Dear all,
June 2016 will go down in European history. For the first time, a country has signalled through direct democracy that it wishes to leave the European Union. We can only regret but respect this decision to leave the EU family, hope the divorce will go smoothly, wish the UK the best of luck for the future, and hope the referendum result will not create further obstacles for addressing the multiple challenges the European Union is faced with.
Some might argue that with the UK voting to leave, we are all paying for the absence of a Social Europe which puts its citizens first. Europe has failed to take into account the increasing vulnerability of families across the EU. The EU must wake up and use the EU social rights pillar as a meaningful process which drives rights-based social policy/service innovation at local, and also serve as a genuine fundamental rights checklist for developing family-friendly EU policies and laws beyond the social policy field. COFACE wishes to actively participate in shaping the future social rights pillar, starting with a half-day reflection seminar in Brussels end of September 2016.
Since 2010, with the loss of a clear European social policy agenda (or the merging of the social agenda with the growth agenda), European networks like COFACE have increasingly had to build a Social Europe from the bottom up and through transnational dynamics. In fact, in order to meet the new realities outside the Brussels arena (local, transnational, global) and to communicate our mission and values to a wider audience, our General Assembly voted to renew our name: we are now COFACE- Families Europe.
Happy reading on the latest developments in family-related policies in Europe.
Liz Gosme,
Director
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COFACE
2016 General Assembly re-elects president and launches new name: COFACE-Families Europe
On 7 June 2016, COFACE hosted its General Assembly in Brussels. Annemie Drieskens was re-elected as president and forms now together with Antonia Torrens, Jean Bernard Audureau and Eric de Wasch the new Executive Bureau.
The General Assembly voted unanimously to renew the name of the organisation into COFACE-Families Europe and launched a new slogan: “A better society for all families”. COFACE will also launch an updated logo very soon!
The members committed to their involvement in COFACE–Families Europe working towards a family-friendly society, where families and their members benefit from sufficient financial resources, available quality services and adequate time arrangements in order to live and enjoy their family life in dignity and harmony.
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COFACE
SAVE THE DATE: 7-8 November, Berlin “The impact of digitalisation on 21st century families - what role for Europe?”
COFACE Families-Europe and its German member Arbeitsgemeinschaft der deutschen Familienorganisationen (AGF) are jointly organising the conference 'The impact of digitalisation on 21st century families - what role for Europe? on 7-8 November in Berlin.
Objectives:
- Promote transnational exchanges across EU countries through a series of workshops and networking sessions.
- Explore new topics and challenges, to better understand the impact of digitalisation on families.
- Examine how to promote "family-friendly” policy-making in the context of digitalisation.
- Make the links between emerging realities and the EU's current policy-making priorities and competences.
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COFACE
Are families ready for digital changes? - COFACE at the OECD Ministerial Meeting on DigitalEconomy
We were very pleased to participate in the OECD 2016 Ministerial Meeting on Digital Economy: Innovation, Growth and Social Prosperity last week in Mexico, to bring the family perspective and to explore new topics and challenges to better understand the impact of digitalisation on families.
COFACE-Families Europe, together with the Civil Society Stakeholder group CSISAC met the day before the Ministerial Meeting to engage the OECD, member countries, and others in a dialogue on fundamental social concerns “Towards an Inclusive, Equitable, and Accountable Digital Economy”. Five panels where organised on issues such as Civil Society Emerging Issues and Goals and Consumers and Workers in the Digital Work.
COFACE-Families Europe underlined two key issues from the perspective of family associations...
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COFACE
COFACE in the frontline to fight for more inclusive Europe
On 1 June 2016, during the last internal meeting of the European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care (D-I), COFACE was appointed as co-chair of the Expert Group for the next year. We are delighted to take up this important role together with the European Network on Independent Living and Mental Health Europe.
The Expert Group on D-I is a broad coalition gathering stakeholders representing people with care or support needs and their families, including children, people with disabilities, homeless people, people experiencing mental health problems; as well as service providers, public authorities and intergovernmental organisations...
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COFACE
COFACE brings vulnerable families perspective to the launch of the FEAD network
On 2-3 June, COFACE took part in the launch of the FEAD network - a network promoting exchange of good practice to effectively address poverty in Europe in the framework of the new Fund for European Aid to the most Deprived (2014-2020).
We highlighted the needs of vulnerable families in Europe, highlighting some of the challenges (such as financial exclusion, the impact of economic migration, the need for affordable early childhood education and care to enable parents to reconcile work and family life). Families are arguably the pillars of society, where children are educated on fundamental values of solidarity, responsibility, respect. They are safety nets in times of crisis...
