Poverty and under-nourishment among Greek schoolchildren

According to Prolepsis, a research institute, around six out of ten Greek schoolchildren who took part in the ‘Nutrition’ programme in 2013-2014 did not have access to food in sufficient quantity. The programme, funded by donations under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, ran in 64 schools. It showed that 25% of families suffered actual hunger, while 60% experienced dietary insufficiency. In 61% of cases, one of the two parents had no income and, in 17% of cases, neither parent had an income. At the same time, a study published by the Greek parliament showed that, in 2013, 6.3 million Greeks were living below the poverty line, or under threat of poverty due to material deprivation or unemployment. Eurostat figures showed that Greece belonged to the group of countries with the highest percentage of poverty (23.1%).

Will the Commission, as a member of the troika, continue to demand budgetary restraints while ignoring, and not responding to, the social consequences?

Source: European Parliament

Answer given by Ms Thyssen on behalf of the Commission

The policy conditionality of the economic adjustment programme for Greece is not imposed, but agreed with the Greek authorities. The programme pays particular attention to the fight against poverty, and includes measures to improve the Greek social protection system aiming to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of welfare spending and enhance expenditure control, creating for the first time an integrated, cost-effective and modern welfare system.

The creation of a Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) scheme aims to provide a comprehensive social welfare benefit based on social assistance and social activation. To ensure proper targeting and fighting poverty traps the GMI is tested on a pilot basis in the municipalities with the objective of a later phased-in roll out. The government launched 13 pilot schemes on 15 November 2014. As of mid-January 2015 about 28,000 applications were filed and about 7,000 beneficiaries paid. The recently approved 2014-2020 European Social Fund OP ”Human Resources Development, Education & Lifelong Learning” envisages the implementation of activation measures for the beneficiaries of the pilot GMI.

The European Commission is also offering emergency aid through the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, providing food and basic material assistance to the most deprived. Under this programme, Greece is entitled to aid worth EUR 281 million for the period 2014-2020.