The Council of the European Union approved the European Child Guarantee (ECG) to address and combat child poverty and exclusion (Council of the European Union, 2021). This report by Eurofound provides knowledge and information about the workforce relevant to ECG and to support Member States in implementing the ECG and reporting on the implementation of national action plans.
Universal Children’s Day on 20th November offers us an inspirational entry point to promote child well-being and build a world fit for children. It is a day of action by children. They are speaking out and imagining a better future. It is important to listen to their ideas and demands. It is also a day for children to ensure their rights and provide a nurturing and safe environment for all from birth on.
Our dedicated member, WOMEN FOR WOMEN is in charge of the project “Lunch for Kids” and in that context it had the opportunity to actively participated in the “Farm to Fork conference”. The programme focused on meals for the public, local produce and school lunches.
The European Child Guarantee, established through a Council Recommendation on the 14th of June 2021, is a key step in achieving the European Pillar of Social Rights target to reduce the number of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Two years after the historical adoption of this Recommendation and the promise of all EU Member States to act to lift children and their families out of poverty, COFACE Families Europe assessed the plans submitted by April 2023 from the perspective of children with disabilities and their families who experience specific barriers when accessing key services and have a more significant risk of poverty and social exclusion.
The European Child Guarantee, to reduce child poverty and social exclusion, requires that the individual EU Member States each develop a National Action Plan (NAP) with country-specific measures for implementation. Member States had to submit their NAP by the 15th of March 2022. One year after the deadline for Member States to submit their NAP, these plans are still missing from eight Member States (Austria, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia).
At the joint meeting of the Committees on European Affairs and Social Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament that took place in July 2022, on the policies of the European Union for Children, our member ASPE, as well as the Social Administration Research Lab of the University of West Attica presented their proposals on the content of the National Action Plan that the Greek Government is expected to submit to the European Commission regarding the implementation of the Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 for the establishment of a European Child Guarantee.