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COFACE
Response to the consultation on an effective insolvency framework within the EU
From 23/03 to 16/06, the European Commission gathered opinions on whether there is a need to provide minimum standards for insolvency all over Europe for both SMEs, micro-entrepreneurs and perhaps also individual consumers. This is a big deal for consumers as in many European countries, there are no insolvency laws, which means that consumers are left at the mercy of debt collection companies, which try to squeeze every last cent from people who have nothing more to give. And this can go on for years and years. COFACE responded to the consultation in partnership with EFIN (European Financial Inclusion Network) which coordinated the joint answer. COFACE is strongly in favor of European wide minimum standards for insolvency...
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MEMBERS
Salud y Familia, Spain || "Time Bank" videos got more than 3,000 views
Salud y Familia (Health and Family association) has been promoting for over 15 years the creation of a network for exchanging free services among people who live or work in the same neighbourhood, town or city. These networks of exchange of services, skills, knowledge and relationships between people take the hour as a unit of value and exchanges and is called “Time Banks”. Time Banks are a social inclusion tool for newcomers, enhance intergenerational exchange and improve the reconciliation of personal, family and working life in conditions of equality between men and women.
Despite their growing popularity, time banks remain local, tied to cities and between small communities of people. Our member Salud y Familia helps manage the network, coordinating conferences and dialogue between the banks. Watch their video here
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MEMBERS
UNAF, Spain || UNAF calls for measures and resources to support care to prevent mistreatment of the elderly
On the occasion of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which was held on June 15th, UNAF, the Spanish Union of Family Associations called for more policy measures and resources to support caregivers in order to prevent elder abuse.
In Spain, 85% of family caregivers are women. Many of them leave their jobs to focus on the care of elderly and dependent people because they don't have other choice. "The lack of social resources for the care of the elderly is negligence and, therefore, a form of institutional abuse," says Ascención Iglesias, president of UNAF.
UNAF organises specific training to caregivers and helps the professionals to detect cases of violence. Read more ( in Spanish)
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MEMBERS
Women for Women, Czech Republic || A call to re-engineer European Family Policy to enable Self-sufficient, wealthy & resilient families
Women for Women’s CEO James Stuart Duffin spoke on Family Futurology- trends, concerns and policy impacts at the international conference on Society, Jobs and Families in Transition, an Erasmus + funded initiative on June 15th. ‘Has the special daddy quota in the Nordic countries, for fathers made men more caring?’ he asked. James Stuart Duffin called for the re-engineering of family policy which will enable 1/Self-sufficient, wealthy & resilient families, 2/Healthy & educated children, 3/Improved access to decent work, 4/Better work-family balance, 5/Gender equality and 6/Stronger intergenerational bonds.
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MEMBERS
Step by Step, Croatia || The Croatian Association of parents marks its 20 anniversary!
"Step by Step" is celebrating now 20 years of continuous involvement in policy aiming at help children and parents promoting quality, active and responsible parenthood. The association's activities include promotion of children's rights and cooperation with preschool, school and other institutions which take care of children and families. The work of Step by Step include organisation of seminars, lectures and cooperation with domestic and foreign organisations.
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MEMBERS
Ligue des Familles, Belgium || calling for a mandatory paternity leave
Today, more and more fathers want to be more involved with their children. Ligue des Familles is taking action to make paternity leave compulsory (10 days in Belgium). This is an important step for better protection of fathers, more equality between men and women and the well-being of children and for a more open society. Resistances are expected, but by the next generation, no one will raise the issue. Read more ( in French)
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MEMBERS
UNAF, France || New study – The era of new fathers?
On the occasion of Father's Day, UNAF France published a study with the testimony of 11,000 fathers on their paternity and the obstacles they find to fully exercise their paternity.
The survey showcased the strong desire of fathers to be heard and recognised as carers and educators. For some of them it seems difficult to find a place in school or nursery, as often, it is a feminine universe.
Professional and financial constraints on some fathers and do not allow them to stick to the "egalitarian" model promoted in our societies. Read more (in French)
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EU NEWS
Council conclusions on Gender Equality and in Poverty and Social Exclusion
The EPSCO Council adopted conclusions on gender equality on 17 June. COFACE is glad to note that Ministers have taken into account the voice of families and included several of the concerns and demands that COFACE and its Members have been voicing. In particular, we welcome the use of the R-S-T (Resources, Services and Time) approach.
COFACE welcomes the Council engagement and will continue working with the European Institutions to transform these demands into reality for all families across Europe, starting from a proposal for the introduction of a paid paternity leave and a carers’ leave a EU level, to support families across the life cycle.
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EU NEWS
New Skills Agenda for Europe adopted
The Commission adopted on 10 June a new and comprehensive “Skills Agenda for Europe”. It calls on Member States and stakeholders to improve the quality of skills and their relevance for the labour market. According to studies, 70 million Europeans lack adequate reading and writing skills, and even more have poor numeracy and digitals skills. This puts them at risk of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion.
