Portuguese MEP Ilda Figueiredo whose report on a European minimum income was approved by the Parliament tells EuroparlTV why it is so critical in the fight against poverty.

Interview: '30 million workers in the EU are poor'

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15279923/n003-0090-en.srt

Today, 85 million people  in the EU are considered poor.

This figure of 85 million people includes  a growing number of workers.

There's been talk about  a minimum income for a long time ago.

Nowadays,  poverty is a serious issue in the EU.

The data that you referred  relates to 2008.

Eurostat should publish  new official figures soon

that will show that the current  situation is even worse.

This is a serious issue as it is happening  in one of the richest zones in the world.

It is worrying that increasing numbers of  workers are considered poor,

workers whose income does not take  them above the poverty line.

We are talking about 7% of people.  -No, today that number is higher.

there are about  30 million workers in the EU

because their income is lower than 60%  of the average income of their country.

It is due to the increase in  unstable work and unemployment

and to the pressure on workers  or those who want to work

to agree to working conditions  that unacceptable.

If we look at the UK,  the average income is about 960 euros,

while in Romania  it is about 150 euros.

And in Portugal,  the minimum legal income is 475 euros.

Yes, there are differences  between countries,

which are related to individual  economic and social contexts.

This is why it is so important to define  a criteria common to the EU

Today, in regions with very high  youth unemployment rates

but in some European countries  this percentage reaches 40% -

there is a strong pressure  to force them to work for peanuts

in exchange for very low wages,  and this a form of modern slavery.

It same happens to  many unemployed women.

One of the tools to tackle this is to create  a minimum income in all countries.

Some countries already have  minimum incomes but they are too low.

but it is less than half  the poverty threshold figure.

But it's still important to have it as  some countries don't have one at all.

But how could you apply  a single level to all Europeans?

This is impossible,  even with this proposal.

Yes, but this proposal  is a first step.

Unfortunately, social inequalities  have become worse in the EU.

The fact that we have  more than 85 million people

- including many children, young  people, elderly, women and workers -

with incomes  below the poverty threshold

proves that there is  no minimum guaranteed income.

Who should pay for it?  This is an important question.

We are asking the Commission  to put a plan forward

Countries facing most difficulties  can be helped through European funds.

But political changes  are required as well,

for instance,  more flexibility in certain situations,

which can help the Member States  to go forward in this area.

Do you think Member States  will give it the green light?

That is what we are proposing,  that is what we are calling for.

approved by more than two-thirds  of MEPs was very important

because it sends a strong signal  to the Commission,

to say that public opinion wants them  to tackle this issue seriously

as a first step to fighting poverty  and towards social progress.

Ilda Figueiredo, thank you very much.  -Thank you.