Monday, 25 October 2010
It affects around 85 million people in the European Union ,
Minimum income schemes should be introduced in all EU Member States to combat poverty, says a European Parliament resolution adopted on 20th October.
The resolution was made three days after the annual UN Eradication of Poverty Day (17th October) and as European Year against Poverty (2010) draws to a close.
Poverty affects around 85 million people, or 17% of the EU's population. The risk of poverty is greater for children and young people up to 17 years of age (20%) than for the population as a whole. Older people (19%) also face a higher risk of poverty, says the resolution, which was drafted by MEP Ilda Figueiredo.
Minimum income schemes - consisting of financial support plus easier access to services for people on low incomes - are the most effective way to guarantee an adequate standard of living and foster social integration, says the Parliament. Such schemes should be pitched at 60% of the median income of the country concerned. The European Commission has been asked to present an initiative in this area as a first step towards an EU action plan.
MEPs also highlighted the increasing number of working poor. They stressed that a living wage must always be above the poverty threshold and that workers who remain below that threshold should receive top-ups that are unconditional.
The resolution also says that efforts must be made on pay and minimum wage levels since the poverty affecting people in employment implies inequitable working conditions.
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