EESC against poverty: tackling poverty on every front

Poverty is not simply a lack of income. It can mean being unable to afford food, heating, healthcare or secure housing, or to participate fully in society. To mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) highlights its longstanding call for coordinated European action to tackle its many interconnected causes.

Over the years, the EESC has put forward a wide range of proposals tackling poverty from different angles, from child poverty and minimum income to energy, housing, employment and access to essential services. The following is a selection of EESC opinions that illustrate the many different fronts on which the Committee has worked to tackle poverty.

Providing an adequate minimum income

In its opinion on adequate minimum income, the EESC called for a rights-based approach that allows everyone to live in dignity. Minimum income schemes should be accessible, based on transparent criteria and reflect the real cost of essentials such as housing, food, water, energy, healthcare and transport. Their adequacy should also be assessed regularly against increases in living costs. 

Quality and sustainable employment remains the best route out of poverty for people who can work. Effective safety nets are nevertheless indispensable for those who cannot find work or are unable to work.

Lifting all children out of poverty by 2030 

In its opinion on the European Child Guarantee, the EESC called for the EU to aim to lift all children out of poverty by 2030. It stressed that children’s vulnerability cannot be addressed without supporting their families through adequate incomes, family-friendly working arrangements and access to early childhood education, healthcare and school-based activities. 

The Committee also called for a joined-up approach covering housing, education, healthcare, family policy and digital access, with civil society and children’s organisations involved in developing and monitoring national measures. The EESC will vote on a new opinion on the Guarantee at its October 2026 plenary session.

Calling for an EU strategy against energy poverty

With energy prices pushing more households into hardship, the EESC called for equal access to affordable energy to become an absolute priority. It proposed an EU strategy against energy poverty, backed by coherent national plans and cooperation between EU institutions, Member States, local authorities, businesses, consumer organisations and civil society. 

Championing the "Housing First" principle

The EESC has also called for a shift from managing homelessness to ending it. Its 2023 opinion advocated an EU homelessness strategy based on the “Housing First” principle, under which stable accommodation is the starting point for reintegration. It urged Member States to make substantial progress towards ending homelessness by 2030 and to involve people with direct experience in shaping policy. 

Using the social economy to strengthen communities 

Cooperatives, associations, mutual societies, foundations and social enterprises provide essential services, create employment and support people who are far from the labour market. In its opinion on the social economy and poverty, the EESC underlined the state’s primary responsibility for combating poverty while recognising how the social economy can complement public action. 

It called for stronger support for the EU social economy action plan and for local partnerships bringing together public authorities, businesses, social economy organisations, social partners and civil society. 

Tackling the cost-of-living crisis 

In 2025, the EESC examined how inflation and rising living costs have eroded purchasing power and deepened inequalities. It called for investment in people and the economy, progressive taxation, affordable public services and targeted support for those most at risk. 

The Committee highlighted decent work, adequate wages, collective bargaining and strong social protection. It also called for affordable housing and better access to food, healthcare, education, energy and other essential services, while emphasising the role of civil society organisations in reaching people facing the greatest difficulties. 

Contributing to the first EU Anti-Poverty Strategy 

These strands came together in the EESC’s recent opinion on the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. The Committee called for Europe to move beyond managing poverty and work towards eradicating extreme poverty through adequate income, social protection, quality employment, fair wages and universal access to affordable services. 

The strategy should include measurable targets, proper funding and effective monitoring. People experiencing poverty should be involved at every stage, while social partners and civil society organisations should have the support needed to contribute fully. The EESC also proposed considering a dedicated EU Anti-Poverty Coordinator to help ensure policy coherence. 

The next steps 

The EESC will step up its work against poverty at its plenary session on 21 and 22 October, with four opinions:  the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and  intergenerational poverty,  the Strenghtening of the Child Guarantee, housing exclusion and homelessness, and the role of civil society. The series of initiatives will culminate on 22 October in a conference on poverty hosted by EESC President Séamus Boland, putting the issue at the centre of the Committee’s agenda.