Here you will see news from Europe, from civil society, from research, highlighting emerging trends from local to international level relevant for families of today.
Joint letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; António Costa, President of the European Council.
On 27 May 2025, after more than two years of work, the indicators sub-group of the Social Protection Committee has released its Monitoring Framework for the Council Recommendation on Access to Affordable High-Quality Long-Term Care (Council Recommendation on LTC). The monitoring framework includes indicators that will allow the European Union to better gather and compare data on long-term care at EU level, as well as to measure the Member States progress towards achieving the objectives of the Council Recommendation on LTC, which was adopted in 2022.
A new editorial series called 2025 Insights on Family Policies is dedicated to examining contemporary developments in family policy across European contexts. Published by the European Observatory of Family Policy, the Insights series engages with critical debates on the design, implementation, and coordination of policies that support families in diverse and evolving societal landscapes. These deliverables will be published in different issues - The first insights of the series focusing on Italy.
We are pleased to welcome and introduce COFACE’s newest member: The CNAFAL (Conseil National des Associations Familiales laïques) who works to protect and promote the well-being of families and all that contributes to it.
An estimated 708 million women worldwide are outside the labour force because of unpaid care responsibilities, according to new ILO global estimates, released end of October 2024, on the occasion of the International Day of Care and Support.
In Sweden, new parental leave has been extended to grandparents and friends. New rules now allow parents to transfer up to 45 days of their paid leave to someone who isn’t the child’s legal guardian - such as a relative or a friend - as long as the person is insured for parental allowance.
Social investments and reforms in key areas can boost employment, social inclusion, competitiveness and economic growth. This is the main finding of the Commission’s 2024 Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) report.
On 13 September 2024, Unapei's Europe Commission held a pivotal seminar in Paris, bringing together members of the Unapei network and their European partners, including COFACE Families Europe. Unapei's Europe Commission is dedicated to addressing EU political developments related to the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities and their families, with a focus on positively influencing these issues.
The 11th edition of the Joint ESAs Consumer Protection Day (JECPD) took place on October 3, 2024, in Budapest. Martin Schmalzried attended the event, representing the interests of families from across Europe.
