EU Introduces Inaugural Anti-Poverty Strategy

(MENAFN) The European Commission on Wednesday launched its inaugural EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, pledging to eradicate poverty across the bloc by 2050 — though the initiative has already drawn sharp criticism over what opponents describe as a glaring absence of dedicated financial backing.

The scale of the challenge is stark: the EU Commission reports that 92.7 million people across the bloc currently face the risk of poverty or social exclusion. The commission has set an interim target of reducing that figure by a minimum of 15 million by 2030.

"Poverty and exclusion are challenges we can and must overcome. Today, we put forward a strategy to prevent and reduce poverty," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The strategy is anchored around three core pillars: fostering quality employment, guaranteeing access to essential services and adequate income support, and reinforcing coordinated efforts among EU member states and key stakeholders. It also introduces lifecycle-sensitive measures — targeting child poverty, broadening labor market participation, and modernizing pension frameworks.

The announcement arrives against a backdrop of mounting economic strain. Housing prices across Europe have surged approximately 60% since 2013, while the homeless population has reached roughly 1 million, according to commission data. A companion proposal on housing exclusion seeks to widen access to affordable accommodation and embed long-term homelessness prevention into national policy.

Yet despite the strategy's sweeping ambitions, skeptics are questioning whether rhetoric will be matched by resources.

"European Commission launches a new strategy to prevent poverty... with no funding. Plenty of toolkits, guidelines, consultations and 'recommendations' though," the European Parliament's Left Group said on US social media company X.

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