Legal basis

The EU is guided by the principles set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by all EU Member States. The objective of promoting protection of the rights of the child is set out in Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union. Moreover, the EU, and the Member States when implementing EU law, are bound by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 24 of which is devoted entirely to the rights of the child.

EU policy responses

Fighting child poverty in the EU remains primarily a Member State responsibility. Nevertheless, the EU institutions have repeatedly stated that action is needed to lift children out of poverty and to promote children's wellbeing.

The 2013 Commission recommendation 'Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage' was an early EU initiative in this area. The proclamation of the European pillar of social rights in November 2017 reflected a growing willingness to tackle child poverty, with principle 11 referring explicitly to children's right to protection from poverty. The related EU 2030 target is to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million, including at least 5 million children.

In June 2021, following a Commission proposal, the Council adopted a recommendation establishing the European Child Guarantee. It calls on Member States to tackle social exclusion by ensuring that children in need have effective access to early childhood education and care, education and school‑based activities, healthcare, healthy nutrition and adequate housing.

As a result, Member States prepared national action plans covering the period to 2030 and report every two years on implementation. The first two‑year progress reports were submitted in March 2024. The second reporting round was due in March 2026.

The reports identified several implementation gaps. These included the need for more robust monitoring and clearer, time‑bound targets, as well as efforts to reduce regional disparities. They also called for wider use of effective pilot projects, better data‑sharing and outreach to vulnerable children, stronger workforce capacity and predictable long‑term funding.

Since the Guarantee's launch, some 850 000 additional children have gained access to school-based activities. Nevertheless, the Commission acknowledges the lack of progress described above.

In her 2025 State of the Union address, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU's commitment to eradicating poverty by 2050 and announced a European anti‑poverty strategy. On 6 May 2026, the Commission adopted the first‑ever EU anti‑poverty strategy, alongside a proposal for a Council recommendation on fighting housing exclusion and a communication 'Breaking the cycle of child poverty – strengthening the European Child Guarantee'. Together, these initiatives set out the Commission's ambition to help eradicate poverty in the EU by 2050.

Within the broader package, the strengthened European Child Guarantee is presented as a response to what the Commission describes as a 'social emergency', given the 19.3 million children at risk in 2025. The renewed Guarantee is structured around three pillars:

As part of implementation, the Commission intends to pilot a European Child Guarantee Card with interested Member States in 2027 to facilitate access to services, and also propose a Council recommendation on enhancing the efficiency of child‑related benefit systems.

The EU has further committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably Goal 1, which aims to halve the proportion of people, including children, living in poverty by 2030.

EU funds

For the 2021‑2027 programming period, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), which has incorporated the former Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, is a key source of EU funding for implementing the European Child Guarantee and tackling child poverty. Member States with above‑average levels of child poverty, measured against the EU average for 2017‑2019, must allocate at least 5 % of their ESF+ resources to targeted actions and structural reforms to tackle child poverty. All other Member States must allocate an appropriate amount. By April 2026, Member States had earmarked €9.6 billion for this purpose, equivalent to 6.9 % of their total ESF+ resources on average. Of this amount, €6.0 billion had already been committed and €2.2 billion spent. While EU funding has increased, the extent to which these resources translate into improved outcomes for children depends on their effective implementation at national and regional levels. Following the mid‑term review of cohesion policy programmes, the ESF+ resources earmarked to tackle child poverty increased by 5.4 % relative to the pre‑review allocation, an additional €491 million. ESF+ funding is complemented by other EU instruments, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and InvestEU.

Looking ahead, funding for child poverty measures will depend on negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2028‑2034, for which the Commission proposed a total of almost €2 trillion in July 2025. The proposal would introduce a new funding architecture based on national and regional partnership plans (NRPPs), which would bring key EU funds implemented by Member States and regions together under a common framework, with cohesion and agricultural policy at its core. A social target of 14 % would apply to the plans, directing funding towards implementation of the European pillar of social rights, including quality jobs, skills, social inclusion and housing. Negotiations are ongoing. The Irish Presidency is expected to work towards political agreement in the European Council by the end of 2026, so the necessary legislation can be adopted in 2027 and the new funding period can begin in January 2028.