20 September 2024

Dear all,  

September is a packed month for European politics particularly following the June elections. In Brussels, this week has been busy with the unveiling of the new European Commission portfolios by President-elect Ursula von der Leyen, presenting her plans for 2024-2029 to the European Parliament. COFACE will continue to closely monitor developments and strengthen partnerships with the Commission to shape a family-supportive Europe. Read more here.

Advocacy remains at the forefront of our work across Europe. In France, for the sixth consecutive year, our dear COFACE Disability member Unapei and their partners have issued a crucial "Back-to-School" reminder that not all children have access to appropriate schooling. Their campaign #jaipasecole draws attention to the critical issue of children with disabilities being denied access to suitable education and aims to push for systemic changes to guarantee their rights. Find out more here. 

Keep scrolling for more updates and news affecting families throughout Europe.

Bettina 
Senior Communication Officer 
COFACE Families Europe 

In July 2024, the European Commission decided to refer Germany to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to uphold the rights of mobile workers from other EU Member States as regards the amount of family benefits granted to them. [...]

In April 2024, COFACE and the Irish CountryWomen's Association co-hosted a  European expert meeting on Life-long learning and bringing the family perspective to the education field. You can now access the full meeting report on our website. [...]

In their position, AGF demands that the discussion on the topic must take place in a fact-based manner against the background of a pluralistic society in which different family forms have their place regardless of origin, gender, religion and sexual orientation. [...]

Europe is ageing and is facing a digital revolution. While AGE recognise and value the positive change new technologies can bring, the European platform is also conscious of, and has experienced, the barriers created by too rapid digitalisation and the impact it has on our autonomy, participation and dignity. [...]

In June 2024, COFACE member, KMOP, educated and raised awareness among 12 informal caregivers about improving services for people with dementia and helping them build better social relationships with their patients. The training took place at the Psychogeriatric Association “Nestor”,  the largest provider of free services for the elderly in Greece today. [...]