Remarks by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on an ambitious social plan aimed at eradicating poverty and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities across the EU

Good afternoon, and welcome to the read-out of our College meeting.

Today, we adopted new measures to fight poverty and improve the lives of persons with disabilities.

I will go into the details in a moment.

Before that, let me also mention that we had an orientation debate on the Circular Economy Act.

That's regarding the read-out of our meeting today. I now move on to present our new social measures. 

I am very proud to present the EU's first-ever Anti-Poverty Strategy.

This package is the result of many months of extensive consultations at all levels, including with people experiencing poverty themselves. And it comes at a time when action is urgently needed.  

Just last week, the latest figures from EUROSTAT confirmed that one in five Europeans are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. One in four if we look at children and young people.

In spite of everything we have done so far, we see limited improvement.

Truth is, with the current economic state of play, the situation risks getting worse. The energy shock caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is adding pressure on households already squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis.

We have an economic and social emergency!    

We need to act now. We need to bring down poverty today and prevent poverty tomorrow.

The Strategy is built around three pillars: housing, jobs, and children.

First, preventing housing exclusion.

Without a roof over your head, there is no foundation on which to build a life. Students, single parents, low-income workers – too many are one shock away from housing exclusion.

We are putting forward a new approach to housing exclusion, moving from emergency responses to prevention and long-term solutions. Housing first!

My proposal for a Council Recommendation sets out measures that Member States can take to better support those most at risk of losing their homes. Early warning systems, person-centred support like debt counselling or targeted rental support – these are just some examples.

We will also help governments expand affordable and social housing, by mobilising investment, reusing existing homes and supporting diverse housing models.

Second, it all goes down to jobs

We must act and help people outside the labour market with their specific needs to become active professionally.

Because work remains the most powerful route out of poverty.

Not any type of work, however. We are talking quality jobs: with fair wages and good working conditions.

In-work poverty is still a reality for one in every eight workers across the EU – that's about 16 million people, who have jobs but still barely scrape by.

And there are more than fifty million people in Europe who could work but remain outside the labour market and at greater risk of social exclusion – most of them women, young people, and migrants.

This is a loss for everyone. For people denied a chance to build a better future. For businesses struggling to find the talent they need. For children, whose prospects are shaped by whether their parents have a job.

Lastly, it is a loss for the taxpayer – who needs to finance more safety net measures as poverty in our society increases.

Later this year, the Commission will launch the first-stage consultation of European social partners – that is, the first step towards tabling a Directive on effective activation measures for those excluded from the labour market.

Third, protecting children and young people.

In a Union with a Gross Domestic Product of 18 trillion Euros, it is unacceptable that more than 19 million children remain at risk of poverty. Poverty in childhood takes away hope, and too often shapes a lifetime.

The European Child Guarantee has already helped expand access to essential services. But we must go further and ensure it delivers real change in every child's life.

That is why the Commission plans to develop a new European Child Guarantee Card: a simple digital tool to help children in need access the support they are entitled to, making it more visible, coordinated and effective.

And we will build stronger synergies between the Child Guarantee and the European Youth Guarantee so that vulnerable children continue to receive support as they become young adults.

All this needs investment.

The scale of what is possible is clear: investing an additional 0.25% of the EU's GDP could help 18.5 million people leave poverty behind.

The question is not whether we can afford to act, but whether we can afford not to. This is a collective responsibility.

Later this year, the Commission will launch a new Coalition Against Poverty, bringing together businesses and philanthropic organisations around concrete commitments to reduce poverty.

In the coming months, we will also work with International Financial Institutions like the European Investment Bank and the Council of Europe Development Bank to roll out new dedicated financing tools.

None of this will be possible without the close involvement of local authorities and civil society organisations who know best the realities on the ground.

We will step up our cooperation with the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee on this.  

This strategy is about a choice: whether Europe is willing to act with the ambition and solidarity that this moment demands.

We choose to protect people, to expand opportunity, and to ensure that poverty in Europe is reduced and ultimately overcome.

Moving to the Communication on Enhancing the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities up to 2030, which my colleague Hadja Lahbib coordinated.

Around 90 million Europeans live with a disability. For too many of them, rights that exist on paper are still not a reality in daily life - whether it is access to work, education, transport, or independent living.

This is not only a question of fairness and equal rights. It is also a question of Europe's social and economic strength.

That is why we are reinforcing our Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities up to 2030, with a clear focus on delivery.

We will roll out concrete tools, like the digital European Disability Card and the European Parking Card, to improve accessibility across transport and public services.

And we will help make independent living a reality for persons with disabilities. We will launch an EU Alliance to support the creation of centres for independent living, backed by EU funding, and step up actions for inclusive education and employment.

With an ageing population and a growing number of acquired disabilities, disability is something that can happen to anyone at any point in time. Disability concerns us all.