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3.3 Chapter III: Social protection and inclusion
E
urope must proceed with upwards economic and social convergence, ensure a fair distribution of economic wealth and deepen social cohesion across the Union. It must reinforce its commitment to fight poverty and social exclusion, and to eradicate child poverty.112
The Pillar needs to provide access to a social protection floor that guarantees universal access to quality health care, including sexual and reproductive health rights, basic income security, portability of all workers’ social rights and adequate pensions to everyone in Europe in order to prevent poverty and social exclusion.
Social protection floors at the national level should comprise at least four social security guarantees: access to essential health care, including maternity care; basic income security for children, providing access to nutrition, education, care and any other necessary goods and services; basic income security for persons in active age who are unable to earn sufficient income, in particular in cases of sickness, unemployment, maternity and disability; and basic income security for older persons.113 A Child Guarantee should ensure no child in Europe is at risk of poverty or social exclusion.114
3.3.1 Principle 11: Childcare and support to children “Children have the right to affordable early childhood education and care of good quality. Children have the right to protection from poverty. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds have the right to specific measures to promote equal opportunities.”
Almost 1 in 4 children in Europe are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Inequality starts at a very young age, since the opportunities enjoyed later in life are to a large extent determined by one’s childhood. This is unacceptable. We must address this problem and give all our children a better future. Europe has a duty to support children and ensure equality of opportunity for all. This is why our political family has campaigned extensively for a European Child Guarantee to ensure that children’s rights to free and high-quality healthcare, education, quality childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition are respected all over Europe.
To ensure the implementation of Principle 11 the PES and its partner organisations support the following policy proposals:
112, 114 PES Presidency Declaration On the European Pillar of Social Rights Adopted by the PES Presidency on 16 June 2017 113 S&D Progressive Societies, Sustainable Equality Report, 2018, p. 114
