Opinions
About Opinions

Take a look at our Opinion series, with individual voices from inside and outside COFACE, providing different perspectives and insights on topics relevant for families of today.

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Text: Skills that makes a difference,
OPINION – Home and school: a powerful duo to develop children’s basic skills

OPINION – Home and school: a powerful duo to develop children’s basic skills

Strengthening basic skills - literacy, mathematics, science, digital competencies and citizenship - is key to preparing pupils for their future. These five basic skills support individuals in developing critical thinking, engaging with their communities, staying healthy, adapting to a rapidly changing job market, and navigating today's complexities, including digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI).

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OPINION – Legalising surrogacy in Europe: a basic right any parent should have access to

OPINION – Legalising surrogacy in Europe: a basic right any parent should have access to

OPINION - Legalising surrogacy in Europe: a basic right any parent should have access to   It is true that in most European Nations, Surrogacy is a complex and controversial subject. But what is surrogacy ? The European Union has not set a universal definition...

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OPINION – Muting machismo in video games: a necessary step towards equality

OPINION – Muting machismo in video games: a necessary step towards equality

In a world where technology is an inexorable part of our lives, accessing and making use of it on equal terms has become a vital necessity and a right that makes the difference between full participation and discrimination, between socialisation and isolation, between inclusion and social exclusion.

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OPINION – Harmonising Personal Insolvency Laws: Supporting Over-Indebted Families Across the EU

OPINION – Harmonising Personal Insolvency Laws: Supporting Over-Indebted Families Across the EU

Harmonising Personal Insolvency Laws: Supporting Over-Indebted Families Across the EU COFACE-Families Europe has been working on tackling over-indebtedness considering its impact on families’ well-being. Besides prevention, personal insolvency laws have a profound...

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OPINION – Ethnic segregation of Roma children in Europe’s schools demands real action 

OPINION – Ethnic segregation of Roma children in Europe’s schools demands real action 

Ethnic segregation is a widespread and systematic practice in many European countries. These practices are illegal yet continue to shape the lives of children and families across Europe. Our rights to education, housing, and health, ostensibly enjoyed by us all, remain divided along ethnic lines. For many Roma, their enjoyment of these rights is severely limited, often with the tacit support of the state.  

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OPINION – Sharenting: exercise of parental rights or infringement of privacy?

OPINION – Sharenting: exercise of parental rights or infringement of privacy?

While social media are used for many purposes and from all ages, young people constitute a significant proportion of internet users. Unfortunately, as they engage in online activities they may enter dangerous situations such as cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation and other forms of cybercrimes. But what happens when the parents themselves expose their children to these dangers through actions such as sharing information about their children online under the veil of parenting?

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Family members Playing Video Games on sofa
OPINION – Making video games fun for families: the crucial role of family settings awareness

OPINION – Making video games fun for families: the crucial role of family settings awareness

53% of Europe’s population between the ages of 6 and 64 plays video games. And, whilst the average age of a player is 32, many players are children. Europe’s video game companies are dedicated to creating games for everyone to enjoy and, also, importantly, to provide safe, responsible environments for those games to be enjoyed in.

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OPINION – Digital Services Act: New EU rules to protect and empower minors online

OPINION – Digital Services Act: New EU rules to protect and empower minors online

We can show kids and teens the path and we can even make it safer for them, but we can’t always be there to hold their hands nor keep them from going out into the world - and the world wide web. The environments that children are growing up in today are drastically different from the ones that we have known in the past. However, one thing is still the same: children and teens want to follow their curiosities, learn who they are and connect with other kids. Today they can do this from the palm of their hands.

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