Commission proposes new measures to fight poverty and improve the lives of persons with disabilities

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the European Commission has unveiled an ambitious social plan aimed at helping to eradicate poverty and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities across the EU. The package includes the first-ever EU anti-poverty strategy – the Commission’s plan to help end poverty in the EU by 2050; a proposal for a Council Recommendation on fighting housing exclusion; and two communications: one on breaking the cycle of child poverty – strengthening the European Child Guarantee – and one on reinforcing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030.

With 52% of Europeans citing the cost of living as their top concern, the EU is tackling three urgent challenges: a housing crisis (lack of affordable housing is seen as an immediate and urgent problem by 40% of citizens, and 1 million are homeless); barriers to participation to a rapidly changing labour market; and poverty, affecting 1 in 5 Europeans – and 1 in 4 children.

In addition, many socio-economically vulnerable people are also exposed to discrimination and stigma. More needs to be done to ensure their rights are safeguarded. That includes the rights of persons with disabilities which must be fully realised in every aspect of life.

European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Poverty and exclusion are challenges we can and must overcome. Today, we put forward a strategy to prevent and reduce poverty. We are taking decisive action with a strengthened Child Guarantee, better prevention of homelessness and full inclusion for persons with disabilities. Dignity, opportunity, and equality. These are key values in the Europe we are building.”

A comprehensive approach to eradicate poverty

The EU anti-poverty strategy sets a clear path toward closing in on the EU target laid out in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030, as well as helping eradicate poverty by 2050.

It integrates three priorities: quality jobs for all, as quality employment is the first way out of poverty for those who can work; effective access to quality services and adequate income support; and coordinated action against poverty.

The strategy lists a series of key actions to achieve these priorities. To break the cycle of poverty at every age, the Commission will, for instance, consult social partners on a possible new legal instrument to integrate persons excluded from the labour market. The strategy also lays out ways to support older people through adequate pensions. In addition, it stresses the need to join forces with national, regional and local governments, businesses and civil society to combat poverty, including by establishing a coalition against poverty later this year and a new structured dialogue to consult people experiencing poverty on relevant policies.

Breaking the cycle of child poverty: strengthening the European Child Guarantee

Children in the EU are at a higher risk of poverty or social exclusion than adults, with no meaningful decline in child poverty over the past five years.

The European Child Guarantee is the EU’s main tool to support children in need, in particular through free and effective access to services like early childhood education, healthcare and school meals. The Commission has now proposed to strengthen the guarantee to address the social emergency of persistent child poverty and the needs of vulnerable children. The focus is on securing families’ access to quality jobs, childcare and strong safety nets and improving access of children to mentoring programmes and mental healthcare. Furthermore, the Commission will pilot with Member States a European Child Guarantee Card to facilitate access to services and a coherent support for children in need. In addition, protecting children from online and offline threats, including exploitation and abuse, is key.

Fighting housing exclusion

Housing is a fundamental right – yet housing prices have surged by 60% since 2013 and Europeans face increasing obstacles to access proper housing. The proposed Council Recommendation on housing exclusion emphasises long-term solutions and prevention, to prevent housing exclusion and homelessness. It also promotes more social and affordable housing and takes a people-centred approach to support people finding a place to call home. It marks one of the deliverables of the first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan which the Commission put forward in December 2025 to comprehensively tackle the housing crisis affecting millions of Europeans. 

Boosting accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities

With 90 million people – over 1 in 5 Europeans – living with a disability, full inclusion is imperative both to ensure rights are respected and also to boost Europe’s economy and democracy. Yet barriers remain: only 55% are employed, compared with 77% of persons without a disability; 1.4 million persons with disabilities still live in institutional settings; and 1 in 3 are at risk of poverty, nearly double the EU average.

To turn rights into reality, the Commission will step up our ambition and our implementation. Our actions include the EU-wide roll out of the European Disability Card and Parking Card, launching an Alliance for Independent Living to replace institutions with community-based support, improving transport accessibility and investing in assistive technologies such as AI tools.

Next steps

The Commission will support all actors in rolling out the EU anti-poverty strategy and the strengthened European Child Guarantee. Member States will discuss the Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on fighting housing exclusion for its adoption by the Council. The Commission will also continue to support Member States in their full and effective implementation of existing legislation on disability while coming forward with an updated monitoring framework for the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030.

Background

The EU uses a headline indicator to measure the risk of poverty or social exclusion, combining the three factors: relative monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and very low work intensity.

In 2021, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan announced an EU headline target on poverty reduction: reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030. Out of those, at least 5 million should be children.

The EU anti-poverty strategy and strengthening of the European Child Guarantee were announced in the 2024-2029 political guidelines. In the 2025 State of the European Union address, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU’s goal to end poverty by 2050. A study by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre helped shape the strategy, demonstrating that an additional 0.25% of EU GDP could help 18 million people escape poverty. In addition, the Commission also surveyed almost 42,000 children aged 8-17 from all EU countries to gather their views on poverty and social inclusion.

Today’s Communication on Enhancing the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities up to 2030 is a renewed commitment by the Commission to push for the implementation of the 2021-2030 EU Disability Strategy, responding to recommendations from the United Nations, as well as calls from persons with disabilities and their representative organisations, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee for stronger implementation and renewed action. It is part of the EU’s broader Union of Equality objectives.

For more information

Questions and answers on the anti-poverty package

Questions and answers on enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030

Factsheet on the anti-poverty package

Factsheet on enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030

Anti-poverty strategy

Staff working document – Key poverty trends and policies

Staff working document – Principle for effective anti-poverty policies

Communication on European Child Guarantee

Staff working document – Implementing the European Child Guarantee

Council recommendation on fighting housing exclusion

Union of equality: Strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 (easy-to-read version)

Communication Enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030

Mid-term report on the implementation of the Union of Equality Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030

Synopsis Report – Enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030