ATD Fourth World has drawn up 15 proposals for a Europe that leaves no one behind. The proposals address all the European Union’s stakeholders and in particular the candidates in the European elections that will be held from 23 to 26 May 2019.

The European Union is still far from the goal of eradicating poverty and social exclusion that it had set out to achieve by 2020. In 2017, poverty and social exclusion affected 113 million people across the EU. Considerable efforts are therefore needed, as improving economic conditions alone is not enough to bring about a substantial and sustainable reduction in poverty.

ATD’s first proposal is that the European Union focus more on the most vulnerable individuals living in poverty. They suffer the full consequences of many on going transformations in areas such as information technologies, climate change, migration, and demographic change.

The 15 ATD proposals suggest how to create a more inclusive and equitable European Union that achieves the goal of “leaving no one behind”, set out in the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda.

ATD Fourth World would like the European Union to implement the 20 principles outlined in the European Pillar of Social Rights, adopted on 17 November 2017. Several of these principles serve as the basis for the ATD proposals which ask for particular attention the following issues: the right to legal existence, policies that support the family, taking into account all dimensions of poverty, and policies that are both socially just and sustainable.

In order to achieve more effective policies, ATD Fourth World believes that it is essential to take into account the experience and knowledge of those living in poverty and to recognise them as partners working to build a Europe that leaves no one behind. This requires opportunities for dialogue and reflection that are accessible to people in poverty and, equally important, training for all stakeholders who work in partnership with vulnerable populations.

“What we would like is for people to stop making decisions for us, to stop thinking for us, to stop doing things for us; but to do all these things with us.”

Mrs J. (France) at the 15th European Fourth World People’s University at the European Parliament on 6 February 2019.

Download the 15 proposals: