EU unveils 1st anti-poverty strategy amid concerns over financing

The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled its first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, aiming to lift millions out of poverty and ultimately eradicate it by 2050, but early criticism has emerged over concerns about insufficient dedicated funding.

The strategy comes as poverty remains a persistent challenge across the bloc, with 92.7 million people currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to the EU Commission.

The commission said it aims to reduce that number by at least 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 plan focuses on three main priorities: promoting quality jobs, ensuring access to essential services and adequate income support, and strengthening coordinated action among EU countries and stakeholders.

It also introduces targeted measures addressing poverty at different stages of life, including efforts to combat child poverty, improve labor market access, and enhance pension systems.

The initiative comes amid rising living costs and a deepening housing crisis across Europe.

According to commission data, housing prices have surged by around 60% since 2013, while roughly 1 million people are currently homeless in the EU.

A related proposal on housing exclusion aims to expand access to affordable housing and prevent homelessness through long-term, preventive measures.

Despite the broad scope of the strategy, critics have questioned whether it is backed by sufficient new financial 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.