Rue de la Loi, 200
NICOLAS SCHMIT B-1049 Brussels
MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION Tel. +32-2 295 00 90
JOBS AND SOCIAL RIGHTS
[email protected]
Brussels,12 July 2021
Ares (2021)4670376
Subject: Implementation of the Council Recommendation establishing a European
Child Guarantee
Dear Minister,
Tackling child poverty and social exclusion remains a big social challenge in the EU. In
2019, almost 18 million children were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, with some
Member States reporting particularly high numbers. The Covid-19 crisis is making it
even harder for children to enjoy equal opportunities in accessing key services.
Breaking the inter-generation cycle of disadvantage and supporting children in need is
our common objective.
I am pleased that the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
adopted the Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee1
on 14 June. The Recommendation calls on Member States to guarantee for children in
need effective and free access to early childhood education and care, education and
school-based activities, at least one healthy meal each school day and healthcare, as
well as effective access to healthy nutrition and adequate housing.
I would like to warmly thank you for your support for the European Child Guarantee,
which delivers on the commitment of the Porto Social Summit, contributes to the
European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and helps achieving its target of reducing
the number of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 5 million by
2030.
1
Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2021.223.01.0014.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2021%3A223%3ATOC
Ms Signe Riisalo
Minister of Social Protection
Estonia
With this letter, I urge you to launch work on the European Child Guarantee in Estonia. I
would like to highlight the importance of nominating, as soon as possible, a national
Child Guarantee Coordinator equipped with adequate resources and a mandate
enabling the effective coordination and monitoring of the Guarantee. The variety of
services within the scope of the Recommendation requires close involvement of various
responsible bodies on national, regional and local levels, therefore, the role of the
Coordinator will be crucial. In view of the challenges ahead, I invite you to communicate
the name of the Coordinator to the Commission by 22 September 2021.
I also would like to stress the importance of submitting to the Commission the
national action plan within 9 months after the adoption of the Recommendation,
by 15 March 2022 at the latest. The action plan can build upon the existing policy
measures to support children in need and should cover the period until 2030. The scope
of the action plan is well defined in the Recommendation and I invite you to involve
relevant stakeholders at all governance levels in the preparation, implementation,
monitoring, and evaluation of the plan. The relevant Commission services stand ready
to assist in this regard.
In particular – and in line with the categories of children in need specified in the
Recommendation – I would encourage you to identify children in need in Estonia as
well as barriers they face in accessing and taking up key services. This is a necessary
precondition to ensure the most effective targeting of measures towards children in need.
Finally, I would like to underline the importance of focusing on results. The Commission
is planning to develop, together with the Social Protection Committee, a common
indicators framework to monitor the implementation of the European Child Guarantee
in the years to come. This monitoring framework will feed into the Commission’s
assessment of progress under the European Semester and inform the Commission’s
report to the Council in 2026 about the progress made in implementing the Child
Guarantee.
I look forward to a prompt start of the implementation of the Recommendation in Estonia,
receiving your national action plan and working with your national Child Guarantee
Coordinator. The Commission is planning to organise a meeting of all the Child
Guarantee Coordinators in October 2021 to discuss the content of the national action
plans.
My services remain at your disposal via
[email protected].
Yours faithfully,
Nicolas Schmit
Signe Riisalo
Sotsiaalkaitseminister 12.07.2021 nr 10.1-13/758-1
Sotsiaalministeerium
Austatud minister
Edastame Teile Euroopa Komisjoni voliniku Nicolas Schmiti 12.07.2021 kirja nr Ares(2021)
4670376 (Implementation of the Council Recommendation establishing a European Child
Guarantee).
Lugupidamisega
Aivo Orav
alaline esindaja
Lisa: voliniku kiri 2 lk
Kersti Neeme +32 2227 4342
[email protected]
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