According to the Communication, support to families is key to reach the Lisbon Agenda and meet the demographic challenges.
Therefore the European Commission seeks to assess how families can be best supported to have the number of children they desire. It emphasises the importance of gender equality to meet this objective. The European Commission sets out three areas where Member States, the EU, social partners and NGOs could focus on:
Financial support for those raising a family;
Quality care services for elderly and the youngsters;
Flexible working time.
Establishing a European Alliance for Families
The Communication, welcomed by the Council on the 30 May 2007, establishes a European Alliance for Families, a platform the German presidency has strongly pushed for.
Although it is still very vague, the Alliance is supposed to be a platform of exchange of information and best practices towards family-friendly policies. It will involve Member States, with the participation of the European Commission. No new structures are to be established but the Alliance will be organised on existing resources.
As a first step, a high-level group of government experts on demographic issues will be set up in June. It is not clear yet what definition of families will be taken on board, nor how NGOs are going to be associated to the Alliance.
