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.
Since the introduction of the current mobile phone restrictions in Greek schools, COFACE member KMOP has conducted research on the impact of these measures on educators.
Bringing together members from across Europe, COFACE organised an online Migration Working Group meeting which explored how family organisations can strengthen the rights and participation of migrant, refugee and transnational families.
Unapei brought the realities of people with intellectual disabilities and their families directly to the European Commission, and the need to consider them not only within disability-specific policies, but also across wider discussions on employment, social protection, economic participation and public services.
Join EU institution representatives, national policymakers, Ministers, business leaders, social partners, civil society, and academia as they delve into the dynamic realm of artificial intelligence and its impact on the world of work.
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.
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.
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.
On the 6th of September 2023, following years of advocacy, a pilot project with eight EU countries, and extensive consultations with stakeholders, the European Commission put forward the long-awaited proposal for a European Disability Card and a European Parking Card that will facilitate persons with disabilities to access the right to free movement.
On 25 July 2023, the revised Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) was adopted by the Council, significantly raising the EU’s ambition on energy efficiency.
The proposal to revise the Energy Efficiency Directive, along with other proposals, tackles the energy aspects of the EU’s climate transition under the ‘Fit for 55’ package presented by the Commission on 14 July 2021.