Increasing skill levels, promoting transversal skills and finding ways to better anticipate the labour market's needs, including based on dialogue with the industry, are therefore essential to improve people's chances in life, and support fair, inclusive and sustainable growth as well as cohesive societies.
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EU NEWS
Digital Festival 2016 - an event promoting disruptive thinking in the digital world
On the 21st of June, Forum Europe organised a Digital Festival, which consisted in a savant mix of high level panel discussions on the opportunities and threats of digitalisation, a variety of live demonstrations of nascent or future technologies, and parallel workshop sessions covering many key issues such as Data Protection and Privacy, Connected Cars, Internet of Things, Blockchain technology and the emergence of Fintechs...
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EU NEWS
Brussels Economic Forum 2016 #EUBEF2016: selling inclusive growth as inequalities rise!
On the 9th of June, ECFIN held the 2016 edition of the Brussels Economic Forum, which brought together key policy makers from all over Europe.
After an introductory speech by Marco Buti, Mario Draghi delivered a keynote presenting an overview of the state of play of the economy, the challenges ahead and the assorted policy measures. Four high level panels followed, looking at the present and future of the Euro, structural reforms for inclusive growth, lessons learned from economic adjustment programmes, and investment as an engine for growth.
Nearly all speakers pushed the idea of necessary structural reforms to rekindle with growth, even if these were painful. The emergence of euroskepticism or skepticism in globalization were pinned on the lack of proper explanation of such reforms to the population...
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EU NEWS
Business, Children and the Internet – The latest evidence from eNACSO and the European Commission
On 15th June, COFACE spoke at a hearing in the European Parliament on “Business, Children and the Internet” organised by the European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online eNACSO, and co-hosted by MEPs Anna Maria Corazza Bildt (SE) and Timothy Kirkhope (UK). Two reports were presented on this occasion: the eNACSO report “When Free Isn’t” and the Commission study on the impact of marketing through social media, online games and mobile applications on children's behaviour. COFACE responded to these reports, highlighting some of the threats of unscrupulous online commercial practices aimed at children, and advocated for a mix of regulation, self-regulation and education. We put forward some proposals of different indicators to increase the transparency and information of online products and services.
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EU NEWS
Work Forum on the implementation of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
The Work Forum aimed at ensuring that the UN Convention is fully implemented. It allowed to share experiences on its practical implementation and monitoring and to promote solutions to common challenges. The event was organised by the European Commission and the European Disability Forum.
The Forum brought together representatives of those responsible for implementing and monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention, both at EU and national level: Focal Points, Coordination Mechanisms and Monitoring Mechanisms. Civil society and disabled people's organisations also actively participate in the Work Forum.
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EU NEWS
European agenda for the collaborative economy
The collaborative economy is growing rapidly. As it takes root in the EU, national and local authorities are responding with a patchwork of different regulatory actions. This fragmented approach to new business models creates uncertainty for traditional operators, new services providers and consumers alike.
The European Commission presented on June 2nd a guidance aimed at supporting consumers, businesses and public authorities to engage confidently in the collaborative economy.
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PARTNERS
Joint Statement: The Alliance for Investing in Children welcomes Council Conclusions acknowledging the need to address child poverty
COFACE has supported a joint statement of the Alliance for investing in children.
The Alliance for Investing in Children urges EU institutions and Member States, and in particular the upcoming Slovak Presidency, to maintain child poverty and social exclusion high on their political agenda...
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PARTNERS
FamiliesAndSocieties
The FamiliesAndSocieties project studies important aspects of the family life course, focusing on new family configurations, life goals and transitions, on the new roles of women and men, and on late fertility, childlessness and assisted reproductive technologies.
The consortium is holding an event in European Parliament in Brussels on 29th September where Annemie Drieskens, COFACE President will provide the perspective of European civil society.
Read more here
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PARTNERS
SDG Watch Europe: Civil society calls on EU go beyond business as usual with EU strategy to implement Agenda 2030
SDG Watch Europe, an alliance of 70 organisations including COFACE-Families Europe and Plan International, sent a letter on June 6 to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker calling for him to adopt, as a matter of urgency, an overarching strategy to guide implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
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PARTNERS
EUROFOUND: What do Europeans do at work? A task-based analysis: European Jobs Monitor 2016
Europe continues its recovery from the economic decline caused by the global financial crisis in 2008. In 2014–2015, aggregate employment levels rose faster than at any time since 2008 and over 4 million new jobs were created in the 28 EU Member States. The 5th annual European Jobs Monitor report looks at employment shifts at Member States and aggregate EU level from 2011 to 2015.
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PARTNERS
Joint press release: EC must safeguard adequate investment in community-based services in CSR
The Commission recently published its 2016 country-specific recommendations (CSR) to Member States. Following positive statements on the way social care and support should be provided in the last few years by the Commission, the European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care welcomes several recommendations promoting quality care and support and access to employment and inclusive education for disadvantaged groups.
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