Media Release
Brussels, 15th May 2024
On this 2024 International Day of Families and ahead of the European elections in June, COFACE is pleased to publish its assessment of the European Union’s work from 2019 to 2024 as well as its key demands to the EU for the 2024-2029 mandate. Both will be presented to friends of COFACE in Brussels during a Meet&Connect event in the presence of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, the occasion also to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the International Year of Families.
In 2019 COFACE Families Europe published its New Deal for Families of Today which reflects the needs and challenges of families of today and calls for a mix of European actions (policy, law, funding, benchmarking, innovation) to drive real change. These recommendations are addressed at EU-level policymakers in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU, from whom we expect joint leadership to ensure tangible results for Europe’s citizens.
After five years of hard work from our end to advocate for respect and support of the diversity of families and based on the New Deal, COFACE has assessed the European Union’s work from 2019-2024, and how it contributes to achieving positive outcomes for families of today.
Annemie Drieskens, COFACE president said: “Overall there have been important steps taken to support families! The European strategies adopted in many fields respond to the challenges faced by families and are in line with our values. We welcome especially that The European Pillar of Social Rights is strengthened, the Care Strategy reinforces the social recognition of family carers, and the Child Guarantee is an important step forward for driving actions to fight child poverty. Nevertheless, the situation is still critical for families today and it is clear that support must be sustained and reinforced. There is still a long way to go”.
Read the full assessment here.
While our assessment refers to various initiatives to support families, it cannot fully assess the real impact on families at local level yet. It is crucial for the EU institutions to conduct monitoring and evaluation of their policies to understand the impact on families in order to review and consolidate existing frameworks under the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and key strategies including the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Better Internet for Kids + Strategy, and the European Care Strategy.
The situation is still critical for families of today, particularly in light of all the crises (health, energy, war, climate). More needs to be done to ensure that policy systems (public and private) help families face risks and to be resilient in key transitions.
We therefore call on the EU policy makers to join forces with COFACE Families Europe and Act now for families of today on ten specific actions during its next 5-year mandate from 2024-2029.
//ENDS
Notes to editor