Weekend Read: The EU's Bold New Anti-Poverty Strategy

Welcome to the Weekend Read.Today we're discussing another EU document, hot off the presses, titled "Towards a new EU anti-poverty strategy." It serves to inform the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) opinion on the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, which was announced by the European Commission in July 2024 and is slated for presentation in early 2026. The study aims to thoroughly analyze the current poverty situation across the EU, including statistics disaggregated at the territorial level, and to identify and assess effective anti-poverty measures and practices implemented by Local and Regional Authorities (LRAs). It highlights that poverty and social exclusion remain significant challenges, with 93.3 million people (21% of the EU population) at risk in 2024, including 19.5 million children, and notes persistent disparities across and within Member States and among various demographic groups. Emphasizing the multidimensionality of poverty and the critical role LRAs play in implementing social policies, the report explores the added value of a cohesive EU-level strategy and provides recommendations to address structural drivers of poverty and enhance future effectiveness.