Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION Establishing a European Child Guarantee
Date: 2021-03-24
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: access to education, aid to disadvantaged groups, child, child protection, children's rights, marginalisation, poverty, right to health, right to housing, social integration

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 24.3.2021  COM(2021) 137 final 2021/0070 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION Establishing a European Child Guarantee  {SWD(2021) 62 final}  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

Commission  President  Ursula  von  der  Leyen  announced  the  creation  of  a  European  Child 
Guarantee  with  a  view  to  ensuring  that  ‘every  child  in  Europe  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social 
exclusion  has  access  to  the  most  basic  of  rights  like  healthcare  and  education’1.  Supporting 
children from an early age and throughout their childhood is of paramount importance with a 
view  to  building  a  sustainable,  equal,  inclusive  and  competitive  knowledge  economy  and  a 
fair society. 

With  the  aim  of  preventing  and  combating  social  exclusion,  this  proposal  supports 
Member States in their efforts to guarantee access to quality key services for children in 
need:  early  childhood  education  and  care,  education  (including  school-based  activities), 
healthcare, nutrition, and housing. While most children in the EU already have access to these 
services, inclusive and truly  universal access is vital for ensuring equal opportunities for all 
children,  and  in  particular  those  who  experience  social  exclusion  due  to  poverty  or  other 
forms of a disadvantage.  

Social  exclusion  is  a  complex  and  multidimensional  phenomenon.  Its  key  drivers  are 
insufficient resources and poverty, but also lack of equal access to goods and services due to 
various  forms  of  disadvantage,  preventing  full  participation  in  the  society2.  The  proposal 
targets children in need, referring to children at risk of poverty or social exclusion. In view 
of the multi-faceted challenges faced by people with low income, having difficulties to access 
goods and services or the labour market, a composite indicator being ‘at risk of poverty or 
social  exclusion’  has  been  agreed  at  EU  level.  The  indicator  measures:  (i)  the  number  of 
people who have an equivalised disposable income (after social transfers) that is less than the 
at risk of poverty threshold3; (ii)  severe material  deprivation, that  captures the lack of basic 
goods that are needed to guarantee an adequate standard of living in a given society4; and (iii) 
very low work intensity5. Children living in such households are particularly prone to social 
exclusion and are the group targeted by this recommendation. 

In  a  majority  of  EU-27  countries,  the  rate  of  persons  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social 
exclusion is higher for children than for the total population.  In 2019, 22.2% (nearly 18 
million) of children lived in households at risk of poverty or social exclusion, as opposed to 
20.9%  (around  91  million)  for  the  total  population.  The  reduction  of  the  risk  of  poverty  or 
social exclusion among children over the last decade has been slower than among the general 

1

Political Guidelines for the European Commission 2019-2024. 

2

See for instance: Communication from the Commission ‘Towards a Europe of Solidarity: Intensifying the Fight Against Social 
exclusion, Fostering Integration’, COM(92)542. Resolution of the Council and of the ministers for social affairs meeting within the Council 
of 29 September 1989 on combating social exclusion, OJ C 277, 31.10.1989, p. 1-1.  ‘The multi-dimensional analysis of social exclusion’, 
Levitas  at  al,  (2007);  ‘Leaving  no  one  behind:  the  imperative  of  inclusive  development. Report  on the  World  social  situation 2016.’,  UN 
(2016). 
3

Fixed at 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income after social transfers.  

4

Severe material deprivation means the enforced inability to pay for at least 4of the following 9 items: (1) rent, mortgage or utility 
bills; (2) keeping home adequately warm; (3) unexpected expenses; (4) eating meat or proteins regularly; (5) holidays; (6) a television set; (7) 
a washing machine; (8) a car; (9) a telephone. 
5

This reflects the share of the population under 60 years old who live in households where the people of working age have worked 

less than 20% of their total work potential during the past year. 

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population. In addition, the poverty gap6 in EU-27 is higher for children (25.4% in 2019) than 
for  the  rest  of  the  population  (24.3%),  with  the  same  holding  true  for  the  persistence  of 
poverty7 (14.1% for children in 2018 vs 10.8% for the rest of the population).  

There is a strong correlation between social exclusion of children and the lack of access 
to  key  services.  Children  living  in  poverty  or  who  experience  particular  disadvantages  are 
more likely to face barriers in accessing services, which are key for their well-being and the 
development  of  social,  cognitive,  and  emotional  skills.  While  such  services  in  all  Member 
States are generally in place, the evidence shows that the access is uneven. In around one third 
of Member States, parents on moderate incomes find costs of early childhood education and 
care  to  be  very  high.  Schoolbooks,  school  transport,  meals  and  additional  school-based 
activities  place  a  significant  burden  on  family  budgets  in  15  Member  States.  In  several 
Member States, only some healthcare-related services for children are fully free of charge. In 
six  Member  States,  more  than  10%  of  children  experience  severe  housing  deprivation. 
Homelessness has increased in nearly all Member States, also affecting children. The drivers 
of unequal access to services may be manifold and can include: the lack of financial resources 
to cover for the costs of the services by parents or guardians; limited availability, particularly 
in  rural8,  remote  or  disadvantaged  areas;  lack  of  adaptation  of  services,  or  personnel,  to 
children with particular needs; lack of information on the available services; or administrative 
barriers.  

Alongside  poverty,  other  forms  of  disadvantage  create  barriers  for  inclusion  and 
participation  in  the  society.  The  proposal  also  recommends  that,  when  designing  their 
national  integrated  measures  to  support  children  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social  exclusion, 
Member  States  take  also  into  account,  wherever  appropriate,  the  specific  needs  of  children 
who are homeless or experience severe housing deprivation; who have a disability; those with 
a migrant background; with a minority racial or ethnic background (particularly Roma); those 
being in alternative (especially institutional) care; and children in precarious family situations. 

Children  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds  are  disproportionally  affected  by  social 
exclusion, often resulting from poverty or deprivation. Depending on the Member State, 
the poverty risk for children raised by a single parent, in families with three or more children, 
or with a migrant or Roma background is up to three times higher than that of other children9. 
Children  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds  also  show  considerably  lower  early  childhood 
education and care attendance rates. Children placed in institutional care may not fully benefit 
from  mainstream  and  inclusive  education.  Furthermore,  children  with  disabilities,  with  a 
migrant  background or those living in  rural  or remote areas might  be unable to  take part in 
many  of  school-based  activities.  Barriers  can  include  affordability,  the  lack  of  proper 
infrastructure, poor accessibility, or language problems. The participation of those children in 
preventive  health  programmes  is  also  hindered.  Low-income  status  or  a  precarious  family 
situation  often  result  in  irregular  or  unhealthy  nutrition.  Finally,  the  lack  of  access  to 
affordable  and  adequate  housing,  including  safe  drinking  water,  poses  an  increased  risk  of 
severe  housing  deprivation  and  affects  the  overall  wellbeing  of  children.  All  these  access 

6

The relative median at-risk-of-poverty gap that helps to quantify how poor the poor are. It is calculated as the difference between 
the median equivalised disposable income of people below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold and the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, expressed as 
a percentage of the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. 
7
threshold in the current year and in at least 2 of the preceding 3 years. 
8  The Commission will adopt in June 2021 a Communication entitled ‘The long-term vision for rural areas’, which inter alia will address a 

The persistent poverty rate is the share of persons living in a household with an equivalised disposable income below the poverty 

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limited access of children to services or infrastructures in rural, remote or disadvantaged areas.  
Joint Employment Report 2021 adopted by the Council on 15 March 2021.  

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barriers perpetuate the intergenerational  cycle of social exclusion, with profound and long‐
term effects on children’s lives.  

Preventing and combating social exclusion of children is essential for social progress and 
sustainable  development.  Social  exclusion  has  damaging  effects  on  the  present  and  future 
opportunities  of  children  and  on  their  capacity  to  contribute  to  today’s  and  tomorrow’s 
society.  Children  who  are  socially  excluded  are  less  likely  than  their  better-off  peers  to 
perform  well  in  school  and  enjoy  good  health.  They  are  at  a  higher  risk  of  dropping  out  of 
school and, when they become adults, are more likely to be (long-term) unemployed and to 
experience  poverty,  because  of  reduced  job  opportunities  and  earnings.  Poor  education  and 
health  also  have  an  important  economic  and  labour  market  impact  as  they  hinder  the 
employment growth and lead to a lower-quality and less-productive workforce.  

The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and entails a significant 
risk  of  an  increased  poverty  or  social  exclusion  rate.  It  has  created  socio-economic  risks 
for women and vulnerable groups such as single parents, children and the elderly, the persons 
with  disabilities,  migrants,  minorities,  younger  and  precarious  workers  and  people  living  in 
areas and households with limited or no digital connectivity. Low and middle-income groups 
have a higher probability of income loss due to increasing unemployment and fewer telework 
possibilities.  The  impact  on  the  disposable  income  of  households  is  expected  to  drive  up 
inequalities and may lead to new categories of households being at risk of poverty or social 
exclusion.  School  closures  resulted  in  children  missing  out  a  reliable  source  of  nutrition,  as 
many children were deprived of school meals. Widespread digitalisation mitigated to a certain 
degree  the  education  loss  caused  by  school-closures,  but  many  children  lacked  good  home-
learning environments e.g. due to the lack of necessary equipment, a poor internet connection, 
or lack of support in school work. COVID‐ 19 and social distancing measures also affected 
formal care arrangements, education, and leisure services.  

