Joint letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; António Costa, President of the European Council.
The European Commission’s European Semester Autumn Package, published in December 2024, initiates a new cycle of the European Semester, providing a comprehensive overview of the socio-economic landscape, identifying key priorities and risks, and offering policy guidance to assist EU Member States in achieving shared objectives in 2025.
In February 2023, Parliament approved the creation of a public health subcommittee. In December 2024, Parliament’s political group leaders decided to upgrade its status to a standing committee. The SANT Committee will deal with programmes and specific actions in the field of public health.
Across Europe, more than 20% of 15-year-old students reported being frequently bullied, a phenomenon that affects students and schools irrespective of their socio-economic profile. Bullying in schools has negative impacts on the wellbeing and mental health of learners, their school’s climate and their educational outcomes.
All across Europe, COFACE members continuously work to contribute to positive outcomes for diverse types of families in a changing society, including single-parent households. Organisations such as La Ligue des Familles and Single Parents Foundation have both recently and respectively put a spotlight on concrete ways to support and empower single parents in Europe from Belgium to Hungary.
Social investments and reforms in key areas can boost employment, social inclusion, competitiveness and economic growth. This is the main finding of the Commission’s 2024 Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) report.
In most European countries, there is a lack of adequate community-based services for persons with care needs. In many cases, this gap is filled by family members who frequently face the challenge of balancing their own needs with the demands of caregiving. However invaluable this role may be, non-professional care provided by family members should never replace the duty of national public authorities to provide high-quality, accessible and affordable support and care services to ensure people’s full participation in society.
Europe is ageing and is facing a digital revolution. While AGE recognise and value the positive change new technologies can bring, the European platform is also conscious of, and has experienced, the barriers created by too rapid digitalisation and the impact it has on our autonomy, participation and dignity.
The representatives of the EU Member States are currently negotiating a proposal from the EU Commission for a Council Regulation on the mutual recognition of parenthood in the EU. The planned regulation aims to ensure that the parenthood of a child that is legally established in one EU member state is also recognised by the other member states.
In July 2024, the European Commission decided to refer Germany to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to uphold the rights of mobile workers from other EU Member States as regards the amount of family benefits granted to them.
The #AccessibleEU Centre features a growing online depository with nearly 200 good practices on different areas of #accessibility from all over Europe. It aims to create a common European one-stop-shop on accessibility, build the capacity on accessibility in EU countries, train excellent professionals on accessibility and much more.
EU policy-makers must ensure that all families are given support and guidance to access and navigate the digital environment in a meaningful way. This includes strong legal frameworks as well as strong and “low-threshold” evidence-based support and prevention measures for families. COFACE has produced a policy brief highlighting the importance of digital technologies for children and their families, and analysing whether existing and currently debated EU frameworks aimed at ensuring safe and empowering digital experiences for children integrate a families perspective.
With new MEPs recently elected to the European Parliament and a new European Commission about to be formed, COFACE has produced a policy brief highlighting the importance of digital technologies for children and their families, and analysing whether existing and currently debated EU frameworks – aimed at ensuring safe and empowering digital experiences for children – integrate a families perspective. COFACE calls upon EU policy-makers to ensure that all families are given support and guidance to access and navigate the digital environment in a meaningful way.
Dutch COFACE member Pro Parents are stressing the importance of strong safety standards and adequate conditions for women working during pregnancy. 50% of pregnant women in the Netherlands work in unsafe conditions. This shocking statistic was recently uncovered from research by Dr. Monique van Beukering. Dr van Beukering is a company doctor, scientific researcher and domain expert at Pro Parents Workplace Wellbeing.
On the 4th of June, COFACE-Families Europe held a financial inclusion meeting to discuss key priorities in financial inclusion at the European level, learn about political developments and the “Reset Finance” campaign from Finance Watch, and share good practices through the work of COFACE’s Spanish member Isadora Duncan. The event gathered members and attendees from across Europe to address the pressing issues faced by families in Europe related to economics and finance.
The European Commission has released a new toolkit to help policymakers make the best use of EU funding to invest in social housing and accompanying services. This initiative addresses the urgent need for affordable and decent housing, which is crucial for social inclusion and enables greater participation in education and the labour market.
COFACE member, the Association of German Family Organisations (AGF), was founded on the 25th of March 1954. 70 years later, on the 25th of march, AGF members looked back on its history and discussed the current challenges in family policy. The constituent meeting of AGF took place in 1954 in Königswinter, Germany, and laid the foundations for coordinated and committed representation of family interests at a national level and international work.
