Update n°1 - 20 June 2007
Reminder
On 30 and 31 October 2006, at the First Forum on Europe's Demographic Future, organized by the European Commission in Brussels, the German Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Ms Ursula von der Leyen, announced the creation of a European Alliance for Families.
By the start of the German 6-month EU Presidency on January 1st, 2007, the Minister had developed her ideas about the Alliance and presented them at the Council of Ministers on 22nd February. The Council unanimously adopted the initiative and submitted it to the EU Spring Summit of Heads of State and Government, who also unanimously adopted the Alliance, on 8 March 2007.
In short, the Alliance is based on the observation that all EU member States are suffering from alarmingly low birth rates and that Europeans are experiencing difficulties in founding families and ensuring a good standard of living for them.
The Alliance will therefore serve as a platform for exchanging information and experiences on family-friendly policies and for sharing best-practice examples.
There are two main initiatives resulting from the decision:
- the setting up of a Commission Expert group on Demographic Issues to "advise the Commission on the monitoring of demographic change and on the implementation of the policy guidelines set out in the Commission Communication of 12 October 2006 on the demographic future of Europe". The group is composed of 27 government experts and of a few independent experts in a personal capacity. It will assist the Commission to prepare the future demography reports.
- the creation of an Observatory on Demographic Issues in the framework of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, in Dublin. Research will also be carried out in fields relating to demography and family policies.
The Alliance is to be pursued through the following EU Presidencies: Portugal, Slovenia, France,...
First meeting of the Expert group
On June 11th 2007, the Commission Expert group met for the first time in Brussels. It was followed the next day by a meeting with other stakeholders, to which COFACE and the social partners (BusinessEurope, ETUC, CEEP, EAPME) were invited directly and a few other civil society associations were invited via the social platform (EWL, FEFAF, AGE, Diaconia, ILGA). Member States present at the meeting were: Germany, Slovenia, France, Austria. Portugal should have been present but was unable to attend. The Commission was represented by Ralf Jacob, Head of Unit, and Maryse Huet. The meeting was chaired by former Austrian Social Affairs Minister (now retired), Ms Eleonora Hostasch.
The meeting with the stakeholders had two main items on its agenda:
- the presentation and discussion of a web portal for the European Alliance for Families.
- the presentation and discussion of the first demography report, and suggestions for the 2008 report and forum.
The Commission also envisaged organizing small seminars on specific issues. COFACE suggested that the three pillars of family policies (financial resources, services and time for families), as always defended by COFACE and now officially taken up by the Commission in its May 10th, 2007, Communication on "Promoting Solidarity between Generations", be thoroughly analysed in detail so as to take stock of the differences between member States and to identify measures aimed at improving them.
The next meeting of the expert group is foreseen on 27th November 2007. It is not yet decided whether the formula will be the same as this time: 2-day meeting: first the experts, then with other stakeholders. COFACE suggested that in any event it would be important that government experts contact their national family organisations when preparing their input. Of course, reactions to the demography report are encouraged.