There  is  consensus  in  the  EU  on  the  importance  of  guaranteeing  effective  and  non-
discriminatory  access  to  quality  key  services  for  children  who  face  various  forms  of 
disadvantage.  In its Resolution of 24 November 201510, and as confirmed in its Resolution 
on  the  European  Social  Fund  Plus  of  4  April  201911,  the  European  Parliament  called  for  a 
European  Child  Guarantee,  with  a  focus  on  children  in  poverty  and  with  an  emphasis  on 
certain key services. The Parliament also asked the Commission to explore the feasibility of 
such a European Child Guarantee via a multi-annual preparatory action. In its conclusions of 
8  June  2020,  the  Council  likewise  invited  the  Commission  to  deliver  a  proposal  for  a 
European Child Guarantee.  In its Special Report 20/2020  on child poverty  of 29 September 
202012,  the  European  Court  of  Auditors  highlighted  that  a  better  targeting  of  Commission 
support  to  the  Member  States  actions  is  needed  to  combat  child  poverty.  Reacting  to  this 
report, the Council called on the Commission to include actions and objectives to tackle child 
poverty  in  its  future  initiatives,  including  as  part  of  the  European  Semester  economic 
coordination process. On 11 March 2021, the European Parliament  adopted a Resolution on 
children’s rights in view of the EU Strategy on the rights of the child13, in which it calls on the 
Commission to present its proposal for establishing the European Child Guarantee in the first 

10

European  Parliament  resolution  of  24  November  2015  on  reducing  inequalities  with  a  special  focus  on  child  poverty 

(2014/2237(INI)). 
11

European Parliament legislative resolution of 4 April 2019 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the 

Council on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), (COM(2018)0382 – C8-0232/2018 – 2018/0206(COD)). 
12

Special  Report  20/2020:  ‘Combatting  child  poverty  –  Better  targeting  of  Commission  support  required’,  European  Court  of 

Auditors, 2020.  
13

European  Parliament  resolution  of  11  March  2021  on  children’s  rights  in  view  of  the  EU  Strategy  on  the  rights  of  the  child 

(2021/2523(RSP)). 

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quarter of 2021, and calls on the Member States to speed up its implementation and to invest 
all  possible  resources,  including  EU  funds.  The  European  Parliament  also  highlighted  that 
Member States should establish multi-annual national strategies for tackling child poverty and 
social exclusion and the European Child Guarantee national action plans. 

No child should be left behind. The demographic trends and skills shortages, highlighted in 
the Commission’s Report on the impact of demographic change adopted on 17 June 202014, 
make  it  indispensable  to  foster  the  potential  of  the  young  generations,  regardless  of  their 
socio-economic  background.  While  the  EU  experiences  one  of  the  highest  levels  of  social 
inclusion and cohesion in the world15, a decisive policy action is needed to support children in 
more  difficult  circumstances  and  who  may  face  barriers  due  to  different  forms  of 
disadvantages. Therefore, the European Child Guarantee puts focus on supporting children in 
need.  

The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  provides  the  framework  for  EU  and  national 
action  for  fair  and  well-functioning  labour  markets  and  social  protection  and 
inclusion16.  The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  Action  Plan17  strives  for  further 
improvements in living standards, working conditions and equal opportunities for all, thereby 
ensuring fairness, resilience and upward social convergence. The Action Plan provides a new 
impetus to address poverty or social exclusion in the EU. It sets the target to reduce by at 
least 15 million the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and out of 
this  at  least  5  million  should  be  children.  The  revised  Social  Scoreboard  will  track 
performance and trends in the Member States, enabling the Commission to monitor progress 
towards the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights as part of 
the well-established policy coordination framework in the context of the European Semester. 

The  objective  of  the  European  Child  Guarantee  is  to  prevent  and  combat  social 
exclusion by guaranteeing the access of children in need to a set of key services. In doing 
so,  the  initiative  will  contribute  to  fostering  equal  opportunities  for  children  in  need  and 
combating child poverty.  

To achieve this objective, and on the basis of extensive consultation process, the proposal:  

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recommends  Member  States  to  target  support  measures  at  children  in  need, 
understood as persons under the age of 18 years who are at risk of poverty or social 
exclusion;  

when identifying children in need and within this group, recommends Member States 
to take into account, wherever appropriate, specific forms of a disadvantage, such as 
the  needs  of:  (i)  homeless  children  or  children  experiencing  severe  housing 
deprivation; (ii) children with a disability; (iii) children with a migrant background; 
(iv)  children  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background  (particularly  Roma);  (v) 
children in  alternative  (especially institutional) care;  and  (vi) children in  precarious 
family situations;  

Report on the Impact of Demographic Change, European Commission, 2020.  

15

For instance, overall income inequality, as measured by the S80/S20 ratio, amounted in 2018 to 8.4 for the US but only 5.05 for 
the EU-27, with other leading economies either lacking recent and reliable data (China estimate for 2011 was 28.3), or being above the EU 
level (UK 5.6, Japan 6.2). Despite a slightly lower overall Human Development Index (0.920 for the US vs 0.894 for the EU-27 in 2019), an 
average European lives 2.4 years longer than an average American (life expectancies being respectively 80.9 and 78.5 years in 2018). 
16

In particular principle 1 ‘Education, training and lifelong learning’, principle 3 ‘Equal opportunities’, principle 11 ‘Childcare and 
support to children’, principle 14 ‘Minimum income’, principle 16 ‘Healthcare’, principle 17 ‘Inclusion of people with disabilities’, principle 
19 ‘Housing and assistance for the homeless’ and principle 20 ‘Essential services’.   
17
and the Committee of the Regions ‘The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan’, COM(2021)102 final. 

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

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– 

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– 

– 

– 

calls on Member States to guarantee for children in need effective and free access to 
early childhood  education and care,  education (including school-based  activities), a 
healthy meal each school day and healthcare; making certain services cost-free is one 
of the ways of increasing effectiveness of access; 

calls on Member States to guarantee for children in need effective access to healthy 
nutrition and adequate housing; 

provides  guidance  to  Member  States  on  how  guaranteeing  access  to  these  services 
could be supported by corresponding measures; 

establishes governance and reporting mechanisms; 

provides for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation arrangements. 

The proposal recognises that addressing the drivers of social exclusion of children is a multi-
dimensional  challenge.  The  European  Child  Guarantee  itself  will  be  effective  only  within  a 
broader set of integrated measures, as outlined in the action European Pillar of Social Rights 
Action Plan, and within a broader policy framework of the EU strategy on the Rights of the 
Child, to which this proposal also contributes. To this effect, the proposal recommends that 
Member  States  build  a  supportive  enabling  policy  framework  by:  (i)  ensuring  that  relevant 
policies  are  consistent  with  one  another  and  improving  their  relevance  for  supporting 
children;  (ii)  investing  in  adequate  education,  health  and  social  protection  systems;  (iii) 
providing labour market integration measures for parents or guardians and income support for 
families and children; (iv) addressing the territorial dimension of social exclusion, including 
in distinctive urban, rural and remote areas; (v) strengthening cooperation and involvement of 
various stakeholders; (vi) avoiding discrimination and stigmatisation of children in need; (vii) 
supporting  strategic  investments  in    children  and  services,  including  enabling  infrastructure 
and qualified workforce; and (viii) allocate adequate resources and making optimal use of the 
EU funding. 

Union  funds  are  available  to  support  measures  addressing  child  poverty  and  social 
exclusion and the implementation of the European Child Guarantee. Within the European 
Social Fund Plus (ESF+), for the 2021-2027 financing period, Member States that have a rate 
of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion higher than the EU average (in 2017-2019) 
will have to earmark 5% of the ESF+ for combatting child poverty or social exclusion, while 
other  Member  States  will  be  required  to  earmark  an  appropriate  amount.  The  European 
Regional  Development  Fund  will  contribute  as  well  with  future-proof  investments  in  social 
infrastructure,  equipment  and  access  to  quality  and  mainstream  services,  as  well  as  with 
cooperation projects in border regions.  

The  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  will  provide  an  opportunity  to  strengthen  the  growth 
potential, job creation and economic, social and institutional resilience of the Member States, 
including  through  the  promotion  of  policies  for  children  and  the  youth,  and  to  mitigate  the 
economic and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis, contributing to the implementation of the 
European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights,  and  enhancing  economic,  social  and  territorial  cohesion.   
The  Technical  Support  Instrument  can  support  Member  States  in  the  design  and 
implementation of their reforms aimed at addressing educational, social, economic and legal 
inequalities and challenges affecting children.  

Member  States  will  also  continue  benefitting  from  the  2017  –  2023  EU  milk,  fruits  and 
vegetable scheme18. In 2023, the Commission will propose a revision of the scheme to make 

18

Regulation  (EU)  No  1308/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  17  December  2013  establishing  a  common 
organisation  of  the  markets  in  agricultural  products  and  repealing  Council  Regulations  (EEC)  No  922/72,  (EEC)  No  234/79,  (EC)  No 
1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007, OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671–854. 

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healthy products more available to children and improve their understanding of the benefits of 
healthy and sustainable food. 

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The  2013  Commission  Recommendation  Investing  in  Children:  breaking  the  cycle  of 
disadvantage19 set  out  an integrated approach to  reducing child poverty or social  exclusion 
and improving child wellbeing. The Recommendation focused on the three strands: (i) access 
to adequate resources; (ii) ensuring access to affordable quality services; and (iii) upholding 
children’s  rights  to  participate  in  play,  recreation,  sport  and  cultural  activities,  as  well  as  in 
decision-making  that  affects  their  lives.  This  proposal  complements  the  existing  policies  in 
the area of combating social exclusion of children, builds on the experience and lessons learnt 
from  the  implementation  of  the  Investing  in  Children  Recommendation  and  reinforces  its 
second strand by prioritising access to key services for children in need.  

The  European  Semester  economic  and  employment  coordination  process,  supported  by  the 
Social Scoreboard20, has highlighted the challenge of child poverty or social exclusion, with a 
number  of  Member  States  receiving  related  country  specific  recommendations21.  The 
Employment  Guidelines22  underline  the  importance  of  ensuring  the  access  of  everyone, 
including children, to certain services, such as early childhood education and care, education 
and  healthcare,  with  such  access  serving  as  a  necessary  condition  for  ensuring  equal 
opportunities.  

