EU employment strategy in light of family policy

Subject: EU employment strategy in light of family policy

The Commission’s employment strategy documents reiterate time and time again that Europe is ageing, and that it is therefore necessary to boost employment. However, no strategic solutions are offered in these documents.

The immediate solution to Europe’s ageing society may be to focus on employment, however, in the long term, it will also be necessary to strengthen family policies in Member States. The family policy solution that was presented (which is supported by the EU) calling for the adequate provision of facilities for the youngest children as the almost sole tool for improving the demographic situation is inaccurate to say the least. It has been proven that the break-up of parental couples is the most common reason for not having children that were originally wanted. The solution, therefore, is the society-wide promotion of stable cohabitation, which includes education and training in strengthening couple skills. This also includes communication skills, which are vital in the division of tasks related to reconciling family and professional roles. However, strategic reflection cannot only focus on current parents and their needs, but must focus primarily on younger generations who have not yet had children. According to research, these generations focus much more on personal development than on mere success in the job market. This is where, once again, a different perspective and measures other than those relating to the job market come into play.

Could the Commission say what steps it is planning to take in the area of family policy, promoting stable cohabitation and the needs of the younger generation – all with regard to employment?

Answer given by Ms Dalli on behalf of the European Commission

(19 May 2022)

In June 2019, the co-legislators adopted the directive on Work-Life Balance for parents and carers, based on a 2017 proposal by the Commission (1).

This directive introduces a set of legislative actions with the aim of supporting work-life balance for parents and carers, encouraging equal sharing of parental and carers leave between men and women, and addressing women’s underrepresentation in the labour market.

This will help to prevent long career breaks for women around childbirth, their leaving the labour market — sometimes altogether — or delaying their careers’ development.

Adequately paid parental leave also encourages fathers to strengthen their involvement in care and household responsibilities. High rates of female employment combined with subsidised childcare and generous parental leave makes it easier to combine parenthood and working life. The deadline to transpose the directive is 2 August 2022 (2).

The Commission assists Member States in properly implementing the directive into national systems and will assess the state of implementation once the transposition deadline has lapsed at the end of 2022.

Next to this, in its Work-Programme 2022, the Commission announced that it will adopt a European Care Strategy in September 2022 (3) which will address care in a comprehensive manner and include proposals on Recommendation on long-term care as well as the revision of the Barcelona targets (4).

This will focus on carers and people cared for as well as their families.

⋅1∙ Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council

Directive 2010/18/EU, OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 79.

⋅2∙ Last two weeks of payment of parental leave by 2024 — see Art. 20(2).

⋅3∙ https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy-documents/commission-work-programme/commission-work-programme-2022_en

⋅4∙ https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy-documents/commission-work-programme/commission-work-programme-2022_en