abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

6 Aug 2020

Author:
Kartik Raj, Human Rights Watch (USA)

Commentary: EU’s recovery fund should protect people living in poverty

23 July 2020

How the European Union’s budget and recovery package deal is implemented country by country will determine the future for the continent’s poorest residents.

If deployed appropriately, the “Next Generation” recovery fund, with €312.5 billion in grants and €360 billion in loans available over the next 3 years, could help address socioeconomic inequalities that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted and better protect the rights of the bloc’s most marginalized people.

The pandemic has hit the urban and rural poor particularly hard. The impact on deprived neighborhoods in Paris, Barcelona, Naples, Berlin, and beyond is well documented. Europe’s Roma people have been particularly exposed, with an estimated 80 percent in overcrowded housing and 30 percent living with no running water at home pre-pandemic. Seasonal agricultural workers face exploitation in multiple EU countries, including substandard housing and unsanitary working conditions. The European Food Bank Federation has reported a 50 percent increase in demand since the onset of the pandemic.