The new report of the Social Protection Committee is out.

On the basis of this report, the Council of the European Union (EPSCO) adopted the conclusions at its meeting on 10th March 2014, stressing the fact that the key factor for achieving the Europe 2020 objectives for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth is working toward policy coherence between the economic and social objectives of the Union. Further to their impact on income and living conditions, growing economic and social imbalances weaken the economic strength of the Union and put at test its core values.

•  2012 survey data indicate that poverty has reached its 6 year-high : close to 25% of the European population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion;
• Since the adoption of Europe 2020 in 2010, there are 6,7 million more people living in poverty or social exclusion (an increase in more than 1/3 of Member States);
• In some Member States the annual growth of the relative poverty exceeds 2 percentage points;
• Rising material deprivation drives down living standards of significant parts of the population in some countries;
• Income inequality is growing across and within Member States, particularly in the countries that witnessed the largest increases in unemployment.