MEASURES TO IMPROVE EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

17/07/2008: The report on Equality Between Women and Men 2008 was adopted today by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. The report reiterates the dual nature of gender mainstreaming at EU level, on the one hand ensuring equality between women and men in all policy areas and, on the other hand, targeted measures to curb discrimination against women. These measures include awareness-raising campaigns, the exchange of best practices, dialogues with citizens and public-private partnership initiatives.

EPP-ED Shadow Rapporteur, Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou, stressed: The report gives special importance to combating violence against women and calls on the Member States and the Commission to take new adequate measures. It also considers that women's participation in decision-making at local, national and EU levels and in NGOs is insufficient and therefore asks for actions to improve the situation. The report also calls for measures to improve the situation of women in the labour market, the quality of employment, and the participation in lifelong programmes and pays special attention to disabled women, women with dependants, elderly women, minority and immigrant women.

The report draws attention to the feminisation of poverty, when women, especially elderly women and single mothers, are at risk of exclusion and poverty. Furthermore, it recognises the key role of reconciliation between work, private and family lives and asks for best practices for an effective work-life balance and greater involvement of men in family life. In this framework, the report calls on regional and local authorities to improve the quality and accessibility of child services and those responsible in companies to include workforce management plans to make it easier for employees to return to work after a career break.

Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou MEP, concluded: "The Communication is quite declarative and repeats previous European engagements without real innovation. The increase of women in the labour market has not been accompanied by the expected rise in the quality of their activities. The EP calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve their access and participation, especially in sectors such as high-technology, research, science and engineering, in which they are under-represented. Appropriate measures should be undertaken in order to tackle stereotypes at all levels of education and employment. The increase of the quality of employment will be the result of lifelong learning and education programmes at every level. Social partners, civil society and media should help to raise awareness in this matter. Moreover, attention must be given to the situation of spouses helping in sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, the crafts industry, small family businesses and trade. Finally, the EP report underlines that the role of men is essential in the promotion of equality."

REDUCED VAT RATES ON BABY DIAPERS. JOSÉ RIBEIRO E CASTRO MEP AND MARIE PANAYOTOPOULOS-CASSIOUTOU MEP

10/07/2008: "The Commission has fulfilled what it had promised us, but it is important to go further in helping families."

"It is good to see a happy ending to three years of work and continuous pressure on the responsible persons." This was the message today from José Ribeiro e Castro MEP and Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassioutou MEP, after receiving the Commission's official information on its proposal to change the Directive 2006/112/EC of the Council which will, among other things, solve the dispute on VAT rates for children's nappies.

The Intergroup of Family and Protection of Childhood, Presided by Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou and Mr Ribeiro e Castro, Vice-Chairman, has undertaken several initiatives aiming to show the public and the European Commission the unfairness of the different VAT rates on children's nappies.

"It is an absurd situation in that the Commission believes that adult incontinence protection can be subject to lower VAT rates but not children's nappies", reiterated Ribeiro e Castro and Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou. "This new proposal aims to correct this obvious anomaly."

Both parliamentarians agree that it is necessary to go further in the efforts not to penalise the inevitable expenditure made by families with children. "As we already proposed at European level a year ago, when celebrating the International Day of Family (15 May 2007), we believe that VAT rates should be lowered in child care products thus giving a positive sign to family and demography. The Commission's initiative is, in the Commission's own words, 'just a first step' addressing the 'urgent cases' and limited to 'technical drafting adaptations'", said the MEPs. "So, we are going to struggle for a more global review of this Directive. The Council has regrettably been quite late in giving the necessary guidance to this process of getting governments to treat families in a non-hostile way, especially where basic care for children is concerned. Governments should be accountable for this matter."

"We understand that the Commission cannot go further right now and it is crucially important that it can have the support of the 27 Member States for, at least, this limited package of technical adjustments. It would be positive that, within the legislative programme announced in 2008, the European Union, through the European Commission, might be able to effectively fulfil what it had publicly promised and announced on July 19 2006, in the framework of the requests for information to the European Commission sent to Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Portugal in the form of letters of formal notice to several Member States about their application of reduced VAT rates for children's nappies.

"It should also be taken into account the need to dissipate the doubts about reduced VAT rates on child car seats", as Ribeiro e Castro called to the Commission's attention some months ago.

