In February 2026, the European Parliament adopted two key amendments recognising food banks in the report on Developing a new EU Anti-Poverty Strategy (2025/2095(INI)).
The first amendment recognises “effective access to food as a fundamental human right” and stresses the acute need for support to those economically and socially deprived.
The second amendment mentions explicitly the importance of securing sufficient funding for food banks, which provide material support and contribute to fostering social inclusion during times of rising levels of food insecurity and material deprivation.
What is the New EU Anti-Poverty Strategy?
The New EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, which is the first comprehensive approach by the EU Commission on tackling the challenges of poverty and social exclusion. The MEPs of the European Parliament have now voted on and signed the amendments to be proposed to this strategy.
The new strategy will aim to strengthen data collection and evaluation, to harmonise anti-poverty mechanisms such as access to minimum income, and to support more inclusive means of governance and decision-making by involving civil society and those affected by poverty. The strategy emphasises the prevention of intergenerational poverty and fosters the alignment of social, environmental, and fiscal tools to create more coherent policies. (Policy Brief n.50 – The EU’s Anti-Poverty Strategy: An evaluation and next steps)
The full strategy is expected to be published in May 2026.
How is it relevant to the FEBA network?
These amendments formally recognise the essential role of food banks and the need for adequate funding to support their work in the EU.
