty strategy

Caritas Europa, 27 Aug 2025

The strategy must address all relevant aspects of poverty through a life cycle approach. It should enhance social protection systems, ensure decent employment, prioritize affordable housing access, and mainstream anti-poverty measures into other policy areas. The organization requests practical amendments to fiscal rules and the European Semester process to allow necessary funding for anti-poverty policies.
This would enable them to expand social services and support for vulnerable populations across Europe.

Consultation response

European Disability Forum, 23 Sept 2025

The European Disability Forum welcomes this initiative. In order to be effective, however, the strategy must be concrete in how it plans to alleviate poverty. It must also acknowledge that certain groups face greater risks of poverty than others and must be prioritised. According to Eurostat, 28.7%…

CMA CGM Foundation urges EU to prioritize logistics in anti-poverty strategy

CMA CGM, 24 Oct 2025

The foundation advocates for integrating logistics as a central pillar of the EU's anti-poverty strategy and financial framework. They propose establishing an expert group to professionalize humanitarian logistics and share best practices. They also demand that future social budgets explicitly include support for the logistics of aid distribution.
This approach validates the group's philanthropic model and potentially unlocks EU funding for its logistical projects.
Other social programs may face tighter constraints due to new rigid thematic budget allocations for logistics.

European Public Service Unions Demand Strong Services to Combat Poverty

European Federation of Public Service Unions, 21 Oct 2025

EPSU calls for adequately financed public services including healthcare, social services, and public administration to prevent and address poverty. They urge alignment with social rights principles, progressive taxation, and stronger minimum wage protections. The strategy should reject austerity and deregulation measures.
This would protect their members' jobs and working conditions in public services.
Wealthy individuals would face higher taxes and limits on excessive pay.

European Cancer Organisation connects anti-poverty strategy to oncology

European Cancer Organisation, 24 Oct 2025

ECO calls for a coordinated approach connecting the Anti-Poverty Strategy with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. They propose mobile screening units for underserved communities and a legally enshrined "Right to be Forgotten" for survivors.
These proposals would prevent survivors from falling into poverty due to health-related financial discrimination.
Banks and insurance firms would be prohibited from using past medical history to assess risk.

Consultation response

Eurochild AISBL, 7 Aug 2025

Eurochild welcomes the development of the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and urges it to be bold, rights-based, and cross-sectoral, with child poverty eradication at its core. In 2024, 19.5 million children were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU. Poverty is a denial of childrens…

Consultation response

Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, 11 Aug 2025

PICUM, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, welcomes the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and sees it as a key opportunity for the EU to reduce and ultimately irradicate poverty and social exclusion across the member states. To do so, the strategy must be a comprehensive,…

AGE Platform Europe Urges EU to Tackle Old-Age Poverty

AGE Platform Europe, 8 Aug 2025

They request the strategy tackle ageism and provide basic pensions for all older people. The organization seeks automatic payment increases and age-friendly workplaces for older employees. They also ask for guaranteed access to digital services and energy-efficient housing.
Older populations would receive stronger financial protection and better access to essential services.

UITP demands mobility be central to EU anti-poverty strategy

UITP - International Association of Public Transport, 22 Oct 2025

UITP urges the EU to recognize mobility as a core component of the anti-poverty strategy. They call for improved public transport links across rural and urban areas while reducing car dependency. They also advocate for dedicated funding from the Social Climate Fund to support these services.
Operators would secure long-term financial support and investment priority for expanding transport infrastructure.
The car industry and motorized vehicle sectors lose dominance as policy targets car dependency.

Consultation response

European Network Against Racism, 24 Oct 2025

ENAR is the only pan-European anti-racism network that combines advocacy for racial equality and facilitating cooperation among civil society anti-racism actors in Europe. The organisation was set up in 1998 by grassroots activists on a mission to achieve legal changes at European level and make…

SOS Children’s Villages urges focus on family-based poverty prevention

SOS Children's Villages, 24 Oct 2025

The group wants social protection systems to prevent family separation and support care leavers. They also recommend coordination between health, education, and housing services.
A formal EU focus on family-strengthening programs would likely increase support for their work.
National governments may face increased administrative burdens and less autonomy under EU-coordinated plans.

