The recession is now over but we are in a period where the economic crisis can very easily turn into social crises. Just like the financial crises, social crises are no longer localised and therefore a European debate and EU-wide strategies to respond to this threat are needed.
Leaving behind the years of fiscal expansion, governments are now looking to consolidate their situations. Envisaged or actual expenditure cuts threaten schools, health services, child protection and regional development. Thus, while there is already GDP growth and unemployment will soon start to decline, there is an increasing risk that concerns the living conditions of those who receive support, or are even dependent on social services, or solidarity in general.
When unemployment is dramatically high and public spending on benefits and social services is cut back, large families are increasingly at risk of poverty. Particularly in zones of industrial collapse and underdevelopment, and where immigrants or ethnic minorities live in high numbers, the chance for a decent life can just evaporate. Children grow up in deprivation, and we are facing the risk of a lost generation.
Therefore, it could not be more timely that the Belgian Presidency of the European Union has put child poverty at the top of its agenda. A conference gathering experts, decision makers and social workers dealing with childcare and child well-being took place in Marche-en-Famenne in Belgium earlier this month. Its aim was to step up commitments to tackling child poverty and promoting the well-being of all children.
The conference marked a significant milestone in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. The Belgian presidency initiated this conference which concluded that the adoption in the first semester 2011 of – possibly – a recommendation aimed at tackling child poverty and promoting the well-being of all children would advance the common objective of reducing poverty.
Europe has over 100 million people under the age of 18. Of these, around 20 per cent are at risk of poverty. Rates vary from 12 per cent and below in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, Slovenia and Germany, to 22 to 23 per cent in the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Spain. There are also big regional differences: In Estonia children living in rural areas are twice as poor as those in cities.
We are talking about severe social exclusion, and not just minor disadvantages. When we emphasise the need for solidarity, we do not mean aid or charity. If the situation is to improve, eradicating child poverty and social exclusion must be considered a fundamental human right.
The poverty trap is a fact and the only way of preventing future generations of poor and disadvantaged adults is to give their children a better chance in life now. A child living in an overcrowded home in a polluted environment is likely to eat less healthily and to underachieve at school. Adequate housing and family income, quality healthcare and family support are all necessary to ensure our children’s security and give them hope for a better future.
Europe is taking action on the political, legislative and financial fronts. The Europe 2020 strategy for the next decade set a target to lift at least 20 million Europeans out of poverty by 2020. This objective is based upon the genuine commitment of all member states to a more just and inclusive Europe. Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this endeavour. We need to restore growth but economic growth alone is not going to eradicate child poverty; we need to maintain appropriate services and protection systems.
Rolling back poverty in Europe is not just a dream. We have effective instruments that can be used. The European Social Fund provides €2 billion of EU funding every year for national programmes to improve social inclusion. Overall, the fund spends €10 billion a year on helping people improve their skills, find jobs and start their own business – all ways to safeguard against poverty and exclusion and by doing so, reduce child poverty as well.
As part of the EU’s social inclusion agenda, each member state needs to develop strategies and policies that focus on early childhood, for instance by improving access to health care, housing, education and social services. Government benefits aimed directly at children, like child trust funds, free books and educational material, free school meals and free access to sports and cultural activities, should complement universal child benefits. This is all wise investment. Countries that spend the most on social benefits tend to have the lowest child poverty levels, and higher levels of social cohesion.
Although the economic crisis is reversing some of these hard-earned gains, less specifically targeted initiatives can also considerably improve children’s lives, including affordable and good quality childcare, flexible working hours and paid parental leave. Early childhood care is essential to reducing inequality. Three-year-olds of more educated parents often have twice the vocabulary of children from poorer, less educated homes, a finding which highlights the importance of balancing efforts at a very early age.
Access to schools where a child’s emotional, social and physical development is given equal emphasis to academic learning is sorely needed in most EU countries. Among society’s most vulnerable children are those with disabilities, the children of asylum seekers, victims of abuse, children living in very poor or isolated areas and children from migrant families and some ethnic minorities, like the 12 million Roma who form the EU’s largest minority.
The question whether welfare systems are affordable or not is often asked. What is, however, really expensive for society is poverty and particularly child poverty. Long-term investment in the well-being and education of our children will lead to savings in social costs in the long run, and this can also boost economic competitiveness.
This approach makes sense from a human, political and economic point of view as well.
Mr Andor is EU Commissionerfor Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and Mr Courard is Belgian Secretary of State for Social Integration and the Fight Against Poverty,