Glossary of key terms in EU family and social policy

Glossary of key terms in EU family and social policy

Accession – The term accession refers to the process in which a country’s candidature is accepted, and it officially becomes a member state of the European Union.

Acquis Communautaire – The Acquis Communautaire refers to the accumulated body of European Union’s laws, which every Member State agrees to, including treaties (e.g. Treaty of Rome 1958), regulations, resolutions, and declarations and international agreements.

Best interests of the child –The best interests of the child is a legal and policy principle requiring that the child’s welfare, well-being, rights and holistic development be a primary consideration in all decisions and actions affecting them.

Child guarantee – The European Child guarantee is a European policy initiative, aimed at providing healthcare and education, and adequate living conditions, for every child at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Europe.

Child poverty – Child poverty is a term commonly used to refer to who children live in households that lack sufficient resources to meet their basic needs, therefore placing them in a situation of poverty.

Civil dialogue – Civil dialogue is defined as the engagement of European civil society organisations in the entire cycle of EU law and policymaking, with channels for regular dialogue between the EU institutions and civil society.

Civil society – Civil societies are coordinated and organised associations, groups, or individuals playing a crucial role in promoting social welfare and civic rights, elevating civil engagement and representing specific or global groups, communities. COFACE Families Europe is an example of European civil society representing families.

Committee – A committee is an appointed group of people, often designated by a larger entity such as the European parliament, to work, debate and make decisions on specific topics or issues.

Directive – A European directive is a defined as a binding legal act for European member states, which sets out a goal, while allowing those countries to flexibly implement these laws in their national systems.

Demographic change – A demographic change is a shift in the population structure. For example: how a population is ageing or the number of teenagers compared to the number of seniors.

Family diversity – Family diversity refers to the varieties of families that exist within the European union, from structures to cultural backgrounds, to dynamics and relationships. The EU recognises and supports family diversity.

Family/Informal carers – This is a term that refers to individuals who provide (usually) unpaid care to those in need, such as people with disabilities or older people. Those individuals are often relatives, friends or neighbours and are not paid nor under a contractual agreement.

Family mainstreaming – Family mainstreaming is the process or objective of integrating family issues into major EU policies or funding. This is what COFACE does daily in Brussels when talking to the EU institutions.

Family-supportive workplace – A family-supportive workplace is a work environment in which employers intentionally design policies, practices and organisational cultures to help employees reconcile their professional responsibilities with their family and care obligations.

Fundamental rights – Fundamental rights, or human rights, are the basic level human rights recognised, enforced and protected by a country’s constitution or by international conventions. These rights aim to bring dignity and freedom, to create a favorable environment for a democratic society to function.

Gender equality – Gender equality is one of the European union’s core values, it is a commitment to achieving a gender-equal future without gender-based violence, sex discrimination, and feminicides. It is also about equal pay for women and men, and equal sharing of care responsibilities between women and men.

Intergenerational solidarity – Intergenerational solidarity is a concept that emphasises the importance of mutual solidarity between generations. It involves recognising that the actions of one generation have consequences on the future of another, and advocates for the duty to act responsibly for the future of each generation, no matter how old.

Non-discrimination – Non-discrimination is also one of the European union’s core values, it prohibits the discrimination of an individual based on any ground, such as sexual orientation, gender, religion, ethnicity, disability.

Qualified majority voting – Qualified majority voting is a voting mechanism, primarily used in the Council of the European Union, which allows decisions to be made without needing unanimous agreement between all 27 countries of the EU. If a proposal, decision or law gets at least 55% support of EU countries, who represent at least 65% of the EU’s population, then it passes since a qualified majority has been reached.

Social inclusion – Social inclusion is the process put in place to ensure that each European citizen has the resources and opportunities to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life.

Social rights  – These are rights that guarantee people access to the basic conditions needed to live with dignity and participate fully in society. They focus on economic well-being, social protection, and equal opportunity.

Subsidiarity – Subsidiarity is a principle in EU politics, that acknowledges that a central authority such as the European Union, should not perform tasks at a national, or local level, unless it is necessary.

Universal basic services – Universal basic services is the concept of a global access to essential public services, funded by taxpayers’ money and put in place and maintained by governments.

Work-life balance – Work-life balance is a state of stability and balance between the demands of someone’s career and their personal life. Each being prioritised at the same level.