EU guarantee against child poverty

Subject: EU guarantee against child poverty

The new President of the Commission has pledged her support for an EU Child Guarantee against poverty.

However, the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived are already being used by Member States to combat child poverty.

Child poverty has many causes and needs to be addressed in health care, education, childcare and through nutrition.

Without exception, these areas are the responsibility of Member States.

Is the Commission preparing to introduce an EU Child Guarantee against poverty?

If so, does it have at its disposal any reports and studies justifying the introduction of a new financial instrument?

If so, how will it ensure that the powers and tasks of this new EU guarantee do not overlap with those of existing funds, as is the case with the EU agencies already responsible for employment?

Answer given by Ms Thyssen on behalf of the European Commission

(29 November 2019)

1-2. The Commission is currently implementing a three-phase Preparatory Action on the feasibility of a possible ‘Child Guarantee’ for vulnerable children (1), as per the 2017 request from the European Parliament to the Commission (2). The first results of this study are expected in the first half of 2020.

3. The Commission will indeed ensure that its eventual proposal for a ‘Child Guarantee’ would bring added value without duplicating existing initiatives. It is however premature to comment on the potential form and content of future initiatives of the upcoming Commission.

⋅1∙ https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1428&langId=en

⋅2∙ https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-call-establishing-european-child-guarantee-end-child poverty-eu