15 May - International Day of Families
COFACE calls the European
Commission to safeguard family life of migrants and refugees
"Today, on the International Day of Families, we can
not forget vulnerable families and those whose right to live their family life
depend on the possibility of family reunification.” said Agnes Uhereczky, COFACE Director, and added that "Family reunification is a vector of social
cohesion and integration, therefore, no family, regardless of the income or
education level of its members, should be discriminated and prevented from such
right.”
In view of the upcoming
Integration Forum, COFACE, together with other 20 NGOs, recalls that family
reunification is a fundamental human right under EU law and families must be
supported to fulfil it. Moreover, Member States have the obligation to properly
implement the EU Family Reunification Directive.
COFACE finally calls on the
European Commission to start infringement procedures against the Member States
that are not complying with the current EU rules and encourage to establish an
on-going mechanism to monitor Member States’ implementation of the Directive
and its practical impact on migrant families.
END
20 NGO Statement
15 May, International Day of Families 2012
On the occasion of the United Nation’s International
Day of Families, which takes place each year on 15 May, COFACE, the
Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union calls for a European Year for Reconciling Work and Family Life in 2014
In
2012 the International Day focuses on "Ensuring work-family balance”. During
the last decades several economic, social and demographic trends led to major
obstacles in finding the right balance between work and family life. The
wellbeing of families is key to a healthy and well-functioning society. The
different family members should not be put in a position where they have to
make very difficult choices between their work commitments and family
responsibilities, but together we should find a way to enable families to have
time for each other, access to available and quality services while they are at
work and benefit from sufficient financial resources to live well.
Furthermore, high levels of job loss, youth unemployment and low
birth-rates in addition to a very poor economic performance constitute the main
challenges the EU is facing today. An adequate policy mix of family policy,
social, economic, innovation and equal opportunities policies can address these
issues both at EU and Member
States levels and have an
important role in finding viable, sustainable solutions.
"As
a consequence of deepening social, economic and demographic disparities,
families in Europe face many challenges
nowadays. Supporting practical strategies and formal policies towards the
promotion of work and family life reconciliation is crucial to tackle and
prevent poverty and social exclusion. A European Year dedicated to highlight
and present existing reconciliation policies would also give visibility to
social responsibility, health, gender equality or child welfare policies”, stressed Annemie Drieskens, President of COFACE.
Reconciliation of work and family life are at the heart of the work
COFACE has been doing for over 50 years at EU level, therefore COFACE calls for the European Year for Reconciling Work and Family Life
in 2014. COFACE believes that such a year would further highlight the efforts
of the European Commission for a job-rich recovery.
COFACE
encourages its member organisations and other European level
institutions/organisations to celebrate the International Day of Families and
support its initiative towards the European Year 2014.
COFACE MANIFESTO calling for 2014 European Year for Reconciling Work and
Family Life
COFACE BLOG "Reconciling
Work and Family Life"
Other Press releases:
2/4/12
COFACE's newly elected President
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Published on 21 Jan 2011
Updated on 15 May 2012
COFACE is supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity - PROGRESS (2007-2013). This website is produced with the support of the European Commission but does not necessarily express its views.
