UN human rights expert to assess impact of EU policy on poverty

 OHCHR, Nov. 18, 2020

GENEVA (18 November 2020) – The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, will examine the impact of the European Union’s policies on the eradication of poverty in the region during a mission to EU institutions beginning 25 November.

“The European Union represents a beacon of hope for many,” said De Schutter. “It is the most equal region in the world. Taken as a whole, trends for social indicators for the EU-27 have consistently improved over the past ten years."

“Yet this promise remains unfulfilled for far too many. About 92.4 million people, more than one in five Europeans, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion even before COVID-19 hit, and single-parent households with dependent children were most affected,” he said. “Progress in the fight against poverty, inequality, and social exclusion remains uneven among countries. Against this background, it is important to carefully assess the impacts of budgetary surveillance mechanisms on States’ ability to make further progress in tackling poverty.”

The European Union’s COVID-19 recovery plans are some the most ambitious plans in the world, allocating €672.5 billion in loans and grants to member states as part of NextGenerationEU recovery instrument. 

In full:  https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26518&LangID=E

.