Reminder: MEPs to monitor progress of national plans on European Child Guarantee
MEPs will hear about the issues EU member states are facing in order to implement their national action plans on the European Child Guarantee.
The Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) will host a hearing on Monday to look into how member states are planning to address the issues around social protection and integration of children in Europe.
"Children's access to basic key services is non-negotiable!", said the Committee Chair Dragoş PÎSLARU (Renew, RO).
"It should not make any difference if we are talking about Aiden from Malta, Ondra from Czech Republic, Mihaela from Romania or Lucas from Sweden. All children in Europe should have access to early childhood education and care, healthcare, nutrition and housing.
"In fighting child poverty, we also need a strong commitment from Member States. However, to this date, nine months after the deadline, only 15 have submitted their action plans.
"We need concrete measure to ensure that Child Guarantee will be fully implemented in EU. During the hearing we will look at the actions that are still needed to ensure the well-being of European children," he concluded.
The hearing will focus around how national policies can be adjusted in order to provide support for the most vulnerable children, including those who are refugees from Ukraine, homeless, of Roma origin, and disabled. It will also give an opportunity to raise the scrutiny power of the Parliament on the implementation process in member states.
The hearing will be opened by the Committee Chair and by Katarina Ivankovic-Knezevic, the Director in charge of Social Rights and Inclusion in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) of the European Commission.
Members will be joined by Spain’s national child guarantee coordinator, Lucia Losoviz, as well as the President of Eurochild Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and academic expert Hugh Frazer from Maynooth University in Ireland.
Eurofond’s Research Manager Daniel Molinuevo will present the outcomes of a study into the Child Guarantee National Action, commissioned by the EMPL committee.
Finally, UNICEF’s Director for Relations with EU Institutions, Geert Cappelaere, will brief MEPs on the findings of pilot projects that UNICEF ran in seven EU member states to test how the European Child Guarantee could work in practice.
Hearing: “Analysis of Child Guarantee National Action Plans”
When: Monday, 7 November 2022, from 16.30 to 18.30
Where: Brussels, European Parliament, Paul-Henri Spaak building, room 1A2
The meeting will be web streamed here. Draft agenda and document meetings are available here.
Background
The European Council adopted a recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee on 14 June 2021, which ensures every child in poverty can have access to a set of key services such as free healthcare and education, decent housing and adequate nutrition.
Each member state nominated a Child Guarantee Coordinator which drafts national action plans until 2030. However, their implementation has been slower than expected, and only 15 member states have submitted their action plans so far.
Contacts:
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Dorota KOLINSKA
Press Officer