On 6 May 2026, the European Commission launched its first-ever European Anti-Poverty Strategy. This initiative comes at a time marked by rising living costs, housing difficulties, growing social inequalities, and increasing precarity affecting parts of the European population.
The Strategy proposes EU-level measures to tackle poverty, tailored to different age groups and recognising the impact of poverty throughout the life cycle. Central to the Strategy is the active inclusion approach, which emphasises support for labour market activation for those who can work, including transitions into quality jobs, as well as access to key goods and services essential to people’s well-being and integration into society.
To break the cycle of poverty at every stage of life, the Commission will consult social partners on a possible new legal instrument to support the integration of people excluded from the labour market. The Strategy also outlines measures to support older people through adequate pensions. In addition, it stresses the need to join forces with national, regional, and local governments, businesses, and civil society organisations to combat poverty, including through the establishment of a coalition against poverty later this year.
However, ongoing discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) risk failing to provide adequate support to the actors best placed to deliver these solutions.
To align with social priorities and the European Pillar of Social Rights, the EU must preserve robust and dedicated instruments such as the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). These funds are crucial for ensuring effective implementation, transparency, and progress on the EU’s social commitments, particularly in advancing quality employment, education and training, and efforts to combat poverty and social exclusion.
For the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy to be effective, it must be backed by coherent and ambitious funding priorities.
Read the strategy: Communication on an EU anti-poverty strategy | Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