"But it is incomprehensible that there is discrimination between the Member States in items such as children's clothing and shoes where the States apply different VAT rates. If the European Commission is about to solve the discrepancy between other areas (such as housing) it is incomprehensible that the difference is kept in Member States in such relevant products as children's clothing and shoes.

COFACE, THE VOICE OF FAMILIES IN THE EU, CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

03/06/2008: On June 3rd 2008, during an event held in the European Economic and Social Committee, in Brussels, several European high officials expressed their congratulations to the Confederation of Family Organisations in the EU (COFACE), on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

In a video message, Commissioner Vladimir Špidla (video wmv 37MB) said in particular that ‘COFACE’s role has become increasingly important in voicing the daily concerns of families in their diversity to European decision makers’.

Similarly, Director general of DG EAC, Odile Quintin (video wmv 79MB), reminded of the ‘major role’ played by COFACE and that it ‘may be proud of what it has achieved as the voice of families at EU level’. She added that families still have an important role to play in the face of major stakes ahead, such as the demographic trends and the ageing population, climate change, environmental challenges and the issue of mobility.

For Director general Robert Madelin (video wmv 23MB), COFACE represents a ‘crucial partner’ for DG Sanco, as families are among the main beneficiaries of citizen policies developed by his DG. He encourages COFACE and its member organisations to continue to coordinate their activities in particular in the fields of alcohol and nutrition, and to use new information technologies for the purpose.

For Jillian Van Turnhout (video wmv 23MB), Vice-President of the European Economic and Social Committee, COFACE’s role is essential because ‘many European policies have an impact on the daily lives of families’.

Jérôme Vignon (video wmv 9MB), Director at DG Empl, recalled that ‘in the Europe of 27, the value and dynamism of family life are widely recognized’. He also in particular expressed his confidence that COFACE ‘will continue to embody a cohesive vision of solidarity in society’ and ‘to further take on the issue of equality between women and men’.

MEP Maria Panayatopoulos-Cassiotou (video wmv 4.7MB), Chair of the Intergroup on the Protection of families and children, wished that together ‘with COFACE, family-friendly policies may continue to be implemented by the various EU institutions, thus helping to make progress on the path towards a Europe with an increased human and family dimension’.

Former Director general of DG Empl, Jean Degimbe (video wmv 8MB), recalled his first contacts with one of the founders of COFACE, Joseph Gilles, and that ‘it was under COFACE’s pressure that, in 1983, a 1st European Parliament Resolution on European Family Policy was adopted, as the first Community text in the field, thanks to which we were able to start working on the issue’.

In his welcoming speech, EESC member Luca Jahier (video mpg 13.5MB) reminded participants that ‘COFACE was as old as the EU institutions and that family organisations were therefore among the first to develop a structured European civil dialogue’. He also congratulated COFACE for ‘its tenacity and determination’ in a sector that is not of direct EU competence.

After a brief historical summary of the organisation by COFACE’s Director William Lay, a panel discussion gathered successive Presidents (Kitty Harlin , Lucien Bouis, Steen Mogens Lasson and Yves Roland-Gosselin) to evoke with the participation of the floor the major – and minor – stages of COFACE’s development. Among the hundred or so participants, several former collaborators – voluntary workers and employees – were present in the room.

Finally, in a closing keynote speech, Robert Anderson (video wmv 20MB), from the Dublin Foundation, highlighted issues that, in his opinion, would be the future priorities relating to families at EU level. They were: improved flexible work arrangements and job quality, as they impact on family life; greater involvement of men in family responsibilities, also underlining the role of grandparents; necessary development of community services and their quality, in particular childcare and out-of-school activities, as well as elderly care; affordable quality housing. Lastly, he insisted on the important role of NGOs such as COFACE as the main connections with the grass-roots citizens.

In closing the meeting, President Yves Roland-Gosselin expressed his wish for the future: ‘By endeavouring to take the family dimension into account, Europe takes a big step forward towards citizens in their daily concerns. COFACE will continue to keep a watchful eye on developments in this respect during the coming 50 years…at least!’