EASPD Urges Inclusion of Social Services in Anti-Poverty Strategy

European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities, 17 Oct 2025

EASPD calls for a European Social Services Action Plan to ensure access to affordable care. They want more investment in early childhood intervention and better recognition for informal carers. They also suggest creating a strategy for technology that supports independent living.
This would secure more stable public funding and improve staffing for disability service providers.
Profit-driven companies competing mainly on low costs might lose their advantage in public tenders.

Consultation response

Eurodiaconia, 17 Oct 2025

Eurodiaconia is a European network of churches and Christian NGOs with 62 national and regional organisations providing social and healthcare services, as well as advocating for social justice. Eurodiaconia members provide diverse services to persons in need, working to see everyone live in dignity…

FEANTSA Urges EU Anti-Poverty Strategy to Prioritize Ending Homelessness

Fédération Européenne d'Associations Nationales Travaillant avec les Sans-Abri, 24 Oct 2025

The organization demands a specific homelessness target and robust monitoring of national policies. They call for scaling up Housing First solutions through dedicated EU funding.
Increased EU funding for targeted social housing would help prevent homelessness and displacement.
Wealthy families lose their current dominance over public subsidies for energy efficiency renovations.

CCBE Urges EU Anti-Poverty Strategy to Include Legal Aid

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, 24 Oct 2025

The CCBE demands that the strategy explicitly recognize access to justice through state-funded legal aid. Governments must provide sufficient funding to ensure equal access to lawyers for disadvantaged persons. They request that inflation be reflected in fee-setting to maintain the scope of services.
Adequate state funding ensures the economic viability and sustainability of legal aid providers.
National governments may face increased financial pressure to sustain legal aid budgets.

RREUSE Urges EU to Unlock Funding for Social Enterprises

Reuse and Recycling European Union Social Enterprises, 15 Oct 2025

RREUSE calls for an Action Plan to simplify complex funding rules for social enterprises. They also recommend a job guarantee scheme and more support for non-formal repair skills training.
Better funding rules would ensure the survival of social enterprises and their missions.
Vulnerable workers lose specific opportunities to gain valuable skills in the circular economy.

ERGO Network urges Roma-specific goals in EU Anti-Poverty Strategy

European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network, 21 Oct 2025

The network requests embedding the 50% Roma poverty reduction target to address structural racism. They advocate for ringfenced funding and policies co-designed with Roma communities.
Ringfenced EU funding would provide the network's members with stable, long-term financial resources.
Reluctant member states would lose the ability to obscure Roma exclusion in general statistics.

Consultation response

Bundesarbeitskammer Österreich, 21 Oct 2025

In Ergänzung zum Beitrag der österreichischen Bundesarbeitskammer zur öffentlichen Konsultation möchten wir eine Liste mit einigen Referenzen zu relevanten Publikationen zur Verfügung stellen.

Missing Children Europe urges link between poverty and child disappearances

European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children (Missing Children Europe), 24 Oct 2025

MCE requests a child-centred strategy that strengthens the European Child Guarantee. They advocate for integrating missing child hotlines into national protection systems.
Strengthening hotlines through the strategy would ensure sustainable funding for the federation.
Traffickers lose access to vulnerable children currently pushed into precarious situations by poverty.

Social Economy Europe seeks central role in EU poverty strategy

Social Economy Europe, 22 Oct 2025

Put social economy actors at the core of the strategy. Allocate proper funding to the fight against poverty and social policies. Reinforce policy coherence with the Social Economy Action Plan.
A tailored legal and fiscal framework would strengthen the social economy ecosystem.
Real estate speculators lose profit as the strategy promotes anti-speculative housing models.

Home care federation pushes for formal recognition in poverty strategy

European Federation for Family Employment & Home Care- Fédération européenne des emplois de la famille, 24 Oct 2025

EFFE calls for formal recognition of household services and the use of social vouchers. They also demand better wages and collective agreements to improve working conditions.
Formalizing the sector would reduce undeclared work and increase social protections for domestic workers.
Women lose economic opportunities when a lack of formal care leads to unpaid domestic roles.

