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Editorial
Universally accessible, affordable quality childcare for all!
Investment into early childhood education to reduce early school leaving!
Harmonise leave schemes with available childcare!
Holistic policy responses to and recognition of the work of family carers!
These were some of the key messages that emerged after two very busy and very productive days in the life of COFACE.
On the 25th June we organised an expert group meeting on Early Childhood Care and Learning and Early School Leavers, which gathered 18 experts from the COFACE members, as well as representatives of other Parents’ organisations and the European Commission. We spent a whole day listening to each other, trying to understand European trends, shared challenges, and formulate together our joint recommendations, that would truly reflect the needs of families.
The very next day, on the 26th June we organised a conference in the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Marian Harkin on the Recognition of Family Carers, and reconciling work and care responsibilities. As per usual, time was short for the many interesting and relevant presentations, but so many pertinent points emerged, that require the continuation of the discussions and that looks at reconciliation policies and practices from very different angles.
Both events merit their own articles, which you can find in this edition of our newsletter, including the links to the specific pages on our website, where you will find all the presentations of the speakers and the summary of the events.
We will continue the reflection on the 9th October during the Open Days of the Committee of the Regions, this time looking at what local and regional authorities can do to improve the living and working conditions of families.
Enjoy the Newsletter!
Agnes Uhereczky, COFACE Director |
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COFACE - Shining the light on Family CarersReconciling Work and Care responsibilities: a challenge for family carers in Europe, European Parliament event on 26th June.
We organised this event to highlight the work of ordinary people who are selflessly performing extraordinary tasks behind closed doors, often risking their own health and their own happiness. We want to trigger a holistic policy response, urge Member States to stop cutting funds which is detrimental to the quality of care, and instead invest in structures and services that would enable a real freedom of choice for reconciling care and working life. 80 % of care hours are provided by informal (family) carers free of charge. But these hours spent caring for family members is also time away from paid jobs, social inclusion and pension rights... Read more
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EU - RoamingThe summer vacations are here and many families, despite the crisis, are planning to travel abroad and spend some quality time with their children, their relatives and/or their partner.
But a couple of urgent phone calls or some useful web surfing can lead to unpleasant surprises back home. With the new EU roaming rules, there is less need to worry.
Under the revised EU Commission roaming rules which are in force as of the 1st of July 2012, the cost of roaming charges have new caps (VAT excluded).
See the official EU Commission table and information on roaming here
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EU - Rio+20 conferenceThe Rio+20 conference has lead to much disappointment, especially from civil society and NGO representatives. A compromise text of the Rio declaration entitled "The Future We Want", containing 283 articles, does not meet expectations. The set up of concrete sustainable development goals is postponed to a future date and the set up of a global environmental agency with real powers will most likely never take place.
As a civil society organisation, we will continue to lobby and push for more ambitious goals and measures but looking back at the enduring failures of international agreements and government lead actions, we also need to develop alternatives such as promoting grassroots initiatives.
COFACE calls upon its national member organisations, families and citizens of the EU to get involved in local sustainable development projects lead by civil society... Read more
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EU - 7th European Integration Forum & Expert roundtable in BerlinCOFACE, together with representatives of its Members AGF (Germany), Salud y Familia (Spain) and UNAF (France), participated in the Forum, to bring the voice of family organisations. The Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom welcomed the statement published on 15 May by 20 NGOs, including COFACE and which has gathered now over 75 signatory NGOs. COFACE welcomes the inclusive approach of the European Commission and will continue following closely the political and legislative developments on the right to family reunification... Read more
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COFACE - More public investment for children and young people neededCOFACE expert group meeting on Early School Leavers (ESL) and Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
Over 20 experts participated in our experts’ seminar on the 25th June in Brussels, covering 12 European countries.
Why now, and what did we want to achieve?
The European Commission organised for the 26th July a stakeholder’s consultation on the same topics, and before participating at this meeting, we wanted to make sure that we truly understand the issues at national level and from the point of views of families. Therefore we asked our members to give us the situation in the countries, and express their requests as to what the European Commission and what Member States can and need to do. ECEC and ESL are very much linked... Read more
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COFACE - A new face in the SecretariatDiane-Sophie Laroche is a 22-year-old student interning at COFACE for six weeks. Her internship marks the end of her fourth year at Sciences Po Bordeaux where she studied for a Master 1 specialized in "European Careers”. She’ll be carrying out a wide range of duties, mostly seconding the different Secretariat staff. She has already, for instance, written factsheets to publicize COFACE’s policies. To give her new insights, she has been regularly attending conferences.
