European Parliament calls for more funding to tackle child poverty

Thanks to the intensive advocacy work of Eurochild and other members of the Alliance for Investing in Children, the European Parliament adopted a report calling for stronger financial support for the European Child Guarantee

On 15 December 2022, the European Parliament adopted a report on upscaling the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework. The reasoning for this stems from the severe financial challenges over the last years and the necessity to adapt to these new circumstances.

Part of this report is one section on strengthening the financial support for the European Child Guarantee to fight the alarming child poverty rates and to contribute to the eradication thereof. Eurochild strongly applauds the efforts in expanding the budget for the European Child Guarantee by at least €20 billion.

This financial extension could not have been possible without the intensive advocacy measures by Eurochild and other members of the Alliance for Investing in Children. In a unified advocacy approach, the Alliance was able to convince policy makers to reintroduce the necessary amendment to the report. After a shortcoming of votes in the Budget Committee, a group of more than 80 MEPs brought the amendment to another vote in the plenary, where it was accepted. Eurochild is very pleased about this great success.

We welcome the efforts in highlighting the urgency and importance of the role of children for our society. Children have experienced a strong impact on their lives in recent years, and the past crises have exacerbated the situation for young people even more. Hence, it is essential to increase the focus on children’s well-being and give them a higher priority on the political agenda. The intention to upscale the financial framework for the European Child Guarantee is thus a welcomed measure and a step in the right direction.

Eurochild calls on the European Commission and the Council of the EU to take the necessary steps to propose and accept the upscaling of the multiannual financial framework to significantly enhance the situation of children across Europe. Moreover, we urge decision-makers to put a particular focus on the fight of child poverty and adapt the MFF to combat the past and upcoming challenges.