European Students’ Union demands inclusion in EU Anti-Poverty Strategy

European Students' Union, 24 Oct 2025

The ESU calls for integrating student poverty indicators and expanding social protection to all students. They demand that financial aid matches real living costs and increased investment in affordable housing.
These measures would allow students from low-income backgrounds to complete their higher education degrees.
Students from lower-income backgrounds remain at risk of dropping out and social exclusion.

Consultation response

#DiasporaVote!, 24 Oct 2025

#DiasporaVote! is a network of more than 60+ individual racialized youth member and works towards empowering youth from diaspora backgrounds in participating in EU decision-making and in embedding their concerns and needs in legislation. We welcome the initiative of the Commission to present an…

Cancer Patients Europe Urges EU to Address Health-Driven Poverty

Cancer Patients Europe, 24 Oct 2025

CPE calls for health to be a core pillar of the strategy. They want income protections for patients and guaranteed access to credit.
These measures would prevent the financial descent often caused by serious illness.
Financial institutions and insurers lose the ability to use patient health data.

Consultation response

Sonae SGPS, S.A., 24 Oct 2025

You may find Sonae's position attached.

Consultation response

European Food Banks Federation, 24 Oct 2025

FEBA welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop an EU Anti-Poverty Strategy (APS) as a key step toward reducing poverty and social exclusion across Europe. With 93.3 million people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024, including 38.2 million unable to afford a meal with meat,…

Consultation response

European Microfinance Network aisbl, 24 Oct 2025

The European Microfinance Network (EMN) welcomes the European Commissions initiative to design a comprehensive EU Anti-Poverty Strategy (APS). Among the tools to be developed in support of the APSs objectives, microfinance can play a crucial role in addressing the root causes of poverty by…

Consultation response

European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology, 23 Oct 2025

Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs), affecting over 120 million Europeans, are a major driver of poverty and social exclusion across Europe. They are the leading cause of disability, responsible for 60% of all workplace health problems, 38% of occupational diseases, and over half of all…

Inclusion Europe urges EU strategy to address disability poverty

Inclusion Europe aisbl., 24 Oct 2025

The organization calls for reforms to tackle unemployment and the benefit trap. They advocate for community-based support and better financial assistance for family carers.
Enhanced support and reformed benefits would increase financial autonomy and community participation.
National governments would need to increase social spending to fund these initiatives.

Consultation response

Make Mothers Matter EU Delegation, 22 Oct 2025

Make Mothers Matter welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission's first comprehensive Anti-Poverty Strategy and calls for bold, inclusive action to ensure it benefits those who need it most especially mothers. Our contribution highlights the structural inequalities faced by…

Consultation response

SOSTE Suomen sosiaali ja terveys ry, 15 Oct 2025

EU:n köyhyyden vastaisen strategian on erittäin kannatettava. Köyhyyden vähentämisen tulee olla keskeinen EU:n tavoite, joka läpäisee kaiken toiminnan. Köyhyys voi vaikuttaa hyvin kokonaisvaltaisesti ihmisen elämään ja mahdollisuuksiin. Se asettaa rajoja ihmisen sosiaaliselle osallisuudelle,…

German welfare group urges binding EU rules to end poverty

Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege e.V., 23 Oct 2025

The organization demands a legally binding EU framework for national minimum income systems and fully funded child guarantees. They also want anti-poverty spending exempted from EU debt and deficit rules.
Mandatory spending quotas and simplified aid rules would ensure stable financing for their social services.
Fiscally conservative governments would face less flexibility in managing national budgets and debt levels.

Spanish bus industry urges EU transport investment to fight poverty

CONFEDERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE TRANSPORTE EN AUTOBÚS, 23 Oct 2025

CONFEBUS recommends positioning bus transport as a strategic investment within the EU strategy. They propose implementing social fares for vulnerable groups and expanding routes to disadvantaged and rural areas.
This policy framing would unlock new EU financing mechanisms and subsidies for the sector.

ENSIE urges central role for social enterprises in anti-poverty strategy

European Network of Social Integration Enterprises, 22 Oct 2025

The network requests that the strategy recognizes social enterprises as primary anti-poverty tools. They demand earmarked funding and mandatory public procurement reservations for these organizations.
This would provide social enterprises with guaranteed funding and priority market access.
Commercial firms lose access to public contracts due to mandatory social enterprise reservations.

