50 YEARS OF THE EU: SOCIAL ASSESSMENT AND PERSPECTIVES

26/04/2007: Joint meeting of the Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood and the Fourth World European Committee Intergroup co-chaired by Mrs Panayotopoulos and Mr Mendez de Vigo.

The Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood, together with the Fourth World European Committee Intergroup, organised yesterday in the EP in Strasbourg a meeting on the evolution of the social and family situation in Europe since the establishment of the European Community, as well as on the integration of these dimensions in the negotiations on the Constitutional Treaty. The meeting, which was co-chaired by Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou and Mr Mendez de Vigo gathered together Members of the Parliament, EU civil servants and NGOs.

The meeting highlighted the fact that over 16% of the EU's population lives below the poverty threshold with children, migrants, large families, lone parents or disabled persons being particularly at risk. All speakers agreed that poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon that concerns not only monetary poverty but also fundamental human rights and includes aspects of discrimination, exclusion and limitation of options and choices.

During her intervention, Mrs Annelise Oeschger, President of the INGO of the Council of Europe, recalled the difficulties that preceded the establishment of a European social inclusion policy. She underlined that the adoption, in 1989, of the European Social Charter represented a significant step towards the definition of a specific legal base in the field of social exclusion and poverty which was finally substantiated in the Treaty of Amsterdam. Mrs Oeschger also recalled that the Open Method of Coordination in the field of social inclusion constitutes an important tool for the exchange and definition of policies targeted towards the eradication of poverty and inequalities in the labour market as well as full employment.

Mr Lay, Director of the Confederation of Family Organisations of the EU (COFACE), recalled that families and children are particularly vulnerable to poverty. While recalling the activities of the COFACE at EU level, Mr Lay expressed his satisfaction regarding the increased commitment of the European Commission to promote family friendly policies and insisted on the need to enable parents to conciliate family and professional life.

Mr Pacheco from the Constitutional Affairs Committee underlined that the integration of the social dimension into the negotiations on the Constitutional Treaty depended on the will of the Member States to change the objectives in order to highlight the social situation.

Mrs Panayotopoulos concluded the meeting by calling to mind that the European Spring Council reiterated the necessity to reinforce the social and economic cohesion in the EU with particular attention towards the eradication of child poverty. She added that the Council approved the proposal of the German Presidency to create an Alliance for Families. Mrs Panayotopoulos underlined that "the approval of a European Alliance for Families constitutes an additional step towards the inclusion of families in the European political agenda and the recognition of their contribution to the improvement of the demographic situation and the economic and social development of the EU". Mr. Mendez de Vigo recalled the necessity to integrate the social dimension in the new proposal for a Constitutional Treaty and stressed the importance of the EP's contribution to the future Intergovernmental Convention.

'WHICH FUTURE FOR FAMILIES IN EUROPE ?

30/03/2007: The MEP and Chairwoman of the Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood, Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou, chaired a seminar on "The Future of Families in Europe" on Wednesday 28 March at the European Parliament in Brussels. This seminar, which gathered a large number of MEPs and NGOs included the participation of the President of the Organising Committee of the World Congress for Family, Katarzyna Mazela, as well as the ECOSOC rapporteur for the family, Stephane Buffetaut.

The meeting focused initially on the presentation of the 4th World Congress for Family which will take place in Warsaw on 11-13 May 2007 on the topic "The natural Family - Spring for Europe and for the World".

"To the demographic winter of Europe, we propose the spring of the natural family. Within the framework of the Congress, a series of initiatives will enable each participant to put his individual faculties to the service of the promotion of the natural family, in respect of our respective competences" underlined the President of the Congress' Organising Committee. The Parliamentary forum, which will be organised on the 11th of May 2007 under the Presidency of the Sejm, assisted by the European Forum for Human Rights and the Family, and with the participation of Panayotopoulos MEP, Zaborska MEP and Carlo Casini MEP, will be the highlight of the Congress.

The seminar, during which Mario Mauro, Ingo Friedrich, Carlo Casini, Anna Zaborska and Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou intervened, enabled Buffetaut, the EESC's rapporteur, to present his opinion on "family and demographic changes". The text, which was elaborated on the request of the German Presidency of the EU, emphasizes that the fight against the damaging effects of climate change requires a broad political coordination on different levels (family, social, economic, environmental policies as well as gender equality policies) which could be implemented by the adoption of a European action plan. In addition, Buffetaut recommended the creation of a "European Family Pact" by the Council, the Parliament and the Commission which would reaffirm the Member States' will to implement family-friendly policies, allowing Europeans to have as many children as they desire. These policies should foster a family-friendly environment by setting a minimum base of public budgets for children and families, direct financial aid, tax adjustments and a sufficient child care facilities. Finally, Buffetaut stressed the necessity to establish a European register of good practices regarding family policies and he insisted on the need for assuring a constant and stable family policy by maintaining financial aid for children.