In the 2014-2020 financing period, European Structural and Investment  Funds (in particular 
the  European  Social  Fund,  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  and  the  Fund  for 
European Aid to the Most Deprived) supported a number of policy areas relevant for children, 
including  tackling  child  poverty  or  social  exclusion,  quality  mainstream  education  and  care 
services, as well as healthy and nutritious food and material assistance to deprived children.  

In  2017-2020,  the  Structural  Reform  Support  Programme  provided  technical  support  to 
implement  Member  States’  reforms  aimed  at:    (i)  increasing  the  quality  of  early  childhood 
education and care and preventing early school leaving; (ii) making education systems more 
inclusive; (iii) supporting deinstitutionalisation of children; (iv) improving access to services 
for  children  with  disabilities;  (v)  fostering  social  integration  of  migrant  and  ethnic  minority 
children; (vi) increasing the child-friendliness of national justice systems; and (vii) reviewing 
family protection legislation, to meet the evolving needs of all types of families.  

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

The  proposal  is  complementary  to  and  consistent  with  a  number  of  other  EU  initiatives.  It 
represents a concrete deliverable of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and 
will  contribute  to  achieving  its  headline  target  of  reducing  the  number  of  people  at  risk  of 
poverty  or  social  exclusion.  Increasing  labour  market  participation  of  underrepresented 
groups,  including  women,  will  also  contribute  to  tackling  poverty;  the  European  Pillar  of 
Social Rights Action Plan sets a headline target of achieving an employment rate of 78% and 
puts  forward  a  complementary  ambition  to  at  least  halve  the  gender  employment  gap,  by 
2030.      

19 
L 59, 2.3.2013, p. 5. 
20 
21

Commission Recommendation 2013/112/EU of 20 February 2013 ‘Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’, OJ 

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/european-pillar-of-social-rights/indicators/social-scoreboard-indicators. 

Country-specific recommendations address a broad range of issues relevant to child poverty, such as income support, inclusive 

education, access to early childhood education and care, access to healthcare and homelessness. 
22

Council  Decision  (EU)  2020/1512  of  13  October  2020  on  guidelines  for  the  employment  policies  of  the Member  States,  OJ  L 

344, 19.10.2020, p. 22–28. 

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The proposal complements the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child adopted at the same 
time,  which  pools  all  existing  and  future  initiatives  on  children’s  rights  under  one  coherent 
policy  framework,  and  makes  concrete  recommendations  for  both  the  internal  and  external 
EU action. It outlines the Commission’s work in the following fields: (i) child participation in 
the  EU’s  political  and  democratic  life;  (ii)  socio-economic  inclusion,  education  and  health; 
(iii)  prevention  and  protection  from  all  forms  of  violence  and  discrimination;  (iv)  child 
friendly justice; (v) children in the digital age; and (vi) the global dimension of the rights of 
the  child.  The  section  on  socio-economic  inclusion  is  aligned  with  the  European  Child 
Guarantee.  

On  22  May  2019,  the  Council  adopted  a  Recommendation  on  High-Quality  Early 
Childhood Education and Care Systems23, with the aim to support Member States in their 
efforts to improve access to and quality of their early childhood education and care.  On 30 
September 2020, the Commission adopted a Communication entitled ‘Achieving a European 
Education  Area  by  2025’24  where  inclusion  and  gender  equality  constitute  one  of  the  six 
dimensions  to  be  consolidated.  Based  on  that  Communication,  on  19  February  2021,  the 
Council  adopted  a  Resolution  on  a  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in 
education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030)25 
and agreed on an EU-level target that at least 96% of children between 3 years and the starting 
age  for  compulsory  primary  education  should  participate  in  early  childhood  education  and 
care. The Resolution also foresees to improving quality, equity, inclusion and success for all 
in education and training. Member States agreed that the share of early leavers from education 
and training should be less than 9% by 2030. 

On  30  September  2020,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  entitled  ‘Digital 
Education  Action  Plan  2021-2027:  Resetting  education  and  training  for  the  digital 
age’26,  which  presents  an  ambitious  vision  for  digital  education  in  a  lifelong  learning 
perspective with the inclusion of all learners across all ages at its core.   
On 5 March 2020, the Commission adopted its Gender Equality Strategy 2020-202527. The 
strategy aims to counter gender stereotypes affecting the wellbeing and opportunities of girls 
and  boys  in  all  their  diversity  from  an  early  age.  It  also  announces,  as  confirmed  by  the 
European Pillar of Social  Rights  Action Plan, that in  2022 the Commission will present  the 
revision of the Barcelona targets28 for participation in early childhood education and care. The 
Strategy  also  promotes  women’s  economic  empowerment  and  the  equal  sharing  of  unpaid 
care  work,  including  caring  for  children,  between  women  and  men.  As  long  as  women 
continue to carry a disproportionate responsibility for bringing up children, the objectives of 
gender equality and children’s social inclusion will continue to be closely interconnected.  

23
4–14. 
24  

Council Recommendation of 22 May 2019 on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems, OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, p. 

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions ‘Achieving the European Education area by 2025’, COM(2020)625 final. 
Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education 

25
Area and beyond (2021-2030), OJ C 66, 26.2.2021, p. 1-21. 
26

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  ‘Digital  Education  Action  Plan  2021-2027:  Resetting  education  and  training  for  the  digital  age’, 
COM(2020) 624 final. 
27

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

and the Committee of the Regions ‘A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-202’, COM(2020) 152 final.  
28

The Barcelona targets were agreed in 2002 by the Barcelona European Council. They say that 33% of children under three, and 

90% of children between three years old and the mandatory school age should be enrolled in childcare.  

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7 

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On  19  September  2020,  the  Commission  adopted  the  EU  anti-racism  action  plan  2020  - 
202529. The action plan envisages combating racism through policy and funding programmes 
in  the  areas  of  employment,  housing  and  access  to  healthcare  and  education.  It  promotes 
actions to ensure that children with a minority racial or ethnic background have equal access 
to  education  and  that  teachers  are  trained  to  work  with  all  children  and  be  sensitive  to  the 
needs  of  pupils  from  different  backgrounds.  It  also  envisages  a  Commission  report  on  the 
application  of  the  EU  Racial  Equality  Directive,  which  prohibits  discrimination  based  on 
ethnic or racial origin, including discrimination  of Roma children, in different  areas such as 
education and social protection.   

On  7  October  2020,  the  Commission  adopted  the  EU  Roma  strategic  framework  for 
equality, inclusion and participation30. It consists of a Communication and a proposal for a 
Council Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation, adopted by the 
Council on 12 March 202131. The Recommendation calls on Member States to fight multiple 
and structural discrimination against Roma, in particular against Roma children, and to take 
stronger measures  that support Roma children and their families in  the interrelated fields  of 
employment,  social  services,  quality,  inclusive  mainstream  education  and  early  childhood 
education  and  care,  health,  housing  and  access  to  essential  services,  nutrition  and  access  to 
leisure activities.  

On  14  October  2020,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  entitled  ‘A  Renovation 
Wave  for  Europe  -  greening  our  buildings,  creating  jobs,  improving  lives’32.  The 
initiative  is  based  on  the  principle  of  affordability  of  the  renovated  housing  and  its 
accessibility,  thus  contributing  to  the  goal  of  guaranteeing  adequate  housing  to  children  in 
need, especially through the Commission Recommendation on Energy Poverty33.  

On 1 July 2020, the Commission  adopted a package  ‘The Youth  Employment Support: a 
bridge  to  jobs  for  the  next  generation’34  to  support  young  people  who  are  entering  the 
labour  market.  One  of  the  building  blocks  of  the  package  was  a  proposal  for  a  Council 
Recommendation    ‘A  Bridge  to  Jobs  –  Reinforcing  the  Youth  Guarantee’35,    which  was 
adopted  by  the  Council  on  30  October  2020.  The  Recommendation  aims  to  ensure  that  all 
young  people  under  the  age  of  30  receive  a  good  quality  offer  of  employment,  continued 
education,  an  apprenticeship  or  a  traineeship  within  4  months  of  becoming  unemployed  or 
leaving formal education.   

On  12  November  2020,  the  Commission  adopted  the  LGBTIQ  Equality  Strategy  2020-
202536,  which  presents  measures  to  promote  inclusion  and  combat  discrimination  against 
LGBTIQ persons and their families, including children.  

29

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

and the Committee of the Regions ‘A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025’, COM(2020) 565 final.  
30

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  ‘A  Union  of  Equality:  EU  Roma  strategic 

framework for equality, inclusion and participation’, COM(2020) 620 final. 
31 
32

Council Recommendation of 12 March 2021 on Roma equality, inclusion and participation, 2021/C 93/01. 

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions ‘A Renovation Wave for Europe  - greening our buildings, creating jobs, improving lives’, COM(2020) 
662 final. 
33   
34

Commission Recommendation (EU) 2020/1563 of 14 October 2020 on ‘Energy poverty’, OJ L 357, 27.10.2020, p. 35–41. 

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

and the Committee of the Regions ‘Youth Employment Support: a Bridge to Jobs for the Next Generation’, COM/2020/276 final. 
35
Recommendation of 22 April 2013 on establishing a Youth Guarantee’ 2020/C 372/01, OJ C 372, 4.11.2020, p. 1–9.  
36

Council Recommendation of 30 October 2020 ‘A Bridge to Jobs  – Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee and replacing the Council 

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

and the Committee of the Regions ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025, COM/2020/698 final. 

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On  24  November  2020,  the  Commission  adopted  an  action  plan  on  integration  and 
inclusion  2021-202737,  which  covers  migrants  and  EU  citizens  with  a  migrant  background. 
The  action  plan  focuses  on  the  enabling  factors  essential  for  a  successful  integration  and 
inclusion:  education  and  training,  employment  and  skills,  and  health  and  housing.  It  pays 
particular attention to children of migrants and EU citizens with a migrant background. 

