site.btaReducing Child Poverty Must Remain a Clear EU Priority, MEPs Say after Visit to Bulgaria

A delegation of the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) has concluded a three-day visit to Bulgaria focusing on progress in reforming the child care system, child protection policies, and the implementation of the European Child Guarantee. The delegation met with national authorities and non-governmental organizations and visited social services and temporary accommodation centres for young people, the European Parliament said on Friday.

The main aim of the visit was to review Bulgaria’s child care reform, in particular the deinstitutionalization process, progress achieved so far, and remaining challenges. Meetings with experts and site visits allowed MEPs to compare policy commitments with their practical implementation.

During the visit, MEPs stressed the importance of continued EU support, stronger monitoring, and the proper use and implementation of European funds.

Delegation head Estelle Ceulemans (S&D, Belgium) said that the observed progress shows that deinstitutionalization of child care can lead to real improvements in children’s well-being, but only if it is supported in a consistent and sustainable way. Reducing child poverty must remain a clear priority at EU level, she said, which is the reason why the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament consistently call for a strengthened European Child Guarantee, backed by a dedicated EU budget of at least EUR 20 billion.

Hristo Petrov (Renew, Bulgaria), Chair of the EMPL Working Group on the European Child Guarantee, said the visit provided valuable insights into how the Child Guarantee is acting as a catalyst for improving the situation of vulnerable children in Bulgaria and where further efforts are needed. He stressed the need to place children’s well-being at the centre of EU action, strengthen monitoring, and secure adequate funding in the next EU budget.

Valerie Devaux (Renew, France) highlighted the vital work of social workers striving to improve the lives of thousands of vulnerable children in Bulgaria, including children with disabilities. She said Renew Europe remains committed to ensuring that EU instruments, particularly through an ambitious European Child Guarantee and the European Social Fund, continue to deliver lasting solutions for vulnerable children and stable support for social workers.

The MEPs’ programme included meetings with national child protection authorities, representatives of NGOs and UNICEF, visits to social service centres for children and families and for children with disabilities in Pazardzhik, and a transitional housing complex for young people in Sofia supporting refugee children and victims of trafficking aged 14 to 18, the statement said.