Eurochild: Written declaration on investing in children

More than 1 in four children live at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU, totaling 26 million children. Children living in poverty are at higher risk of poor health, not finishing school, worsened relationships with peers and unable to reach their full potential in life.

11 MEPs have launched an initiative at the European Parliament to collect signatures to support a declaration on investing in children (number 0042/2015). Eurochild is supporting this initiative by urging European parliamentarians to show their support to ending this tragic cycle by signing the declaration.

The written declaration calls upon the European Commission to introduce specific indicators on children at risk of poverty; it also urges EU Member States to use EU funding to implement the Commission Recommendation ‘Investing in Children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage’. Read the full written declaration here.

How does the written declaration work?

The written declaration on investing in children is a 300 word text with four specific demands that will require 376 signatures by MEPs from 7 September – 7 December 2015 to be published in the minutes of the European Parliament and forwarded to relevant EU institutions.

The written declaration on investing in children is supported by the following 11 MEPs:

Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, Caterina Chinnici, Jean Lambert, Julie Ward, Gabriele Zimmer, Mairead Mcguinness, Jana Zitnanska, Filiz Hyusmenova, Vilija Blinkeviciute, Nathalie Griesbeck.

Are you an MEP and want to sign the declaration?

You can download the e-mail signature form here.

Want to know more about investing in children?

Read the policy paper Why Investing in Children needs support of the European Parliament

Read about Eurochild’s work on investing in children here.

More information.