On  3  February  2021,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Communication  entitled  ‘The  Europe’s 
Beating  Cancer  Plan’38,  putting  childhood  cancer  under  the  spotlight.  One  of  the  flagship 
initiatives of the plan is to launch the ‘Helping Children with Cancer Initiative’ to ensure that 
children have access to rapid and optimal detection, diagnosis, treatment and care.   
The EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-203039 aims to improve 
the lives of persons with disabilities in the coming decade, in the EU and beyond. The strategy 
also adopts an intersectional perspective to the needs of children with disabilities. 

Several  Commission  initiatives  have  already  addressed  the  wider  policy  context  and  main 
drivers of social exclusion of children, in particular the labour market participation of parents 
and guardians. These initiatives are: the Commission Recommendation on the active inclusion 
of people excluded from the labour market40; the Council Recommendation on the integration 
of the long-term unemployed into the labour market41; the Directive on work-life balance for 
parents  and carers42;  the Council Recommendation on access  to  social  protection43;  the new 
Skills  Agenda44;  the  European  instrument  for  temporary  support  to  mitigate  unemployment 
risks  in  an  emergency  (SURE)45,  and  the  Commission  proposal  for  a  directive  on  adequate 
minimum wages46.  

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

Under  Article  151  TFEU,  the  objectives  of  the  Union  and  the  Member  States  include  the 
promotion  of  improved  living  conditions,  proper  social  protection,  and  the  development  of 
human  resources,  with  a  view  to  lasting  high  employment  and  the  combating  of  exclusion. 
Improving equality of opportunities for all children living in the EU contributes to reaching 
those  objectives.  Under  Article  153  (1)(j)  TFEU,  the  Union  supports  and  complements  the 

37

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

and the Committee of the Regions ‘Action plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027’, COM(2020) 758 final. 
38

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council ‘Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’, COM(2021) 44 

final. 
39

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  ‘Union  of  Equality:  Strategy  for  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  2021-2030’,  COM(2021)  101 
final. 
40 

Commission  Recommendation  of  3  October  2008  on  the  active  inclusion  of  people  excluded  from  the  labour,  OJ  L  307, 

18.11.2008, p. 11–14. 
41

Council recommendation of 15 February 2016 on the integration of the long-term unemployed into the labour market, OJ C 67, 

20.2.2016, p. 1–5. 
42

Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and 

carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU, (OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 79-93). 
43

Council Recommendation of 8 November 2019 on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed 2019/C 387/01, 

(OJ C 387, 15.11.2019), p. 1–8. 
44

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 
and the Committee of the Regions ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’, COM(2020)274. 
45 
mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) following the COVID-19 outbreak, OJ L 159, 20.5.2020, p. 1–7. 
46

Council  Regulation  (EU)  2020/672  of  19  May  2020  on  the  establishment  of  a  European  instrument  for  temporary  support  to 

Proposal  for  a  Directive  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  adequate  minimum  wages  in  the  European  Union, 

COM(2020) 682 final. 

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activities  of  the  Member  States  in  the  field  of  combatting  social  exclusion,  with  a  view  to 
achieving the objectives of Article 151. 

The proposal is based on Article 292 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 
(TFEU),  under  which  the  Council  adopts  recommendations  on  a  proposal  from  the 
Commission, in conjunction with Article 153(1)(j) and Article 153(2) TFEU.  

The  proposal  will  contribute  to  the  objectives  of  the  Treaty  on  European  Union,  notably  to 
combating social exclusion and discrimination, and protecting the rights of the child (Article 3 
of the Treaty).  

The proposal will also contribute to implementing the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the 
EU,  and  particularly  to  its  Article  24,  which  recognises  that  children  have  the  right  to 
protection and care as is necessary for their well-being, and Article 33, which stipulates that 
the family must enjoy legal, economic and social protection. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

While policies addressing child social exclusion are the responsibility of the Member States, 
the Union has the competence to support and complement Member States’ actions.  

The  proposal  ensures  the  added  value  of  action  at  the  EU  level.  It  will  uphold  a  political 
commitment to advance on equal opportunities for all children, and in particular for children 
in need, and will support upward social convergence of Member States.  

The  added  value  of  EU-level  action  is  becoming  even  greater  in  view  of  the  challenges 
associated  with  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  as  its  socio-economic  impacts  are  likely  to 
disproportionately affect children in need. The European Child Guarantee will help mitigate 
some  of  the  negative  effects  of  the  pandemic  by  ensuring  that  children  in  need  have  full 
access to key services.  

While respecting the Member States’ competences, the proposal gives concrete content to this 
ambition  in  particular  by  capitalising  on  8  years  of  the  implementation  of  the  Investing  in 
Children Recommendation. A focused EU intervention to reduce the gap between children in 
need and their better off peers in terms of access to key services will ultimately contribute to 
ensuring  equal  opportunities  for  children  in  the  EU,  while  avoiding  the  high  economic  and 
societal  costs  of  child  social  exclusion  and 
transmission  of 
disadvantages.  

intergenerational 

the 

The proposal will also help Member States to make best use of the EU and national funding in 
order to address social exclusion of children. The Commission strongly encourages Member 
States to address child social exclusion as a matter of priority.  

• 

Proportionality 

The proposal complements Member States’ efforts in the area of addressing social exclusion 
of  children.  It  respects  Member  States’  practices  and  the  diversity  of  systems.  It  recognises 
that  different  national,  regional  or  local  situations  could  lead  to  differences  in  how  the 
Recommendation  is  implemented.  This  will  allow  Member  States  to  make  use  of  the 
Recommendation according to their specific context.  

Proportionality also played a key role in guiding the choice of the instrument.  

• 

Choice of the instrument 

The instrument is a proposal for a Council recommendation, which abides by the principles of 
subsidiarity and proportionality. It builds on the existing body of the European Union law and 
is  in  line  with  the  type  of  instruments  available  for  European  Union  actions  in  the  area  of 

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10 

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social policy. As a legal instrument, the proposal signals the Member States’ commitment to 
the  measures  laid  down  in  this  Recommendation  and  provides  a  strong  political  basis  for 
cooperation  at  European  level  in  this  area,  while  fully  respecting  the  remit  of  the  Member 
States.  

3. 

• 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EVALUATIONS, 

POST 

EX 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

In 2017, when presenting the European Pillar of Social Rights, the Commission took stock of 
4  years  of  the  implementation  of  the  Investing  in  Children  Recommendation47.  The 
assessment  was  complemented  by  a  study  by  experts  from  the  European  Social  Policy 
Network  entitled  ‘Progress  across  Europe  in  the  implementation  of  the  2013  EU 
recommendation  on  Investing  in  children:  Breaking  the  cycle  of  disadvantage.  A  study  of 
national policies’48.  

The Commission assessment reviewed progress achieved, both in general policy terms and for 
each  of  the  three  strands.  It  also  examined  the  impact  on  policy-making  for  children  and 
families, including a number of good practices and practical examples of actions taken. 

The assessment concluded that the full implementation of the Recommendation was still work 
in progress. Although the Recommendation received strong support both at national and EU 
level,  including  from  the  European  Parliament  and  civil  society,  it  was  still  neither  well-
known nor properly used within the Member States at the local level, where concrete policy 
mechanisms have to be developed and implemented. However, the  assessment did highlight 
that  the  Recommendation  inspired  a  number  of  projects  with  positive  impact.  It  was,  to 
various degrees, successfully used as a policy lever in the European Semester, contributing to 
relevant  country-specific  recommendations  to  Member  States  on  topics  ranging  from  early 
childhood education and care services and income support to inclusive education. It also had 
an  impact  on  preparation  and  implementation  of  the  2014-2020  European  Structural  and 
Investment Funds’ programmes49. 

The  assessment  highlighted  that  most  Member  States  agreed  that  only  a  comprehensive 
integrated  approach  would  be  an  effective  strategy  capable  of  breaking  the  cycle  of 
disadvantage.  Member  States  identified  this  renewed  focus  and  the  need  to  improve 
cooperation between all stakeholders at local level as a challenge. Most Member States agreed 
that it is socially fair and economically sound to invest more in children during the early years 
and  that  the  provision  of  high-quality  early  childhood  education  and  care  is  the  key 
component.  

Finally, in terms of achievements, the assessment found out that the Recommendation’s first 
two strands, on access to income and services, were instrumental in bringing about concrete 
policy changes and developing projects.  

In addition, the study by the European Social Policy Network concluded that the improvement 
in  the  Member  States  on  access  to  affordable  quality  services  was  insufficient  and  uneven. 
The least progress has been made in the areas of access to housing, healthcare and education. 

47

48

Taking stock of the 2013 Recommendation ‘Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’, SWD(2017) 258 final. 

Progress across Europe in the implementation of the 2013 EU recommendation on ‘Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of 

disadvantage’, a study of national policies, European Commission, 2017.   
49

In  the  2014  –  2020  programming  period,  25.6%  of  the  total  ESF  allocation  of  EUR  86.4  billion  was  earmarked  for  social 
inclusion measures. Under the ERDF, EUR 24.1 billion was allocated to inclusive growth priorities, including to promote social inclusion, 
combating poverty and investment in education facilities. 

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Lessons learnt from the implementation of the Investing in Children Recommendation and the 
findings  of  the  European  Court  of  Auditors  underline  that  combating  social  exclusion  of 
children effectively requires reinforced efforts to better target the EU funding support in the 
Member States.   

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

The  Commission  carried  out  a  targeted  consultation  between  July  and  November  2020 
through on-line questionnaires, focus groups and dedicated hearings, which involved Member 
States through the Council’s Social Protection Committee, the European Economic and Social 
Committee,  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  the  European  social  partners,  civil  society 
organisations  and  children  themselves.  This  proposal  reflects  to  a  large  degree  the 
stakeholders’ views gathered during the consultations. 