COFACE is part of the rEUsilience project which aims to understand how different families respond when they are faced with socio-economic shocks and major decisions regarding managing family life and securing a decent income. A key outcome of this project is a compendium of families’ risks, resources, and resilience which provides users with open-access data to understand the situation of families in Europe.
In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). 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. It is on this basis that we have assessed the European Union’s work from 2019 to 2024, and how it contributes to achieving eight positive outcomes for families of today.
COFACE has the ambition to shape together a strong social Europe fit for families and foster a European society that is more inclusive, offers equal opportunities and brings everyone forward.
In preparation of the next European elections on 6-9th June 2024, here are ten specific actions we would like to see integrated in the programme of the European Union.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the European energy crisis resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have brought energy poverty to the forefront of social and political debate. EU policies have increasingly reflected this, but gender considerations remain overlooked.
As Poland marks the one-year anniversary of the implementation of the Work-Life Balance Directive, questions arise about its impact on gender equality in both professional and family spheres. Do women and men feel more equal in their professional and family lives?
Autism Europe, a network of organisations advancing the rights of autistic people and their families became co-chair of the European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based support (EEG), with COFACE Families Europe. They took over from the European Disability Forum. The EEG is a coalition advocating to replace institutionalisation with family- and community-based support. It represents children and their families, people with disabilities and their families, homeless people, people experiencing mental health problems, service providers, public authorities, UN organisations.
Equality and non-discrimination are core EU values and fundamental rights, enshrined in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, research shows that discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people persists across the EU. Despite progressive legal frameworks at the supra-national level, levels of protection for rainbow families specifically vary significantly between European states. Some countries provide adequate legal safeguards, while others lag behind, reflecting an ongoing struggle for equality and recognition.
The Council of the European Union approved the European Child Guarantee (ECG) to address and combat child poverty and exclusion (Council of the European Union, 2021). This report by Eurofound provides knowledge and information about the workforce relevant to ECG and to support Member States in implementing the ECG and reporting on the implementation of national action plans.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2024, COFACE Families Europe is calling on EU policymakers and employers to take concrete and effective measures to close the gender employment gap in the EU. Women’s participation in employment is significantly affected by motherhood, with negative consequences for their health, for families and the economy.
The #MakeItWork campaign, spearheaded by the Commission, is dedicated to championing the importance of achieving a harmonious work-life balance. Through this initiative, the Commission strives to raise awareness about the significance of balancing professional commitments with personal and family responsibilities.
On this Safer Internet Day 2024, COFACE urges EU stakeholders to extend the temporary ePrivacy Derogation by at least two years, but with the main focus on adopting a long-term framework on preventing and combatting online child sexual abuse. Policy makers and technology companies must play their part to keep children safe online and not leave the burden on children and their families.
The Council of the European Union will be headed by Belgium for the first six months of 2024 (1st of January to the 30th of June), a special year for the institution because next June, the citizens of the 27 Member States (nearly 200 million voters in the last elections in 2019) will elect the 720 new Members of the European Parliament.
Persons with disabilities have the right to live independently, included in the community and to family life. To mark the 2023 UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the COFACE Disability Platform places the spotlight on family carers. Their crucial role can significantly boost the fulfillment of the rights outlined in the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, provided they receive adequate support. A COFACE Disability “Thematic Note” was developed to contribute to policy discussions and help find constructive solutions.
The annual report by the Social Protection Committee examines social conditions and social protection policies across the EU. This year’s report – issued on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – focuses on the energy and cost of living crisis.
On 27th September 2023, COFACE intervened at a conference organised by the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union on the topic of social protection of families.The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda and Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations brought together a wide range of Spanish, European and international speakers to look at existing data on family models and explored different policy solutions.
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.
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.
In November 2022, the Digital Services Act (DSA), which introduces new rules for online service providers, came into force. It significantly improves the mechanisms for the removal of illegal content and for the effective protection of users’ fundamental rights online, including the freedom of speech. It also creates a stronger public oversight of online platforms, in particular for platforms that reach more than 10% of the EU’s population.
As international stakeholders gather in Warsaw today for the International Annual Conference on Energy Poverty to address the multifaceted challenges of energy poverty, it is crucial for the EU and its governments to act swiftly for a families-sensitive approach to energy policy and planning. This includes integrated policy solutions that combine energy and social policies which are vital in preparation for the winter ahead. COFACE has developed a policy brief.
