12.3.2014 Official Journal of the European Union L 721 | (Legislative acts) REGULATIONS REGULATION (EU) No 223/2014 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 March 2014 on the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 175(3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3), Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (%), Whereas: (1)  In line with the conclusions of the European Council of 17 June 2010, whereby the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (‘Europe 2020 strategy’) was adopted, the Union and the Member States have set themselves the objective of having at least 20 million fewer people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by 2020. Nonetheless, in 2011, nearly one quarter of people living in the Union (119,82 million) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, approximately 4 million people more than in the previous year. However, () OJ C 133, 9.5.2013, p. 62 () OJ € 139, 17.5.2013, p. 59. (}) Position of the European Parliament of 25 February 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 10 March 2014. poverty and social exclusion are not uniform across the Union and their gravity varies between the Member States. (2)  The number of persons suffering from material, or even severe material, deprivation in the Union is increasing and in 2011 nearly 8,8 % of Union citizens lived in conditions of severe material deprivation. In addition, those persons are often too excluded to benefit from the activation measures of  Regulation  (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (¥, and, in particular of Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (°). (3)  Member States and the Commission should take appro- priate steps to prevent any discrimination and should ensure equality between men and women and the coherent integration of the gender perspective at all stages of the preparation, the programming, management and implementation, the monitoring and the evaluation of the a Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (the 'Fund'), as well as in information and awareness raising campaigns and the exchange of best practices. (4)  Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) emphasises that the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. (*) Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Devel- opment Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (O] L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 320). Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Social Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 (O] L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 470). ) -~