A majority of the respondents to the targeted consultation emphasised that the EU has a major 
role  to  play  in  supporting  national,  regional  and  local  authorities  in  coordinated  efforts  to 
improve  the  situation  of  children  in  need.  The  stakeholders  welcomed  an  initiative  on  a 
European  Child  Guarantee  and  stressed  the  importance  of  ensuring  access  to  free  early 
childhood education  and care,  free  education,  free healthcare,  adequate housing and  healthy 
nutrition,  and  of  ensuring  play  and  recreational  activities  for  children.  The  majority  of 
consulted stakeholders were in favour of proposing a Council recommendation on a European 
Child  Guarantee.  Stakeholders  also  stressed  the  importance  of  including  specific  groups  of 
children  in  the  target  group  of  the  Child  Guarantee.  They  highlighted  the  importance  of 
developing and implementing integrated strategies in  fighting social exclusion and breaking 
the  cycle  of  disadvantage,  focusing  not  only  on  children’s  needs,  but  supporting  entire 
families.  

The  proposal  benefits  also  from  the  wide  consultation  process  with  children  where  10.000 
children took part. The outcome called for the European Child Guarantee to focus on concrete 
and effective measures  to  ensure  equal  treatment of all children, with  particular attention to 
children in vulnerable situations, and equal access to quality and affordable education for all 
children, from early childhood education and care to secondary education. 

The  summary  of  the  results  of  the  stakeholder  consultations  is  attached  to  the  Commission 
staff working document accompanying this proposal.  

• 

Collection and use of expertise 

The  proposal  is  grounded  in  the  Commission’s  staff  working  document  taking  stock  of  the 
implementation  of  the  Investing  in  Children  Recommendation,  the  European  Court  of 
Auditors  special  report  on  child  poverty  and  the  expertise  collected  via  a  multi-annual 
preparatory action requested by the European Parliament, in particular the ‘Feasibility study 
for  a  Child  Guarantee’50  and  the  ‘Study  on  the  economic  implementing  framework  of  a 
possible EU Child Guarantee Scheme including its financial foundation’.51 

The purpose of the feasibility study for a Child Guarantee was to clarify the potential scope of 
a European Child Guarantee and analyse conditions for implementing it, and to assess its EU 
added  value.  The  study  focused  on  four  specific  groups  of  socially  vulnerable  children: 
children  in  residential  care,  children  with  disabilities,  children  with  a  migrant  background 
(including  refugee  children)  and children living in a precarious family situation.  It analysed 

50

51

‘Feasibility Study for a Child Guarantee, Final Report’, European Commission, 2020. 

‘Study on the economic implementing framework of a possible EU Child Guarantee Scheme including its financial foundation, 

Final Report’, European Commission 2020.  

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12 

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the feasibility of guaranteeing them access to 5 key services: free healthcare, free education, 
free early childhood education and care, adequate housing and healthy nutrition.   

The  study  concluded  that  the  access  of  the  above  categories  of  children  to  the  5  services 
indeed needs to be improved. Lack of access may have short- and long-term consequences for 
children themselves, but also for society. Mainstream services need to be inclusive to ensure 
that children in need benefit fully and avoid stigma and segregation. Although ensuring access 
to the services would be an important part of tackling child social exclusion, it would need to 
be placed within a broader approach, as set out in the Investing in Children Recommendation, 
and  within  an  enabling  social  policy  framework.  Finally,  EU  funds  have  considerable 
potential to play a more effective and strategic role in supporting access to the services. 

The  ‘Study  on  the  economic  implementing  framework  of  a  possible  EU  Child  Guarantee 
scheme including  its  financial foundation’, complementary to the  feasibility study, explored 
what  could  be  the  cost  and  benefits  for  the  competent  authorities  of  guaranteeing  that  all 
children in need have indiscriminatory access to the 5 services covered by the European Child 
Guarantee. The study concluded that benefits will have both a short-term impact on children’s 
lives and a long-term impact on children’s prospects as adults, on society and on future public 
expenditures. The study showed that the costs associated with providing children in need with 
free school meals, free quality early childhood education and care and removing  school costs 
are relatively low, and are especially low in the light of the potentially high benefits that the 
actions can bring. 

Finally,  the  Commission,  at  the  request  of  the  European  Parliament  and  in  partnership  with 
UNICEF, is running pilot projects in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, and Italy to test these actions 
on the ground, and is researching the policy frameworks in  Germany, Lithuania, and Spain. 
This  will  provide  a  valuable  input  to  the  implementation  phase  of  the  proposed 
recommendation. 

• 

Impact assessment 

The instrument proposed – a Council recommendation – offers guidance on how to implement 
the  European  Child  Guarantee,  while  also  allowing  Member  States  the  flexibility  to  design 
and  implement  measures,  according  to  their  national  practices.  Consequently,  no  impact 
assessment is needed.  

The  impact  of  the  Recommendation  will  not  only  depend  on  how  the  Member  States 
implement  the  measures.  Country-specific  circumstances,  such  as  the  macroeconomic 
situation, the design of the social protection systems and social services and the functioning of 
the labour market are also important, and make it difficult to disentangle the specific impact 
of the proposal from other factors. 

The  accompanying  staff  working  document  includes  an  overview  of  the  most  important 
challenges with regard to social exclusion of children, as well as gaps preventing equal access 
of  children  in  need  to  the  relevant  services.  It  also  includes  a  preliminary  analysis  of  the 
Recommendation’s effectiveness and potential impacts.  

The  analysis  used  a  combination  of  internal  and  external  expertise.  It  also  originates  from 
numerous  monitoring  and peer learning  activities and the  feedback  received during targeted 
consultations. Together, these contributions translated into measures detailed in the proposal.    

In  addition,  a  better  collection  of  data  at  EU  level  is  proposed  in  order  to  improve  a  close 
monitoring of actions in the Member States. A specific provision is included in the proposal 
to review the Recommendation after an initial period of implementation. 

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• 

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

Not applicable. 

• 

Fundamental rights 

The  European  Child  Guarantee  will  contribute  to  safeguarding  the  right  of  children  to 
protection  and  care  necessary  for  their  well-being  and  to  the  legal,  economic  and  social 
protection of the family  (Article 24 and 33 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU). 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

This proposal has no financial implications for the EU budget.  

5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

It  is  proposed  that  the  Commission  monitors  the  Recommendation’s  implementation  in  the 
context  of  the  European  Semester,  supported  by  the  revised  Social  Scoreboard,  including  a 
new headline indicator on children at risk of poverty or social exclusion.  

The  proposal  recommends  that  Member  States  nominate  a  national  Child  Guarantee 
Coordinator, equipped with adequate resources and mandate, who will effectively coordinate 
and monitor the implementation of the Recommendation and act as a contact person for the 
Commission. The Commission will work jointly with the Child Guarantee Coordinators and 
the  Social  Protection  Committee  to  facilitate  mutual  learning  (e.g.  through  peer  reviews  or 
peer  counselling), share  experiences, exchange  good practice and follow  up on the Member 
States’ actions taken to implement the European Child Guarantee.  

The  Commission  will  regularly  report  to  the  Social  Protection  Committee  on  the 
implementation  of  the  Recommendation  on  the  basis  of  the  biennial  reports  from  Member 
States.  

The  Commission  also  will  engage  with  the  Social  Protection  Committee  in  establishing  a 
common  monitoring  framework,  including  quantitative  and  qualitative  indicators,  to  assess 
the  implementation  of  this  Recommendation.  The  Commission  and  the  Social  Protection 
Committee will also work together towards enhancing the availability, scope and relevance of 
pertinent data at EU level.  

Finally,  after  an  initial  period  of  its  implementation,  the  Commission  will  take  stock  of 
progress made in the implementation of the Recommendation and report to the Council by 5 
years after the adoption. 

• 

Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal 

§  1-2  define  the  objective  of  the  Recommendation  and  its  personal  scope  (who  are  the 
children the Recommendation addresses).   

§ 3 contains definitions, which are to be applied for the purposes of this proposal. 

§  4-5  are  at  the  core  of  the  Recommendation.  They  invite  Member  States  to  guarantee  for 
children  in  need  effective  and  free  access  to  early  childhood  education  and  care,  education 
and  school-based  activities,  at  least  one  healthy  meal  each  school  day  and  healthcare. 
Furthermore, Member States are invited to guarantee for children in need effective access to 
healthy nutrition and adequate housing. Member States should identify children in need, and 
within this group, take into account specific forms of a disadvantage experienced by children 
in need. 

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§  6  refers  to  the  efforts  Member  States  should  be  making  in  building  an  enabling  policy 
framework  to  address  social  exclusion  and  to  break  intergenerational  cycles  of  poverty  and 
disadvantage, and recommends a number of policy measures to that effect. 

§ 7-10 recommend a set of national measures Member States should put in place in order to 
effectively implement the European Child Guarantee. 

§  11  establishes  governance  and  reporting  mechanisms.  These  include  the  following 
recommendations to the Member States: 

  nominating national Child Guarantee Coordinators who will coordinate and monitor 

the implementation of the Recommendation; 

  involve relevant stakeholders in identifying children in need and barriers they face in 
accessing  and  taking-up  the  services  covered  by  the  Recommendation,  taking  into 
account national, regional and local organisation and circumstances; 

  submitting 

to 

the  Commission  a  national  action  plan 

to 

implement 

the 

Recommendation;  

  performing outreach activities; 

  involving  relevant  stakeholders  in  the  preparation,  implementation,  monitoring  and 

evaluation of the national action plan; 

  reporting regularly to the Commission; 

§  12  establishes  implementation,  monitoring  and  evaluation  mechanisms  and  welcomes  the 
intention of the Commission to: 

  use the European Semester to monitor the implementation of the Recommendation; 

  work jointly with the Social Protection Committee and the national Child Guarantee 

Coordinators; 

  report regularly on progress to the Social Protection Committee; 

  work jointly with  the Social Protection Committee on a monitoring framework and 

relevant indicators; 

  review  the  implementation  of  the  Recommendation  and  report  to  the  Council  by 

5years after the adoption; 

  strengthen  awareness 

raising  and  communication  activities,  and 

increase 

dissemination of results.  

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2021/0070 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

Establishing a European Child Guarantee 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 292, in conjunction with Article 153(2) and Article 153(1)(j) thereof,  

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

Pursuant to  Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union, the Union combats  social 
exclusion  and  discrimination  and  promotes  equality  between  women  and  men  and 
protection of the rights of the child. 

