In view of the rise in youth unemployment and the growing number of people at risk of poverty, the European Pillar of Social Rights must serve to make Europe more cohesive and more responsive to the social dimension of citizens' needs.
More than 120 million people in the EU are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth aimed to bring at least 20 million people out of poverty and social exclusion by 2020.