SECOND EUROPEAN DEMOGRAPHY FORUM: BETTER SOCIETIES FOR FAMILIES AND OLDER PEOPLE

24/11/2008: The Second Demography Report 'Meeting social needs in an ageing society' was published on 21 November 2008 by the European Commission. The report was presented at the European Demography Forum on 24 and 25 November 2008 in Brussels. More than 440 policy-makers and actors in this field attended this.

The opening session of the European Demography Forum was chaired by the Greek MEP Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou. Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Chairwoman of the EP's Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood, was invited by the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, and the French Minister for Employment, Xavier Bertrand.

The speakers focused on the latest demographical evolutions which have become a true challenge for Europe. These evolutions will lead to a decrease of the labour force – and a tremendous increase of the population over 60 years old by 2014 – but will also have a great economical and social impact on all Member States. The intervening parties emphasised the various propositions regarding upholding the working population within the labour market, the voluntary work by pre-pension workers, the improvement of training and working conditions, the integration of immigrants and particularly the support towards families, by presenting to European citizens the necessary guaranties in order for them to be able to have their aspiring number of children. The progress made in terms of maternity and paternity leave, the guarantee of quality education, the improvement of social services, especially those regarding child care but also care for the elderly, are regarded as essential and common objectives to all Member States. To this end, Member States should exchange good practices in these areas. The survival of the economic systems, flexibility in work relations to the advantage of workers, and sustainable growth, secure investments in human dynamic and require efficient answers to approximate demographical previsions.

The Second Demography Report corrects statistics and previsions of the year 2004. It highlights the actions taken by Member States in order to meet families' needs by updating European policies and promoting care opportunities for elderly people. During the discussion and concluding session, Mrs Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou had the opportunity to underline the EU's evolution towards the adoption of family-friendly policies. The Greek MEP requested an upgrading of the European Alliance for Families, which should become a synchronisation platform for defined actions in the fields of intergenerational solidarity, equal opportunities, and the guarantee of future perspectives for youngsters. The objectives set by the Lisbon Strategy will then be reached and Europe will maintain its global partner position.

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

THE PROMOTION OF TOY SAFETY BY THE EUROPEAN UNION

05/09/2008: The Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood of the European Parliament, under the Presidency of Greek MEP Marie Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou, with the active collaboration of the Vice-Chairman José Ribeiro e Castro MEP, and the friendly support of the Intergroup on SMEs, convened during the plenary session in Brussels, on Thursday 4 September 2008, in order to discuss the revision of the Directive 88/378/CEE concerning bringing together Member States' laws relating to the safety of toys.

Among the speakers, Mrs Van Rijn, General-Secretary of ORNES (the Dutch Toys Supplier Organisation) and the Foundation 'SpeelGoed' (Netherlands) underlined the importance of play in the education of the child, offering a pedagogical vision to the meeting. Playing allows the child to develop its behaviour, its skills and to forge its personality. It is thus essential that toys are safe and well secure so that the child uses them with a maximum of protection.

Maureen Logghe, Policy Officer for 'Toys Safety Legislation' within the DG Entreprise of the European Commission, presented the Commission's proposal which reinforces not only the safety requirements of the toys but also the obligation to monitor the markets, the manufacturers and the suppliers. It is thus within this framework that a draft report was tabled by the Belgian MEP Marianne Thyssen within the Interior Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) of the EP.
From his side, Daryl Srivens, member of the 'Toys Industries of Europe', presented the view of the industry relating to toy safety, approving the Commission's approach with regards to dangerous substances, while explaining the increasing constraints which this sector faces.

The debate which followed emphasised the position of the Members of the IMCO Committee as well as the vision of the family and consumer protection organisations. Critics arose against the CE marking, which is obligatory and must be visible on packing but often leads to confusion because it is not provided by an independent organisation but by the manufacturers themselves. Moreover, the question of the manufacturer's responsibility was raised in case of accident caused by a toy, thus leaving the problem of census of children's accidents within the European Union outstanding.