Pursuant to Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), 
in defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union takes into account 
requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of 
adequate  social  protection,  the  fight  against  social  exclusion,  and  a  high  level  of 
education, training and protection of human health. 

Pursuant  to  Article  151  TFEU,  the  Union  and  the  Member  States  have  as  their 
objectives  the  promotion  of  employment,  improved  living  and  working  conditions, 
proper social protection, dialogue between management and labour, the development 
of  human  resources  with  a  view  to  lasting  high  employment  and  the  combating  of 
social exclusion. Pursuant to Article 153(1), point (j) TFEU, with a view to achieving 
those  objectives,  the  Union  supports  and  complements  the  activities  of  the  Member 
States in the field of combating social exclusion. 

Article  24  of  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  European  Union  recognises 
that children have the right to such protection and care as is necessary for their well-
being,  and  that  child's  best  interests  must  be  a  primary  consideration  in  all  actions 
relating to children, whether taken by public authorities or private institutions. Article 
33 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union stipulates that family 
shall enjoy legal, economic and social protection.  

Article 17 of the Revised European Social Charter, done at Strasbourg on 3 May 1996, 
confirms  the  commitment  to  ensure  that  children  have  the  care,  the  assistance,  the 
education and the training they need.  

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted on 20 November 
1989, which has been ratified by all Member States, stipulates in Articles 18, 24, 27, 
28  and  31  that  State  Parties  recognise  the  right  of  the  child  to  State  assistance,  the 
enjoyment  of  the  highest  attainable  standard  of  health,  access  to  healthcare  services, 
adequate  standard  of  living,  education,  leisure,  recreational  activities,  and  to 
participate fully in cultural and artistic life. 

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(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

Article  7  of  the  United  Nations  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  Persons  with 
Disabilities52,  ratified  by  the  Union  and  all  its  Member  States,  stipulates  that  State 
Parties shall take all necessary measures to ensure the full enjoyment by children with 
disabilities of all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with other 
children. 

Together with its Member States, the Union is fully committed to be a frontrunner in 
implementing  the  United  Nations  2030  Agenda  and  the  Sustainable  Development 
Goals,  including  those  on  eradicating  poverty,  ensuring  healthy  lives  and  promoting 
well-being, and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education. 

In  November  2017,  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Commission 
proclaimed  the  European  Pillar  of Social  Rights,  setting  out  20  principles  to  support 
well‐functioning  and  fair  labour  markets  and  welfare  systems.  Principle  11  provides 
for children’s right to affordable early childhood education and care of good quality, 
protection  from  poverty  and  to  specific  measures  to  enhance  equal  opportunities  of 
children from disadvantaged backgrounds.  

(10)  On  20  February  2013,  the  Commission  adopted  Recommendation  2013/112/EU53 
Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage. That Recommendation sets 
out an integrated approach to reducing child poverty or social exclusion and improving 
child  wellbeing  building  on  three  pillars:  access  to  resources;  access  to  quality 
services; and children’s right to participate.  

(11)  The  European  Parliament,  in  its  Resolution  of  24  November  201554,  called  on  the 
Commission  and  the  Member  States  to  introduce  a  child  guarantee,  with  focus  on 
children  in  poverty  and  their  access  to  services.  The  European  Parliament  further 
called in its Resolution of 11 March 202155 on the Commission to present its proposal 
for  the  European  Child  Guarantee  in  the  first  quarter  of  2021,  and  called  on  the 
Member  States  to  invest  all  possible  resources,  including  EU  funds  to  fight  child 
poverty and social exclusion and to establish child guarantee national action plans. 

(12)  The Joint Declaration entitled ‘Overcoming poverty and social exclusion – mitigating 
the  impact  of  COVID-19  on  families  –  working  together  to  develop  prospects  for 
strong children’, signed in December 2020 by 24 ministers of the Employment, Social 
Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, called for  a European child  guarantee 
based  on  the  joint  principles  and  integrated  approach  of  the  Recommendation 
2013/112/EU  and  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights.  The  ministers  reaffirmed 
that access to free healthcare, free education, affordable early childhood education and 
care, decent housing and adequate nutrition are essential for children at risk of poverty 
or social exclusion.  

(13)  The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  Action  Plan56  provides  for  a  new  impetus  to 
addressing poverty and social exclusion in the Union, in particular by setting the target 

52

Council  Decision  of  26  November  2009  concerning  the  conclusion,  by  the  European  Community,  of  the  United  Nations 

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, OJ L 23, 27.1.2010, p. 35. 
53

Commission Recommendation 2013/112/EU of 20 February 2013 ‘Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’, OJ 

L 59, 2.3.2013, p. 5. 
54

European  Parliament  resolution  of  24  November  2015  on  reducing  inequalities  with  a  special  focus  on  child  poverty 

(2014/2237(INI)).  
55

European  Parliament  resolution  of  11  March  2021  on  children’s  rights  in  view  of  the  EU  Strategy  on  the  rights  of  the  child 

(2021/2523(RSP)).  
56

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

and the Committee of the Regions ‘The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan’, COM(2021)102 final. 

EN 

17 

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with the 2030 horizon to reduce by 15 million the number of people at risk of poverty 
or social exclusion, including at least 5 million children.  

(14)  The  Union  comprehensive  Strategy  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child57  helps  strengthen 
children’s  participation  in  the  society,  protect  vulnerable  children,  including  those  at 
risk of socio-economic exclusion and marginalisation, protect children’s rights online, 
foster  child-friendly  justice  and  prevent  and  fight  violence  against  children.  It  also 
aims  to  combat  discrimination  of  children,  including  on  the  grounds  of  their  sex  or  
sexual orientation – or that of their parents.  

(15)  The  objective  of  this  Recommendation  is  to  prevent  and  combat  social  exclusion  by 
guaranteeing the access of children in need to a set of key services. Children in need 
are persons under the age of 18 years who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion58. 

(16) 

In  order  to  provide  for  effective  access  or  effective  and  free  access  to  key  services, 
Member States – in accordance with national circumstances and approaches – should 
either organise and provide such services or provide adequate benefits so that parents 
or guardians of children in need are in a position to cover for these services. 

(17)  There are close to 18 million children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU. 
One of the main determinants of social exclusion of children is the unequal access to 
key  services,  which  are  essential  for  the  wellbeing  and  the  development  of  social, 
cognitive  and  emotional  skills.  Children  living  in  poverty  or  children  from 
disadvantaged  backgrounds  are  more  likely  to  face  barriers  in  accessing  early 
childhood  education  and  care,  inclusive  education,  healthcare,  healthy  nutrition  and 
adequate housing. They start their lives at a disadvantage, which can have long-term 
implications for their development and future prospects. 

(18)  The intergenerational transmission of social exclusion jeopardises social cohesion over 
generations and generates higher costs to our welfare states, hindering economic and 
social resilience. Improving equal access of children in need to the key services is an 
important means of stepping up efforts to prevent and combat social exclusion. It also 
contributes to fostering equal opportunities for children in need and combatting child 
poverty.  

(19)  Tackling  disadvantage from  early  years is  a cost  effective investment,  also in  a long 
term perspective, as it contributes not only to the inclusion of children and their higher 
socio-economic  outcomes  when  they  are  adults,  but  also  to  the  economy  and  the 
society  through  better  integration  to  the  labour  market  and  social  life.  Investing  in 
equal  opportunities  for  children  lays  the  foundation  for  a  sustainable  and  inclusive 
growth, supporting fair and resilient societies and upward social convergence. It also 
contributes  to  addressing  the  impact  of  adverse  demographic  developments  by 
reducing  skills  and  labour  shortages  and  ensuring  a  better  territorial  coverage,  while 
harnessing the opportunities arising from the green and digital transitions.  

(20)  Equal access to quality and inclusive early childhood education and care and education 
is  central  to  breaking  the  transmission  of  social  exclusion  and  securing  equal 
opportunities  for  children  in  a  disadvantaged  situation.  However,  limited  availability 
and high  costs of early  childhood education and care can form  a barrier  for children 
from  low-income  families.  Their  attendance  rates  are  considerably  lower  and  result 

57
and the Committee of the Regions ‘EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child’, COM(2021) 142/1. 
58

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee 

This refers to children at risk of poverty, experiencing severe material deprivation, or living in  households with very low work 

intensity. 

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later on in worse educational outcomes and higher school drop-our rates, in particular 
for  children  with  a  migrant  background  or  Roma  children.  Segregation  and 
discrimination  in  accessing  mainstream  education  by  children  with  disabilities  or 
special  educational  needs  remains  a  challenge.  The  choice  of  the  educational 
establishment  needs to  reflect  the best  interests of the child. The growing number of 
children  with  a  migrant  background  in  education  systems  calls  for  the  prevention  of 
segregated school settings and the adaptation of teaching methods.  

(21) 

Important  part of learning, including acquiring social skills,  takes place  by means of 
sport, leisure or cultural  activities. Such activities proved to be beneficial, especially 
for  children  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds.  However,  certain  groups  of  children 
may  either  not  afford  them  or  their  participation  is  hindered  by  the  lack  of  proper 
infrastructure, poor accessibility or language problems.  

(22)  Children  from  low-income  families  have  hindered  access  to  certain  healthcare 
services,  such  as  dental  care  or  to  supports,  such  as  braces,  corrective  lenses  or 
spectacles. They also  have fewer opportunities and resources  to  benefit from disease 
prevention  and  health  promotion  programmes.  Income  poverty  and  other  social 
determinants significantly affect the overall development and health, including mental 
health, of children and increase the risk of ill-health in later years. Early intervention 
and prevention are essential. Better access to public health prevention and promotion 
programmes,  including  vaccination,  and  parenting  support  can  help  achieve  better 
outcomes. 