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EU - How to promote health in times of austerity?Cutting health budgets is one example of an austerity measure yet evidence shows that health policies not only help tackle growing health inequalities but also that investment in health promotion and prevention is very cost-effective with a 9 to 1 return on investment. The health sector is also a major contributor to growth as it accounts for 10% of GDP in the EU. Therefore spending wisely rather than cutting irresponsibly in health and social policy expenditure can actually boost growth and ease public deficits in a medium term perspective.
Ahead of the EPSCO European Council meeting of the 21-22 June, COFACE signed an open letter from EPHA on the importance to invest in health and social welfare systems and encourages its national members to sign and send the letter to their national governments. To download a copy of the letter click here
For more information on the event, please visit the EPHA website
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EU - European Consumer SummitOn the 29th of May, DG SANCO held its annual European Consumer Summit. The event was an occasion to discuss the communication on consumer agenda which foresees future actions to be implemented by 2014 and looks at long term objectives in light of the EU2020 strategy.
COFACE stressed the need to focus on vulnerable consumers especially children and the online world. Children are often targeted for commercial purposes online and are victims of misleading advertising or scams bordering legality… Read more
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New COFACE Blog entry by GingerbreadGingerbread is the UK charity working with single parent families. Read their new post on our blog: http://eyf2014.wordpress.com/
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COFACE - Upcoming event on Family friendly regionsCOFACE will organise a workshop on "Family Friendly Regions - Towards smart and sustainable growth" during the 2012 Open Days of the Committee of the Regions on 9 October 2012. If you wish to kno more on this event, please register here
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COFACE - Responsible use of Social networkingSocial networks are being used more and more by children. Over 20% of 9-12 year olds use Facebook and 38% are using online social network tools. This raises concerns revolving around the protection of privacy and private data, cyber bullying, and contact with strangers and exposure to inappropriate content.
There are a number of basic recommendations that help in addressing these issues... Read more
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COFACE position on Credit insurance: Time to end discriminationCOFACE has put out a policy position on credit insurance. All families need a home, and most have to take out a mortgage to get one. Banks are now pushing loan protection insurance, and sometimes making it a condition of getting a mortgage.
For families, accessing credit and credit insurance are vital. Going from renting to home ownership, starting a family or having a home the right size for children, buying a bigger car to ferry a large brood around, renovating a home for better insulation or fitting solar panels are all investments that can often only be made by borrowing. Being denied credit affects all family members but all families need to make these outlays whether their members are affected by a serious illness, disability or something else that classifies as an insurance "risk".
That makes it essential to see that everyone has access to reasonably priced payment protection insurance on reasonable terms... Read the position
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EU - Baby milk needs to be better regulated
In the wake of the European Parliament's vote on the 14th of June on the Report "Food intended for infants and young children and food for special medical purposes”, COFACE expressed its regrets that a precautionary stance preventing parents of young children from being exposed to misleading advertising has not been taken.
We at COFACE feel that as advertising of the baby milk and formulae products has not been properly addressed by the Members of the European Parliament, parents will continue to be exposed to advertising that plays with their emotions and feelings of guilt, and be confused by the wide variety of products and brands to chose from. Rules on the labelling and content of baby milks and food for people with special medical needs must be stricter and better defined to protect consumers, perhaps even going as far as to make them available on prescription only... Read our press release
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EU - Consultation on bank accountsThe purpose of this consultation was to gather stakeholders’ views on the need for action and on the possible measures to be taken in relation to the issues of transparency and comparability of bank account fees, bank account switching and access to a basic payment account. Read COFACE's response
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The COFACE team wishes you nice holidays!Please note, that during the summer we are renovating our office, and so communication may be a bit perturbed due to this, however, we will invite you all to an office warming party, once the last picture found its place on the wall in rue de Londres 17.
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