In conclusion, Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou declared: "Considering the fact that toys represent an important part of the child's education and contribute to a smooth evolution of their behaviour and character, it is essential that the existing security standards are respected in order to guarantee children's protection". The deputy wished that the European Toy Market, including imported toys, will give an example of security standards on a worldwide scale.

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

CHILDREN AND MEDIA: GROWING UP IN A DIGITALISED WORKD

05/09/2007: The Intergroup on Family and Protection of Childhood organised today in the EP in Strasbourg, under the presidency of MEPs Ruth Hieronymi and Maria Panayotopoulos - Cassiotou, met with the Audiovisual Policy Intergroup in order to exchange views on the influence of media on the lives and development of children. The meeting, which focused on the topic 'Children and Media: growing up in a digitalised world', gathered representatives of the European Commission, Parliamentarians, industry, and NGOs.

Bartholomeus Pronk, Advisor to European Commissioner Viviane Reding, indicated that given the multiplication and diversification of the dangers, the Commission has adopted a number of initiatives, such as the Media Directive and the programme Safer Internet Plus, which aims at sensitising parents, educators and children, as well as creating a network of media professionals, in order to identify and eliminate illegal content on the net. The Commission focuses on examining the dangers resulting from the use of mobile phones by children in the framework of a public consultation, which was closed in October 2006. Mr Pronk underlined that e-literacy and e-learning proposals are currently being examined by Commission experts.

Dr J Brautmeier, a representative of the Media Authority of Northrhine-Westphalia (LfM) European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA), presented the initiative adopted by the region of Northrhine-Westphalia, including the assessment of self-regulation in order to protect children from harmful content. He mentioned the creation of a committee with extended investigational powers, as well as the development of systems of age verification. He also indicated that Germany has created a portal for the use of mobile phones (www.handysektor.de) and an online information portal (www.klicksafe.de) based on the European Safer Internet Programme. He explained that Germany has also adopted legislation enabling the prosecution of foreign broadcasts which violate German legislation.

Eirini Zafeiratou, Director of GSM Europe, recalled that mobile phone operators recognised their role in preventing and eliminating dangers associated with the use of mobile phones by children. However, she underlined that an effective response to the problem requires close cooperation between all interested actors, including parents, educators and civil society. To this end, she presented the initiative, which is placed under the patronage of the European Commission and GSM Europe, relating to the creation of a European framework for safer mobile use by younger teenagers and children. This partnership has adopted a series of recommendations on control mechanisms, raising awareness, classification of content and the fight against illegal material. Mrs Zafeiratou explained that the first assessment of the European framework will take place in 2008 and that national codes of conduct are currently being prepared in several European countries.

As far as the provision of products and technological services adapted to children is concerned, Mrs Anne Clarke from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, underlined that the technological sector should take an increased interest in the need of young consumers by exchanging good practices and adopting guidelines and strategies in order to minimise the risk. She regrets the absence of data on the nature and frequency of the risk to which children are confronted, which complicated the work of prevention. Finally, Mrs Clarke insisted on the necessity to include courses on the safer use of media in educational programmes.

Tobjorn Ull from the Crime Against Persons unit of Europol, informed the participants of the Europol programmes to prosecute authors of sexual crimes on the internet, including joint initiatives with Member States, as well as procedures to identify providers and networks. He indicated that the major obstacle is the non-application of existing legislation. Finally, he recalled Europol's role in the retransmission of information to national and international agencies.

"Given the evolution of the media environment, it is necessary to sensitise children, parents and educators to a safer use of new technology, which would be respectful of the law. Prevention and increased parental control will always remain the best weapons against the danger of new technologies", stated Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou and Mrs Hieronymi.

For further information:
Tel: +32-2-2845447, Fax: +32-2-2849447,
E-mail: marie.panayotopoulos-cassiotou@europarl.europa.eu
Ruth Hieronymi MEP
Tel: +32-2-2845859, Fax: +32-2-2849859,
E-mail: ruth.hieronymi@europarl.europa.eu