(23)  Access  to  healthy  and  sustainable  nutrition  is  a  challenge  notably  for  low-income 
families.  Healthy  food  and  nutrition  programmes  can  help  address  problems  such  as 
poor  diet,  lack  of  physical  activity,  obesity  or  use  of  alcohol  and  tobacco,  thereby 
reducing  malnutrition  and  poor  nutrition,  which  is  more  prevalent  among  children 
from  disadvantaged  backgrounds.  The  experience  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic 
demonstrated  the  importance  of  the  school  meal  schemes  for  some  children,  who 
suddenly were deprived of a reliable source of nutrition during the lockdown59.  

(24)  Children  from  low-income  families,  with  a  migrant  background  or  with  a  minority 
racial  or  ethnic  background  are  at  a  higher  risk  of  severe  housing  deprivation,  
overcrowding,  and  energy  poverty,  and  are  more  exposed  to  homelessness.  Housing 
expenditures  are  a  heavy  burden,  especially  for  single-parent  households.  The 
provision  of  adequate  housing  and  ensuring  that  children  and  their  families  receive 
adequate  accommodation  in  emergency  shelters  is  an  important  mechanism  for 
tackling social exclusion of children and minimising the risk of homelessness. Aiming 
at  the  de-institutionalisation  of  children,  the  placing  of  children  in  institutional  care 
should be used as last resort, taking into account the best interest of the child. Quality 
community-based  or  family-based  care  should  be  promoted.  Providing  support  to 
children who leave institutional care would support their independent living and social 
integration.   

(25)  The COVID-19 pandemic may have  far  reaching effects  on the economic and social 
well-being  of  families  and  children,  and  is  likely  to  disproportionally  affect  children 
from disadvantaged backgrounds. Low and middle-income groups face a higher risk of 
income  loss,  with  potentially  significant  impact  on  the  disposable  income  of 
households  due  to  increasing  unemployment  and  reduced  telework  possibilities.  The 
crisis  is  expected  to  exacerbate  existing  inequalities  and  is  likely  to  result  in  an 

59

2020  Social  Protection  Committee  annual  review  of  the  Social  Protection  Performance  Monitor  (SPPM)  and  developments  in 

social protection policies. Report on key social challenges and key messages, p. 58. 

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increase the number of households being at risk of poverty or social exclusion. It also 
puts  a  significant  pressure  on  the  availability  of  services.  Children  experiencing 
various  forms  of  a  disadvantage  are  among  the  hardest  hit  by  the  COVID-19 
pandemic. Distance learning has been difficult for many children living in households 
without adequate family support, skills or equipment, including for children living in 
remote or rural territories with inadequate digital infrastructure.   

(26)  Tackling social exclusion of children and reducing the socio-economic impact of the 
COVID-19  pandemic  requires  an  integrated,  person-centred  and  multidimensional 
approach  and  an  enabling  policy  framework.  Strengthening  cooperation  and 
coordination  between  services  at  various  levels  warrants  effective  prevention  and 
supports social inclusion of children. Along with ensuring access to the key services, 
across  all  regions  and  territories,  including  through  investments  in  services’ 
infrastructure and the workforce, it is also necessary to improve the effectiveness and 
relevance of related policies, combine preventive and remedial measures and make the 
best out of existing Union instruments.  

(27)  The  European  Semester  economic  and  employment  coordination  process,  supported 
by  the  Social  Scoreboard,  has  highlighted  the  challenge  of  child  poverty  or  social 
exclusion,  with  a  number  of  Member  States  receiving  related  country  specific 
recommendations. The Employment Guidelines underline the importance of ensuring 
the access of everyone, including children, to certain services, such as early childhood 
education and care, education and healthcare; with such access serving as a necessary 
condition for ensuring equal opportunities.  

(28)  Union  funds  are  available  to  support  the  implementation  of  the  European  Child 
Guarantee  and  further  supportive  measures.  Within  the  proposed  European  Social 
Fund Plus60 all Member States will need to earmark an appropriate amount to tackle 
child  poverty  or  social  exclusion.  For  Member  States,  in  which  a  rate  of  children  at 
risk of poverty or social exclusion is above the Union average, this amount is to be at 
least  5%  of  their  national  European  Social  Fund  Plus  allocation.  The  European 
Regional  Development  Fund  and  InvestEU  will  equally  support  investments  in 
enabling infrastructure, such as social housing and early childhood education and care 
facilities, as well as equipment and access to quality and mainstream services. As part 
of  the  Recovery  Plan  for  Europe  and  the  instrument  ‘Next  Generation  EU’,  the 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  offers  additional  Union  funding  for  reforms, 
investments  and  policies  for  the  next  generation,  children  and  the  youth,  such  as 
education and skills, to be included in the national recovery and resilience plans61. The 
Technical  Support  Instrument  can  support  Member  States  in  designing  and 
implementing  structural  reforms  in  areas  of  education,  social  services,  justice  and 
health, including cross-sectoral reforms tackling child poverty and social exclusion. 

(29)  Member States can also  benefit from  the 2017  – 2023 EU milk, fruits and vegetable 
scheme  to  make  healthy  products  more  available  to  children  and  improve  their 
understanding of the benefits of healthy and sustainable food. 

60
382 final. 
61  
Recovery and Resilience Facility. OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 17–75. 

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), COM(2018) 

In line with the Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the 

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(30)  This  Recommendation should  be implemented through national  action plans adapted 
to  national,  regional  and  local  circumstances.  Such  national  action  plans  should 
identify children in need and barriers they face in accessing and taking-up the services 
covered by this Recommendation. To this end, Member States should involve relevant 
stakeholders,  including  non-governmental  organisations  promoting  children’s  rights.  
The progress in implementing this Recommendation should be regularly monitored in 
the context of the European Semester, including through the development of relevant 
monitoring indicators.   

(31)  This  Recommendation  complements  Recommendation  2013/112/EU,  constitutes  a 
deliverable of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, and complements the 
Union comprehensive Strategy on the Rights of the Child.  

(32)  This Recommendation fully respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. 
It is without prejudice to principles of national procedural law and the legal traditions 
of the Member States and does not entail an extension of the Union’s powers, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION: 

OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE EUROPEAN CHILD GUARANTEE 

(1) 

The  aim  of  this  Recommendation  is  to  prevent  and  combat  social  exclusion  by 
guaranteeing access of children in need to a set of key services.  

(2) 

This Recommendation applies to children in need.  

DEFINITIONS 

(3) 

For the purpose of this Recommendation, the following definitions apply: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

‘children in need’ means persons under the age of 18 years, who are at risk of 
poverty or social exclusion.  

‘children  with  a  migrant  background’  means  third  country  national  children, 
irrespective  of  their  migration  status,  and  children  with  nationality  of  a 
Member  State  who  have  a  third  country  migrant  background  through  at  least 
one of their foreign-born parents; 

‘children  in  precarious  family  situations’  means  children  exposed  to  various 
risk  factors  leading  to  social  exclusion,  such  as:  living  in  a  single  parent 
household; living with  a parent with a disability; living in  a household where 
there  are  mental  health  problems  or  long-term  illness;  living  in  a  household 
where  there  is  substance  abuse,  or  domestic  violence;  children  of  a  Union 
citizen who has moved to another Member State and who themselves remained 
in  their Member State of origin; children having  a teenage mother or being  a 
teenage mother; children having an imprisoned parent; 

(d) 

‘effective  access’  means  a  situation  in  which  services  are  readily  available, 
affordable, accessible, of good quality, provided in a timely manner and where 
the potential users are aware of their existence, as well as of entitlements to use 
them; 

(e) 

‘effective  and  free  access’  means  a  situation  in  which  services  are  free  of 
charge,  readily  available,  accessible,  of  good  quality,  provided  in  a  timely 

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manner,  where  the  potential  users  are  aware  of  their  existence,  as  well  as  of 
entitlements to use them; 

(f) 

(g) 

(h) 

‘school-based activities’ means learning by means of play, recreation, sport or 
cultural  activity  that  takes  place  within  or  outside  of  regular  school  hours,  is 
organised by the school and is part – or linked to – the school curricula; 

‘healthy  meal’  or  ‘healthy  nutrition’  means  to  a  balanced  meal  consumption, 
which provide children  with  nutrients  necessary  for their physical  and mental 
development and for physical activity that complies with physiological needs; 

‘adequate housing’ means a dwelling that meets the current national technical 
standards,  is  in  a  reasonable  state  of  repair,  provides  a  reasonable  degree  of 
thermal comfort and is available at an affordable cost.  

CORE RECOMMENDATIONS 

(4) 

Member States are invited to: 

(a) 

guarantee  for  children  in  need  effective  and  free  access  to  early  childhood 
education and care, education and school-based activities, at least one healthy 
meal each school day and healthcare; 

(b)  guarantee  for  children  in  need  effective  access  to  healthy  nutrition  and 

adequate housing. 

(5) 

Member  States  should  identify  children  in  need  and  within  this  group  take  into 
account,  wherever  appropriate  in  designing  their  national  integrated  measures, 
specific disadvantages experienced by:  

(a) 

homeless children or children experiencing severe housing deprivation; 

(b) 

children with a disability; 

(c) 

children with a migrant background; 

(d) 

children with a minority racial or ethnic background (particularly Roma); 

(e) 

(f) 

children being in alternative (especially institutional) care;  

children in precarious family situations. 