Download the press release: COFACE, the Voice of Families in the EU, celebrates its 50th Anniversary

Photos: 50 years of history

Brochure: COFACE 1958-2008


Brochure: COFACE 1958-2008


You can also watch a funny video with the contributions of Vladimir Spidla, Odile Quintin, Robert Madelin, Dimitri Dimitriadis, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Lucien Bouis, Roshan di Puppo, Bill Seary, Jacques Devillers, Marion Offrey, Gauthier Burny, the Secretariat of the Social Platform and even our neighbours!

COMBATING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION

17/06/2008: The majority of the European Parliament today adopted a report by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP at first reading on '2010, the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion'. The allocated budget - €17m - represents the highest budget ever granted to a European Year, thus demonstrating its high political importance.

The aim of the European Year is to reaffirm the Union's commitment to solidarity, social justice, greater cohesion, and to promote consistency as well as boosting support for the overarching objectives of the Union, by making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty. Currently in the EU, almost 78m people are living at risk of poverty. The European Year should raise public awareness of poverty and exclusion in Europe as well as convey the message that poverty and exclusion are disruptive to social and economic development. Therefore the purpose of this proposal is to designate 2010 as the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion.

Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou's report approves the content of the Commission's proposal and it introduces the following new elements:

• Further develops the concept of multi-dimensional aspects of poverty and social exclusion by a more extensive definition of the groups concerned such as early school leavers and the long-term unemployed;
• Calls for action to be coordinated and implemented at national, regional and local levels in order to reach the goals of the European Year;
• Raises the question of access to and quality of education and lifelong learning, social protection systems and health services, housing, as well as active participation in political and cultural life;
• Stresses a need for an efficient implementation of equal treatment and non-discrimination legislation;
• Draws attention to the importance of ensuring children’s well-being and decent life conditions for all;
• Calls for greater links to be established with previous European Years.

After the positive outcome of the vote, Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou said: "Thanks to the agreement between the EU institutions, we have achieved the goal of directly planning the European Year's activities. The EPP-ED Group, retaining solidarity as one of its main goals, is always encouraging adequate measures in order to promote more social cohesion."

It is also worth mentioning that in 2006, 16% (78m) of the total EU-25 population lived under the poverty threshold. In 2000, within the EU-25, about 40m people (9% of the total) were confronted with persistent poverty. In 2005, within the EU-25 19%, (19m) children were at risk of poverty. Although in most Member States the gender gap is decreasing, the gender gap is (in 2006) about 2 percent as regards poverty and persistent poverty.

For further information:
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP
Tel: +32-2-2847447
Fax: +32-2-2849447
E-mail: marie.panayotopoulos-cassiotou@europarl.europa.eu

Notes to Editors:
The EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 288 Members from all 27 Member States.

CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FAMILY IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

16/05/2008: The European Parliament today joined the celebrations on the occasion of the International Day of the Family in the framework of a meeting organised by Anna Záborská MEP, Chairwoman of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament, and Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP, Chairwoman of the Family and Protection of Childhood Intergroup.

Ljublica Salinger, representative of the Slovenian Ministry for the Family, Vladimír Špidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opporunities, Mr Linzbach from the German Ministry of the Family, Professor Dumont of the Sorbonne University, and Stéphane Buffetaut and Luca Jahier of the European Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) were among the speakers of the meeting which focused on 'family-friendly initiatives and the perspectives for the new European Alliance for the family'.

The meeting, which gathered MEPs, including the First Vice-President of the EP, Rodi Kratsa, and a great number of NGOs, highlighted the importance of the exchange of good practices in the framework of the European Alliance for the family in order to better address the new solidarity challenges resulting from demographic ageing and low birth rates.

While presenting the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency in the field of the family, the representative of the Slovenian Family Ministry recalled the necessity to establish new solidarities within the family and among the generations by ensuring gender equality and providing for sufficient care for the elderly. The conciliation of family and professional life is also particularly encouraged by the Presidency within the European Alliance for the Family. The representative of the German Ministry for the family approved the objectives set by the Slovenian Presidency and insisted on the importance of a joint commitment of the Member States which should be relayed by the Alliance. According to him, the creation of the group of experts on demography which is consulted by the Commission, the establishment of the internet portal of the Alliance as well as the numerous activities scheduled for 2008 (Demographic Forum in November, Eurobarometer study on families and children, Commission report on childcare services etc), all demonstrate the increased mobilisation of the Member States and the Commission. Mr Linzbach added that mutual learning within the Alliance encouraged Germany to provide for a parental allowance for families with low income and to extend its provision of care services.

