Madam President! Madam Commissioner! Ladies and gentlemen! Although the proportion of people in poverty in the European Union has fallen slightly, to around 17% in 2024, more than 93 million people as much as 21% of the Union’s population still live at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Among children, this figure is even higher, reaching almost 24%. This last number, in particular, should be a source of shame for all of us.
I believe that a strategy to combat poverty should complement and strengthen the tools already being implemented across all member states, not replace them. In our regions there are many people who work in social policy every day and know the needs of local communities best. That is why I firmly believe in the principle of subsidiarity here. Let us give them a voice, equip them with the right resources and tools, and support their work.
We are now entering an extremely important stage in shaping cohesion policy for the next seven years. This is an opportunity to strengthen the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund in order to fight poverty and exclusion more effectively. I call, above all, for stronger synergies, greater opportunities for cooperation, and simplification, so that beneficiaries who struggle with poverty every day have clear guidance and consistent, user-friendly rules for accessing the relevant tools.