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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.

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Text from The Ligue des familles media in french.
Economic violence on women – Belgium

Economic violence on women – Belgium

Violence against women is not limited to physical or psychological aggression. It also takes a more insidious, but equally destructive form: economic violence. COFACE Families Europe's member based in Belgium, The Ligue des familles and nine other organizations are calling for a universal and automatic alimony fund, based on the French or Quebec model, through which all alimony claims would pass - not just unpaid situations.

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Joint Statement. Time for ambition: The EU needs a strong Social Fund to live up to its commitments

Joint Statement. Time for ambition: The EU needs a strong Social Fund to live up to its commitments

Time for ambition: The EU needs a strong Social Fund to live up to its commitments The European Union has begun talks on the next long-term EU Budget, which will determine how billions of euros are invested in Europe’s future. Initial discussions suggest potential...

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Raising the bar: The Push for 25 Days of Annual Parental leave in Belgium 

Raising the bar: The Push for 25 Days of Annual Parental leave in Belgium 

Ligue des familles, a Belgian member of COFACE Families Europe, advocates for an increase in the minimum number of annual leave days per year. 
Parents need their annual leave to meet the essential need for balance between family life and work.  According to their latest Barometer 2022 (Ipsos data), 70% of parents find it difficult to work full-time while having children.

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work life balance concept with two blocks representing work and life
A Better Work–Life Balance: Bridging the gender care gap 

A Better Work–Life Balance: Bridging the gender care gap 

Care is a fundamental aspect of our lives, as everyone will either require or provide care at some point. Gender inequalities in informal care and its implications for carers and the labour market is of major concern in the EU. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the significance of formal care services, unveiling the vulnerabilities of care systems. Failure to address the existing deficiencies in care provision and access to formal care services could result in a future care crisis and exacerbate gender inequalities.

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Austria’s implementation of the EU Work-Life Balance Directive: COFACE member KFÖ’s key takeaways

Austria’s implementation of the EU Work-Life Balance Directive: COFACE member KFÖ’s key takeaways

Alfred Trendl, President of the Catholic Family Association Austria (KFÖ), expressed both approval and concern regarding the government's implementation of the EU directive aimed at strengthening work-life balance and partnership. While applauding the doubling of the family time bonus to 1,480 euros per month, Trendl voiced criticism of the government's decision to cut two months of leave for families where only one parent takes parental leave. He argued that this infringes upon parental choice in childcare arrangements. 

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Deposit savings rates: A costly consequence for families

Deposit savings rates: A costly consequence for families

In a recent presentation to the European Banking Authority’s Banking Stakeholder Group, several consumers organisations brought to light a pressing concern – the enduring issue of persistently low savings interest rates for household deposits in the Eurozone. This financial predicament, coupled with surging inflation and rising banking costs, is exerting great pressure on families.

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First rEUsilience working paper “Family profiles: Risks, resources, and inequalities”

First rEUsilience working paper “Family profiles: Risks, resources, and inequalities”

rEUsilience, a Horizon Europe research initiative spanning from 2022 to 2025, is a collaborative effort involving renowned universities such as Oxford, Stockholm, Barcelona, Warsaw, KULeuven, and Zagreb, with COFACE as an integral partner. The first working paper from rEUsilience maps how resilience is being used in the EU policy discourse, noting how there is a lack of a clear conceptualisation of how it applies to families.

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