Blog post 254
Combating poverty in Europe
MIXED RESULTS, NEW PROPOSALS
By Julien Damon, Associate Professor at Sciences Politiques, Scientific Advisor at the École nationale supérieure de sécurité sociale – National School for Social Security (En3s).
This publication is available in french.
Since the 1970s, the European Union has been elaborating definitions and data on poverty. The Member States have managed to gradually agree on guidelines to measure and to act. In the 2000s, the Lisbon Strategy provided new impetus, with the explicit ambition of moving towards eliminating poverty and in the 2010s, the Europe 2020 strategy set a quantified target of reducing the number of poor people (20 million less). The moment of truth for the first reviews and perspectives, coming at a time of a major health and economic crisis, makes it possible to review these indicators and intervention tools. This note supports two proposals. Firstly, in favour of concentrated efforts on extreme poverty and on the homeless. Secondly, for a truly European approach to assessing poverty, with a calculation threshold set at EU level.
Poverty is a growing priority on the EU agenda and in European law. Over time, the EU has become equipped with statistical tools and legal powers, but above all it has set itself an ambition. With hindsight, by exaggerating ever so slightly we could go so far as to say that since the beginning and the promise of prosperity inherent to the post-war construction of Europe, the theme of poverty has been implicitly European. Schuman’s call, for example, conveys this vision, from the point of view of solidarity. The common market and the opening of borders were designed for the benefit of all. It was not until the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) however, that combating poverty became one of the powers of the EU, thus truly allowing it to act.
“The fight against poverty and social exclusion is one of the key commitments of the European Union and its Member States”. This statement, dating back to 2008, solemnly enshrines the importance of the topic for the EU, by announcing the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010). It should be noted from the outset that there are many possible distinctions between exclusion and poverty. According to the different interpretations, one may be a synonym, dimension or extension of the other. The European choice consists in considering income poverty (low income) as a unique but insufficient measurement of the phenomena of exclusion. The fact remains that all the dimensions of low income and limited capacities are very often encapsulated in the term “poverty” in non-specialised EU literature. ▪▪▪
SUR LE MÊME THÈME
ON THE SAME THEME
PUBLICATIONS
Social Europe: social dialogue at the heart of the debate
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/policypaperbleu.png)
Making the most of the European Year of Skills
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Parents’ leaves in the EU
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MÉDIAS
MEDIAS
En Europe, le grand chamboulement du marché du travail
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/articlebleu.png)
Enrico Letta: “L’Europa resta una costruzione storta senza il pilastro sociale”
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Learning mobility: making it the norm in the EU
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ÉVÉNEMENTS
EVENTS
Académie Notre Europe – “Social Europe” session [FR]
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My Europe – The European Union, ally or danger for workers? [FR]
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
The European Union and work: what competences, what debates, what perspectives? [FR]
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
What place for responsible capitalism in Europe? (FR)
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
Comment garantir une relance verte et juste ?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
Webinar | SURE : a welcomed catalyzer for an European Unemployment Insurance*
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
Académie Notre Europe n°5 – Social Europe and Budget
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Barcelona, 25 October 2019 – Sovereignty, inequalities and social Europe
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Ludwigsfelde, 2 October 2019 – Citizen dialogue and Trilateral Experts seminar on Social Europe
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Paris, 5 September 2019 – Global Convergences Forum
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Paris, 21 May 2019 – Europe: which answers to the Digital economy’s social challenges?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Argenteuil, 11 mai 2019 — Europe and fraternity
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Paris, 6 April 2019 — Social justice in the energy transition in Europe
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Paris, 5 April 2019 – European elections: what stakes for disability?
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Training on European issues
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Bruxelles, 21 February 2019 – Expert Debate on the European Pillar of Social Rights
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Paris, 18 December 2018 – Social Europe
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Paris, 11 January 2019 – Académie Notre Europe: Social Europe
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
Paris, 20 November 2018 – How to accompany the low-carbon transition to be fair?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, 14 November 2018 – What is Europe doing to protect us? Trade Policy, Social Europe, Environment and Security
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Paris, 24 October 2018 – Companies: missions and reasons to be
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
Dardilly, 10 October 2018 – What future for social Europe?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Paris, 3 October 2018 – Is European solidarity still possible?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Brussels, 3 October 2018 – Europe needs a social pact for the energy transition
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Paris, 24 September 2018 – European social dialogue: what future?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
Bruges, 12 July 2018 – Just a transition or a just transition? Jobs, skills, energy poverty
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Luxembourg, 20 June 2018 – The reform of the EMU: which social dimension?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/evenementbleu.png)
Paris, 17 May 2018 – France and the European Pillar of Social Rights
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Toulouse, 17 April 2018 – A protective Social Europe : myth or reality?
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Tours, 4 April 2018 – Toward a Social and Political Europe?
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Angers, 29 March 2018 – From the Treaty of Rome to today
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Paris, 2 February 2018 – How to deal with the populist phenomenon?
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Champigny-sur-Marne, 23 January 2018 – Social Europe
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Aulnay-sous-Bois, 16 December 2017 – Active Citizens Forum
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Paris, 5 December 2017 – The future of social democracy
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Luxembourg, 21 October 2017 – Europe: Changing the economic and social framework
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Brussels, 16 October 2017 – “Making the Energy Transition a European Success”
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)
Créteil, 28 September 2017 – Social Europe: utopia or reality?
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Paris, 28 September 2017 – What future for a Social Europe?
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Brussels, 10 July 2017 – Guaranteeing solidarity in EU Cohesion policy post-2020
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Prague, 8 June 2017 – Hamonization of EU social standards
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Rome, 20 March 2017 – Completing economic governance and enhancing social cohesion
![](https://institutdelors.eu/wp-content/themes/Avada-Child-Theme/images/interventionblanc.png)