The EU and its governments must act swiftly for a families-sensitive approach to energy policy and planning. This includes integrated policy solutions that combine energy and social policies - these are vital in addressing the multifaceted nature of energy poverty....
On the 27th of May, EU and national leaders gathered in Porto to discuss the role of social policies in shaping the European project. With this statement, the EU Alliance for Investing in Children aims to stress that eradicating child poverty is an indispensable...
The European Child Guarantee, established through a Council Recommendation on the 14th of June 2021, is a key step in achieving the European Pillar of Social Rights target to reduce the number of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Two years after the historical adoption of this Recommendation and the promise of all EU Member States to act to lift children and their families out of poverty, COFACE Families Europe assessed the plans submitted by April 2023 from the perspective of children with disabilities and their families who experience specific barriers when accessing key services and have a more significant risk of poverty and social exclusion.
To safeguard the right to work-life balance across Member States, in April 2023, the European Commission decided to continue infringement procedures against Belgium Czechia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Austria, and Slovenia by sending them a reasoned opinion for failing to notify national measures fully transposing EU rules establishing rights on work-life balance for parents and carers.
On 2 May 2023, the European Commission published a Staff Working Document: “Cohesion 2021-2027: forging an ever-stronger Union – Report on the outcome of 2021-2027 cohesion policy programming.” The report shows how the policy will provide investments worth a total of €545 billion, of which, €378 billion is funded by the EU.
The Eurobarometer is a collection of cross-country public opinion surveys conducted regularly on behalf of the EU Institutions since 1974. In a newly released Eurobarometer survey, it is revealed that most EU citizens overwhelmingly support strong action at EU and national level and more social spending.
The main task of the High-Level Group was to analyse the expected impacts of megatrends such as demographic changes, resulting in a shrinking workforce and an ageing population, transformations on the labour market and the digital and green transitions, as well as the emergence of new risks on the social protection and on the welfare systems.
While single motherhood does not automatically mean vulnerability, statistics, and testimonies show that this status puts women at increased risk of poverty and social exclusion. On this International women’s rights day, COFACE Families Europe is calling on the EU and Member States to act now for the economic and social rights of single mothers.
It could be a good brain-teaser to ask what is the occupation of the tens of millions of people in Europe today, whose daily work time can span over 24 hours and is not only essential but also life-saving. We could not even say that this type of work is underpaid as it is, in many cases, not paid at all. And although it is not necessarily undervalued, it is clear that this essential work is taken for granted. For COFACE Families Europe, who represents the interests of families across Europe, the answer to this brainteaser is evident.
A year has passed since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, which has affected and displaced millions of children. Despite the international community’s repeated calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the plight of children and young people caught in this atrocious war remains with little end in sight.
The EU Work-life Balance Directive is the first legislative initiative that follows the launch of the European Pillar of Social Rights in 2017 and was formally adopted two years later in 2019. COFACE Families Europe expects high ambitions from the different EU institutions and national governments in the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as a stepping stone to develop a framework for a more social and fairer European Union.
All EU countries had until the 2nd of August 2022 to bring into force the laws, regulations, and administrative provisions necessary to comply fully with the Work-life balance Directive. The Directive contains legal elements that acknowledge the diversity of families in the 21st century, for instance with the mention of “equivalent second parent” under the paternity leave article.
The European Commission’s 2022 European Semester Spring Package provides the Member States with support and guidance two years on from the first impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the midst of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
In April, Financial Inclusion Europe is organising multiple national webinar events which will discuss the proposals on the Consumer Credit Directive. Key stakeholders from France, Italy, and Germany will exchange on the CCD proposal and its capacity to improve the national consumer credit market to make it safer, fairer, and inclusive.
With this statement, the EU Alliance for Investing in Children aims to demand immediate attention to the delays in submitting the national action plans and offer key recommendations on the Child Guarantee and its upcoming implementation.
On the first anniversary of the EU’s Child Rights Strategy, COFACE alongside 13 organisations calls to put child rights at the heart of EU policies and apply the Strategy responding to the crisis in Ukraine to support all children and their families.
Violence against women and domestic violence are pervasive throughout the EU and are estimated to affect 1 in 3 women in the EU. On International Day of Women’s Rights, March 8th 2022, the European Commission presented EU-wide rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence.
