This initiative responds to the growing political priority at EU level to combat child poverty, promote children’s wellbeing, and ensure equal opportunities for all children, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Child Guarantee.
The opinion is also closely aligned with the priorities of the incoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU (January–June 2026), which has placed special emphasis on child wellbeing and the fight against child poverty as a cornerstone of social inclusion and intergenerational fairness.
Following a short introduction by the rapporteur, participants will be invited to present their perspectives and engage in the discussion. The meeting will be held in English. The meeting aims to collect the views of stakeholders and local and regional authorities in order to ensure that the CoR’s contribution fully reflects territorial realities, governance challenges, and good practices from across Europe. Your input will directly support the CoR in shaping EU-level actions to reduce child poverty, improve access to services, and strengthen social cohesion.
The opinion’s timeline is as follows: an exploratory debate is scheduled for the SEDEC commission meeting on 2 February 2026 and the final adoption is expected during the CoR Plenary session of 4-5 March 2026.
If your organisation has any position papers relevant to the subject, we kindly invite you to share them in advance by e-mail to: sedec@cor.europa.eu.
Please register your participation no later than Wednesday, 7 January 2026, 17:00 CET.