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 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.
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.
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?
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.
The rEUsilience project under Horizon Europe (with COFACE as an intergral partner), has recently presented its latest findings from focus groups involving over 300 family members across six European countries (Belgium, Croatia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). These insights delve into the realities families encounter amidst socio-economic risks like job loss and substantial care responsibilities.
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....
The Commission presented the annual European Semester Spring Package on 24 May 2023. The Package includes a Communication, country reports and country-specific recommendations for all 27 Member States, in-depth reviews for 17 Member States, and a Commission proposal on guidelines for Member States’ employment policies in 2023.
As we reflect on the past year, we cannot ignore the unprecedented circumstances that shaped our journey. Throughout this transformative year, our unwavering ambition has been to shape a robust social Europe that truly caters to the needs of families.
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.