The resolution, which was adopted at the end of the seminar, recalls the importance of recognising and promoting the role of the family as the founding structure of society through which moral, cultural, spiritual and material values that are vital for intergenerational solidarity and economic and social cohesion are transmitted. The resolution also underlines the importance of family structures for the healthy development of children and underlines that the complementarities between men and women must also be a reality in family life. Finally the text stresses the socio-economic importance of services that are provided for children and the elderly within the family and asks for a better recognition of the qualifications acquired as well as for the provision of social rights, including pensions, for people who take up such responsibilities. It was reminded that in the absence of a binding legal instrument at EU level, article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights should be respected in the implementation of EU policies.

The debate was followed by a joint press conference with Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou, Anna Zaborska, Stephane Buffetaut (European Economic and Social Committee), Katarzyna Mazela (President of the Organising Committee of the World Congress for Family), the European Foundation and Femina Europa.

FAMILIES IN EUROPE - WHAT FUTURE ?

16/03/2007 Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou MEP, President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood, will preside over the seminar "What future for the families in Europe?" on 28 March in Brussels.

This seminar is organised in the context of the preparation of the World Congress of Families which will be held in Warsaw 11-13 May. The seminar will also facilitate the adoption of a resolution on the future of families in Europe.

The speakers include three members of the EPP-ED Group: Mario Mauro (Italy), Vice-President of the European Parliament, Ingo Friedrich (Germany), Quaestor of the European Parliament and President of the movement "Paneuropa Union", and José Ribeiro e Castro (Portugal), as well as Stéphane Buffetaut, rapporteur for the family for the Economic and Social Committee.

Two co-organisers, Elizabeth Montfort, President of 'Femina Europa' and former EPP-ED MEP, and Giorgio Salina, President of the Association for the Foundation of Europe, will also deliver speeches at this event.

Interested NGOs are also welcome to participate.

The seminar will take place from 4.30 to 6.30pm in room A5E3 of the European Parliament. There will be a press conference afterwards at 7pm in room PHS 0A50.

FQUALITY ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH FOR CHILDREN: MEETING OF THE INTERGROUP ON FAMILY AND PROTECTION OF CHILDHOOD

15/03/2007: The Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood met yesterday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg to discuss 'Quality Environment and Health for Children: Essential Components of the future EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child.' The meeting, which aimed at highlighting the impact of environmental change on children's health as well as the medical problems that children face, gathered together MEPs, representatives of the European Commission, the World Health Organisation and NGOs.

Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou indicated that the Commission's Communication on a Strategy on the Rights of the Child points out that over 10 million children under the age of five die each year of illnesses that could have been easily treated or prevented. A third of the world's children suffer from malnutrition, live in desperate circumstances (no access to drinkable water, bad hygiene, environmental pollution) and do not have access to healthcare prevention and treatment. However, Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the right of children to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health and have facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.

Referring to the fact that over 50% of medicines used in the EU for treating children have not been tested or authorised specifically for children, Peter Liese MEP underlined that the new Regulation on paediatric medicine requires Member States to verify that the medicines put on the market take into account the specificity of a child's organism. He insisted on the dangers arising from chemical substances which can affect children more than adults. Finally, Liese noted the crucial role of the family environment for the health and well-being of children.

The representative of DG SANCO, Charles Price, explained that the Commission was placing great importance on the protection of children as consumers and indicated that the new EU Strategy on Public Health, which should be adopted in the summer of 2007, will pay particular attention to the fight against tobacco use, the protection against the dangers of alcohol and to a responsible sexuality. Mr Price added that over 31% of young Europeans smoke and that tobacco use has become one of the greatest medical problems of our time. The new Health Strategy will thus launch an initiative for youth without tobacco as well as a strategy for the prevention of alcoholism. In addition, the New Strategy will contain provisions for medical problems arising from over-consumption (obesity) as well as provisions for mental health, young people being increasingly more at risk.

Lucianne Licari, on behalf of the World Health Organisation, mentioned that a joint report of UNICEF and the WHO revealed that 33% of the illnesses that affect children under the age of five are caused by environmental change (respiratory diseases, allergies, diabetes, cancer etc). She added that beyond the medical dangers linked to a sedentary life and accidents, the WHO has identified internal and external pollution, the absence of drinkable water and hygiene and lead contamination as major health risks. Mrs Licari finally underlined that the collaboration between all stakeholders at all levels, the implementation of specific actions and better synergies between environmental and health policies could substantially contribute to the improvement of the quality of children's health.