Consultation response

European Confederation of Workers' Cooperatives, Social Cooperatives and Social and Participative Enterprises, 24 Oct 2025

CECOP, the European Confederation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives, welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the European Commission as it is developing its first EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. CECOP represents approximately 43,000 cooperatives across Europe, being mainly worker…

Consultation response

The Smile of the Child, 8 Oct 2025

The Smile of the Child welcomes the initiative and believes that the EU Anti - Poverty strategy can be significantly strengthened by integrating a number of key elements, as outlined in the attached document.

Consultation response

Règles Élémentaires, 20 Oct 2025

Règles Élémentaires (RE), Frances leading non-profit organisation dedicated to ending menstrual poverty and stigma, welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. Since 2015, the organisation has combined grassroots action with national and European advocacy to make…

Consultation response

Fédération Habitat et Humanisme, 24 Oct 2025

Une note de positionnement du mouvement Habitat et Humanisme est disponible en pièce jointe

VÖWG urges EU to anchor anti-poverty strategy in public services

VÖWG, 23 Oct 2025

The organization proposes treating public services as the primary lever for overcoming poverty. It also requests direct municipal access to EU funds and indexed social benefits.
This would secure direct EU funding and simplify administrative reporting for municipalities.
Private landlords and employers using precarious labor would face stricter regulations and competition.

Consultation response

Stichting Learning for Well-being Foundation, 20 Oct 2025

Europe stands at a crossroads. And The evidence is clear: families are Europes greatest public good. The future of every economy, every society, is better when children are given the best possible start in life. European policy already recognises this. Both through commitments to childrens rights,…

Consultation response

Nexem, 16 Oct 2025

Nexem est la principale organisation professionnelle française d'employeurs des services sociaux privé à but non lucratif et à ce titre, représente une composante incontournable de léconomie sociale et solidaire française qui représente 11 % de lemploi salarié en France et 113 milliards deuros…

Consultation response

BAGSO - Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Seniorenorganisationen, 24 Oct 2025

Die BAGSO begrüßt die Initiative der EK, eine umfassende Strategie zur Bekämpfung von Armut zu entwickeln und dabei eine Lebensverlaufsperspektive einzunehmen. Es ist wichtig, den politischen Entscheidungsträgern der EU und der Mitgliedstaaten Instrumente anzubieten, die darauf abzielen, den über…

Consultation response

Hungarian Interchurch Aid, 21 Oct 2025

Szakmai álláspont a Szegénység elleni uniós stratégia kialakítása kapcsán A szegénység elleni küzdelem stratégiai szempontjai a Magyar Ökumenikus Segélyszervezetnél Az 1991-ben alapított Ökumenikus Segélyszervezet Magyarország egyik legnagyobb, nemzetközileg is elismert karitatív szervezete.…

INDECOSA-CGT demands stronger public services to combat poverty

Information et défense des consommateurs salariés – Confédération générale du travail, 20 Oct 2025

The group demands increased taxes for the wealthy and stronger public services. They also propose nationalizing essential goods and ending public subsidies for profitable companies.
Consumers would secure affordable access to essential needs like energy and healthcare.
Large listed companies would lose government funding and face higher tax burdens.

Consultation response

World Roma Federation, 17 Oct 2025

The World Roma Federation (WRF) welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop a comprehensive EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and fully supports its objective to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and social exclusion. Roma communities across the EU remain among the most…

Consultation response

Groupe SOS, 16 Oct 2025

Contribution du Groupe SOS à la consultation sur la Stratégie européenne de lutte contre la pauvreté Depuis plus de 40 ans, le Groupe SOS agit pour linclusion sociale, la cohésion territoriale et laccès effectif aux droits. Présent dans 50 pays, fédérant 750 structures et 26 000 salarié·es, il…

Consultation response

stichting European Anti Poverty Network Nederland, 14 Oct 2025

What we need and this urgently and for a long time are two major decisions: 1. to have a sufficient budget to attack poverty as such and work with the European Anti Poverty Network (foundation based on a request of Dr. Jacques Delors, former President of the EC) to prevent poverty as such 2. to…