Poverty and social exclusion in the EU: third-order priorities, hybrid governance and the future potential of the field

EU leaders have agreed to reduce the number of people who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 15 million (including at least five million children) by 2030. This article explores this ambitious target and analyses the positioning of the field throughout the EU’s broader governance hierarchy, as well as the governance arrangements within the field. It finds that throughout such governance arrangements, the issue of being at risk of poverty or social exclusion is largely dealt with by intergovernmental agreements and is thereby a third-order priority for the EU, with economic integration first-order and employment policy second-order. Meanwhile, within the field EU governance arrangements are currently being transformed to further encourage the Member States to take action. While this is a significant development, the overall ability of the EU to reduce the number of those at risk of poverty or social exclusion requires the field to move beyond its current third-order status.