On 5 November, the European Parliament in Brussels celebrated the first Anti-Poverty Day, an event co-organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) with representatives from the Greens/EFA, S&D, The Left, Renew and EPP parliamentary groups, and supported by the Intergroup on Fighting against Poverty [IG10-12]. The day ended with the message that the fight to eradicate poverty ‘is also a fight for democracy’.
The event brought together EU officials, civil society, associations and grassroots movements, along with people at risk of exclusion, who discussed the creation of new strategies on this issue which, according to the organisation, affects more than 21% of the EU population.
The conference presented new ideas for the next EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. These included reflecting the multidimensional nature of poverty; adopting a preventive approach; addressing the discriminatory aspects of poverty; including a strong commitment to combating child poverty; and ensuring the participation of social organisations at every stage of its development and implementation.
Both EAPN and representatives of the various groups in the European Parliament demonstrated their commitment and responsibility in the fight against this important issue.
The first European Anti-Poverty Day also highlighted that no level of government can tackle poverty and social exclusion on its own, as, according to the organisations, poverty requires ‘coordinated solutions at national, local and EU level’.
Best practices were presented, compiled from 18 countries, examples that will form the basis of a report to be published next year to understand what already works in the fight against poverty and the challenges that remain to be addressed.
A manifesto for the eradication of poverty
Prior to the celebration of the European Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the EAPN, together with numerous social organisations united in the Coalition on the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, published the manifesto ‘Eradicating Poverty by 2050: More Than Words, a Comprehensive EU-Wide Strategy Is Needed’, in which they propose a comprehensive strategy for the entire continent.
The Declaration has been endorsed by: AGE Platform Europe; ATD Fourth World; Caritas Europe; COFACE Families Europe; Emmaus Europe; EAPN; Eurochild; Eurodiaconia; the European Network of Organisations against Anti-Gypsyism (ERGO Network); the Federation of European National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA); the International Centre for the Rights of the Immigrant (PICUM); Save the Children; the Federation of Mental Health and Social Exclusion (SMES-Europe) and Social Platform.
