Make one exception

With around 20 million children in the EU still at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the European Child Guarantee remains one of Europe’s most important tools for breaking the cycle of poverty from an early age. Since its creation, it has helped improve children’s access to essential services, including education and childcare, healthcare, healthy nutrition and adequate housing.

This event will bring together policymakers, the European Commission, economists, civil society and practitioners to explore how the next EU budget can continue to deliver meaningful investment in children. The discussion will look not only at the moral imperative to tackle child poverty, but also at the economic case for investing in the next generation: targeted investment in children can deliver lasting social and economic returns while reducing public expenditure in the long term.

Programme

Wednesday 30th of September 2026, SPINELLI 5E2

13h15-13h30 – Welcome remarks

• Moderator: Alva Finn (Executive Director, the European Liberal Forum)
• Opening remarks: MEP Hristo Petrov, MEP Fabienne Keller

13h30-13h45 – Keynote Session: The Future of EU Funding for Children

Keynote speaker: Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness 

13h45-14h10 – Panel 1: The Economic Case: Why Investing in Children Pays Off?

• Moderator: MEP Irena Joveva
• Speakers:
  • Anne-Catherine Guio (Economist, Senior Researcher at LISER - Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research)
  • Olivier Thévenon (Head of Child Well-Being Unit, OECD Centre on Well Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity)
  • Dominic Richardson (Managing Director of the Learning for Well-being Institute)

14h10-14h35 – Panel 2: Delivery on the ground: What Europe gets for its investment?

• Moderator: MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová
• Speakers:
  • Ivanka Shalapatova (Social Policy and Child Protection Expert)
  • Ally Dunhill (Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communications, Eurochild)
  • Enrico Tormen (Advocacy Adviser, Save the Children)

14h35-14h55 – Political Roundtable – “Make one Exception” for children: the options for the next European budget

• Moderator: Alva Finn (Executive Director, the European Liberal Forum)
• Short interventions from MEPs and CoR Members

14h55-15h00 – Concluding remarks

• Concluding remarks: MEP Fabienne Keller, MEP Hristo Petrov

15h00-15h15 – Group picture (outside room SPINELLI 5E2)

15h15-16h30 – Networking (Multifunctional Area SPINELLI 00 G)