The correlation between the amounts of social expenditure for the family, the availability of care services for children and the elderly, and birth rates was highlighted by Professor Dumont who also recalled the great diversity among the Member States in this field. In this framework, Commissioner Špidla recalled the need to create a friendly environment for the family, which remains the essential source of solidarity, by improving the living conditions of families while respecting their diversity. To this effect, the Commission will launch a reflection process on the improvement of care services for the elderly, eventually through a Communication, and will support the activities of the European Alliance through research and the use of structural funds.

Finally, Stéphane Buffetaut and Luca Jahier, ECOSOC draftsmen on the issue of demography, stressed that the efficiency of family policies relies on their durability and on the combination of family allowances, care services and tax reductions. Mr Jahier insisted more particularly on the necessity to introduce a family dimension in the new EU social agenda and to launch a discussion process both at European level, within a Family Observatory, and at national level.

"Besides being a legal, social and economic entity, the family is above all a community of love which should be valued at all times", declared Panayotopoulos and Záborská, who underlined that the celebration of the International Day of the Family is an opportunity to further promote the collaboration between the public and private actors so that the family can resume its role and that each of its members can fully enjoy their fundamental rights, their human dignity and their personal development.

For further information:
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP
Tel: +32-2-2847447
Fax: +32-2-2849447
Email: marie.panayotopoulos@europarl.europa.eu

Notes to Editors:
The EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 288 Members from all 27 Member States.

24/04/2008: Joint Meeting of the Family and Protection of Childhood Intergroup. Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou MEP and Othmar Karas MEP

The Family and Protection of Childhood and the SME Intergroups met yesterday under the presidency of Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou and Othmar Karas to address the topic of family-friendly initiatives adopted by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The meeting, which gathered the participation of the Deputy Director-General of DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission, Françoise Lebail, the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME), and the European Centre for Workers' Questions (EZA) as well as representatives of the civil society, aimed at recalling SMEs' crucial contribution to economic and social development, and competition. The meeting also intended to analyse how SMEs take into consideration and respond to the families' special needs.

In this framework, Mrs Lebail underlined that during the past 5 years, 2/3 of new jobs were created in family companies and that 75% of the employees of the private sector work in SMEs. She recalled the need for a study concerning the identification of SMEs' specific characteristics at local and regional level. Taking into account the demographic problem, it is estimated that a 100 million companies per year undergo a change of ownership which is far more expensive than the opening of a new enterprise. In addition, SMEs have to deal with fiscal as well as financial difficulties to which one must add high administrative costs. Mrs Lebail underlined that the Commission launched the Small Business Act, which opened for consultations in March and has committed to reducing the administrative costs faced by SMEs by 24% until 2012. The European Commission reaffirmed its commitment to the respect of the principle of non-discrimination and the promotion of a better conciliation of family and professional life.

The representatives of UEAPME and EZA recalled the benefits of family-friendly measures for SMEs. They explained that SMEs face great difficulties to hire and keep qualified personnel and that in order to remain competitive towards bigger companies, they should offer favourable family conditions to their employees. They underlined the important external dimension which portrays SMEs as a positive image in the local and regional community and reaffirmed the role of SMEs as socially-responsible actors.

At the end of the debate, the Presidents of the Intergroups, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP and Othmar Karas MEP, recalled that the exchange of best practices between Member States remains the best solution for a long-term improvement in families' living conditions and wished for these exchanges to increase with time. More particularly, they referred to the German and French examples.

In 2003, the German Government launched the Federal Alliance for the Family, an initiative in collaboration with enterprises, social partners, trade unions and NGOs and created the programme 'Success Factor Families 2008' targeted at enterprises which award companies which have done the most for the family. In France, the Minister for Employment and the State Secretary for the Family presented a 'Charter of Parenting in Enterprises'. Its aim is to contribute to the evolution of the representations linked to parenting within the enterprises and to create a family-friendly environment for parent employees, in particular pregnant women.

For further information:
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP
Tel: +32-2-2847447
Fax: +32-2-2849447
E-mail: marie.panayotopoulos-cassiotou@europarl.europa.eu

Notes to Editors:
The EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 288 Members from all 27 Member States.