ENABLING POLICY FRAMEWORK 

(6) 

Member States are invited to  build an integrated and enabling policy  framework to 
address social exclusion of children, focusing on breaking intergenerational cycles of 
poverty and disadvantage and reducing the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 
pandemic.  To  that  effect,  in  implementing  this  Recommendation,  Member  States 
should: 

(a) 

(b) 

ensure  consistency  with  this  Recommendation  of  social,  education,  health, 
nutrition  and  housing  policies  at  national,  regional  and  local  level  and, 
wherever  possible,  improve  their  relevance  for  supporting  children,  in  an 
integrated manner; 

step up investment in education, adequate health and social protection systems 
in  order  to  address  effectively  the  needs  of  children  and  their  families, 
particularly of those exposed to social exclusion;  

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(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

ensure  adequate  policies  and  resources,  including  through  labour  market 
integration  measures  for  parents  or  guardians  and  income  support  to  families 
and  households,  so  that  financial  barriers  do  not  prevent  children  from 
accessing quality services; 

address  the  territorial  dimension  of  social  exclusion,  taking  into  account  the 
specific  needs  of  children  according  to  distinctive  urban,  rural,  remote  and 
segregated areas, based on an integrated and multidisciplinary approach; 

strengthen  cooperation  with  and  involvement  of  national,  regional  and  local 
authorities, social economy organisations, non-governmental organisations and 
other  stakeholders,  in  the  design,  delivery  and  monitoring  of  policies  and 
quality services for children;  

take measures to promote inclusion and to avoid and tackle discrimination and 
stigmatisation of children in need;  

support  strategic  investments  in  quality  services  for  children,  including  in 
enabling infrastructure and qualified workforce;  

(h)  dedicate adequate resources for implementing this Recommendation and make 
optimal use of national and EU funds, in particular the European Social Fund 
Plus,  the European Regional Development  Fund, REACT-EU,  Invest-EU, the 
Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Technical Support Instrument.  

EARLY  CHILDHOOD  EDUCATION  AND  CARE,  EDUCATION  AND  SCHOOL-
BASED ACTIVITIES, A HEALTHY MEAL EACH SCHOOL DAY 

(7) 

With  a  view  to  guaranteeing  for  children  in  need  effective  and  free  access  to  early 
childhood  education  and  care,  education  and  school-based  activities  and  a  healthy 
meal each school day, Member States are encouraged to:  

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

identify  and  address  financial  and  non-financial  barriers  to  participation  in 
early childhood education and care, education, and school-based activities; 

take  measures  to  prevent  and  reduce  early  school  leaving,  re-engage  children 
who are at risk of dropping out or have dropped out of education or training;  

provide  learning  support  to  children  with  learning  difficulties  to  compensate 
for their linguistic, cognitive and educational gaps; 

adapt facilities and educational materials of early childhood education and care 
and  of  educational  establishments  to  the  needs  of  children  with  a  disability, 
using  inclusive  teaching  and  learning  methods;  for  this  purpose  ensure  that 
qualified  teachers  and  other  educational  professionals  are  available,  such  as 
psychologists, speech therapists, rehabilitators or teaching assistants;   

put  in  place  measures  to  support  inclusive  education  and  avoid  segregated 
classes in early childhood education and care establishments and in educational 
establishments;  this  may  also  include  giving  priority  or  early  access  for 
children in need; 

ensure at least one healthy meal each school day;  

ensure provision of educational materials, including books or uniforms, where 
applicable;  

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(h)  provide  high  speed  connectivity,  digital  services  and  adequate  equipment 
necessary for distance learning to ensure access to educational content online;  

(i) 

(j) 

ensure  transport  to  early  childhood  education  and  care  and  education 
establishments, where applicable; 

ensure  equal  and  inclusive  access  to  school-based  activities,  including 
participation in school trips; 

(k)  develop  a  framework  for  cooperation  of  educational  establishments,  local 
communities,  social  services  and  social  economy  actors  to  support  inclusive 
education, to provide after school care and opportunities to participate in sport, 
leisure  and  cultural  activities,  and  to  build  and  invest  in  educational 
establishments as centres of inclusion and participation.  

HEALTHCARE 

(8) 

With a view to guaranteeing for children in need effective and free access to quality 
healthcare, Member States are invited to: 

(a) 

to  facilitate  early  detection  and  treatment  of  diseases  and  developmental 
problems,  including  those  related  to  mental  health,  ensure  access  to  periodic 
medical,  including  dental  and  ophthalmology,  examinations  and  screening 
programmes;  ensure  timely  curative  and  rehabilitative  follow-up,  including 
access  to  medicines,  treatments  and  supports,  and  access  to  vaccination 
programmes;  

(b)  provide  targeted  rehabilitation  and  habilitation  services  for  children  with 

disabilities; 

(c) 

implement  accessible  health  promotion  and  disease  prevention  programmes 
targeting children in need and their families, as well as professionals working 
with children. 

HEALTHY NUTRITION 

(9) 

With  a  view  to  guaranteeing  for  children  in  need  effective  access  to  sufficient  and 
healthy nutrition, including through the EU school fruit, vegetables and milk scheme, 
Member States are encouraged to: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

support access to healthy meals also outside of school days, including through 
in-kind or financial support;  

ensure  that  nutrition  standards  in  early  childhood  education  and  care  and  
education establishments address specific dietary needs; 

limit  advertisement  and  restrict  the  availability  of  foods  high  in  fat,  salt  and 
sugar in early childhood education and care and education establishments;  

(d)  provide adequate information to children and families on healthy nutrition for 

children.  

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ADEQUATE HOUSING 

(10)  With  a  view  of  guaranteeing  for  children  in  need  effective  access  to  adequate 

housing, Member States are invited to: 

(a) 

(b) 

that  homeless  children  and 

ensure 
receive  adequate 
accommodation  in  emergency  shelters,  prompt  transfer  from  such  shelters  to 
permanent housing and provision of relevant social and advisory services; 

families 

their 

assess and revise, if necessary, national, regional and local housing policies and 
take  actions  to  ensure  that  the  interests  of  families  with  children  in  need, 
including  addressing  energy  poverty,  are  duly  taken  into  account;  such 
assessment  and  revision  should  also  include  social  housing  policies  and 
housing benefits; 

(c) 

provide for priority and timely access to social housing for children in need and 
their families;  

(d)  while taking into account the best interests of the child, prevent children from 
being  placed  into  institutional  care;  ensure  transition  of  children  from 
institutional care to quality community-based or family-based care and support 
their independent living and social integration.  

GOVERNANCE AND REPORTING 

(11)  With  a  view  to  sound  governance,  monitoring  and  reporting,  Member  States  are 

encouraged to: 

National Child Guarantee Coordinators   

(a) 

nominate  a  national  Child  Guarantee  Coordinator,  equipped  with  adequate 
resources  and  mandate  enabling  the  effective  coordination  and  monitoring  of 
the implementation of this Recommendation;  

Identifying children in need 

into  account  national, 

(b)  with  a  view  of  most  effective  targeting  of  measures  to  children  in  need  and 
local  organisations  and 
taking 
circumstances,  involve  relevant  stakeholders  in  identifying  children  in  need 
and barriers they face in accessing and taking up the services covered by this 
Recommendation; 

regional  and 

National action plans  

(c)  within  six  months  from  the  adoption  of  this  Recommendation,  submit  to  the 
Commission an action plan, covering the period until 2030, to implement this 
Recommendation, 
local 
circumstances. The action plan should include in particular:  

into  account  national, 

regional  and 

taking 

(i) 

targeted  categories  of  children 

the 
corresponding integrated measures;   

in  need 

to  be  reached  by 

(ii)  quantitative and qualitative targets to be achieved in terms of children in 
need  to  be  reached  by  corresponding  measures,  taking  into  account 
regional and local disparities;   

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(iii)  measures  planned  or  taken  in  implementing  this  Recommendation, 
including  at  regional  and  local  level,  and  the  necessary  financial 
resources and timelines;   

(iv)  other  measures  planned  or  taken  to  address  child  social  exclusion  and 
break  intergenerational  cycles  of  disadvantage,  based  in  particular  on 
enabling policy framework provided for in paragraph 6;  

(v) 

a  national  framework  for  data  collection,  monitoring  and  evaluation  of 
this  Recommendation,  also  with  a  view  of  establishing  a  common 
monitoring framework referred to in paragraph 12 point (d).  

Outreach 

(d)  develop  effective  outreach  measures  towards  children  in  need  and  their 
families,  in  particular  at  regional  and  local  level  and  through  educational 
establishments,  trained  mediators,  family-support  services,  civil  society  and 
social  economy  organisations,  with  a  view  of  raising  awareness  and 
encouraging  and  facilitating  the  take-up  of  the  services  covered  by  this 
Recommendation;  

Involvement of stakeholders 

(e) 

ensure  the  participation  of  regional,  local  and  other  relevant  authorities, 
children and relevant stakeholders representing civil society, non-governmental 
organisations, educational establishments and bodies responsible for promoting 
social inclusion and integration, children’s rights, inclusive education and non-
discrimination, including national equality bodies  throughout the preparation, 
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the action plan;  

Reporting to the Commission 

(f) 

report every two years to the Commission on the progress in implementing this 
Recommendation, in line with the national action plan. 

IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

(12) 

The Council welcomes the intention of the Commission to:  

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

monitor the progress in implementing this  Recommendation, including its outcomes 
and  the  impact  on  children  in  need,  in  the  context  of  the  European  Semester,  and 
propose, where appropriate, country-specific recommendations to Member States. 

work jointly with Member States, the national Child Guarantee Coordinators and the 
Social  Protection  Committee  to  facilitate  mutual  learning,  share  experiences, 
exchange  good  practices  and  follow  up  on  the  actions  taken  in  response  to  this 
Recommendation as set out in the relevant national action plans. 

report regularly to the Social Protection Committee on the progress in implementing 
this Recommendation, on the basis of the reports from Member States. 

(d) 

work jointly with the Social Protection Committee to: 

(i) 

establish  a  common  monitoring  framework  and  develop  agreed  common 
quantitative and qualitative outcome indicators to assess the implementation of 
this Recommendation;  

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(ii)  with  a  view  of  informing  policy  making,  enhance  the  availability,  scope  and 
relevance of comparable data at the Union level, including on children in need 
and their access to services, and adequacy and coverage of benefits targeted at 
children; 

(e) 

(f) 

review the progress made in the implementation of this Recommendation and report 
to the Council by 5 years after the adoption; 

strengthen awareness raising and communication efforts and increase dissemination 
of results and good practice examples at Union level and among Member States and 
relevant stakeholders. 

Done at Brussels, 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

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