The late 20th century was a time of rapid population, scientific and technological changes in Europe.
Significantly lengthening life expectancies, a falling birth rate and improved infant mortality, and the spread of women in the labour force have changed family lifestyles. Family groups themselves have become more diverse, and the "standard" two married parents and child(ren) family now jostles for place with lone parent families, blended families and common-law partnerships.
Whatever type of family they come from, most Europeans have been, are or will be part of "a family", and opinion polls show that the family still comes at the top of the list of values. Family organizations demand a say in the shaping of Europe, and for the family dimension to be mainstreamed across all European policy spheres.
But neither the Treaty of Rome nor those which supplemented and amended it up to Nice (December 2000) have made the family or family policy an area of European responsibility: it still lies essentially with the Member States.
And yet many decisions taken at European level do affect families. Be it, for example, the free movement of persons, the future of work and social protection, the environment and consumer protection, media policies or even social, educational and cultural programmes, European policies have far-reaching impacts on the way families live.
