Tackling the major demographic problem facing Greece

Subject: Tackling the major demographic problem facing Greece

According to recent Eurostat data, almost one-third of Greek children are at risk of social exclusion and poverty.

Unemployment, lack of educational attainment and low parental incomes are factors contributing to child poverty and adversely affecting children's future development.

In addition, it is a matter of pride for Greeks to live up to social expectations, which is also discouraging them from having children. As a result, the official fertility rate in Greece is 1.35 children per woman, having fallen to a low of 1.3 while the replacement rate is 2.1.

Preliminary data from an ongoing population census shows that the Greek population has shrunk by at least 500 000 over the last decade.

By far the main problem facing Greece is demographic in nature. Aside from policy decisions in general, it is a widely-held conviction in Greece that the main reason for this is lack of support for young parents.

It has been shown that job security and state-subsidised leave, especially after the birth of the first child, are effective forms of support for parents. Hungary, for example, offers an attractive package of tax breaks and other benefits for families.

In view of this:

1. Can the Commission say whether Greece is eligible for aid under any EU programmes to encourage an increased birth-rate by providing benefits for parents, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunities and childcare facilities?

2. What was the take-up rate of such funding by Greece during the 2014-2020 programming period?

3. Has a similar set of good practices been formulated for implementation by national, regional and local authorities?

Answer given by Mr Schmit on behalf of the European Commission

(2 February 2022)

Addressing demographic challenges is one area for intervention by the Union funds (1) and the relevant Regulations (2) require Member States to make use of these funds to tackle demographic problems, where appropriate, in both programming periods 2014- 2020 and 2021-2027.

Greece has been making extensive use of the European Social Fund (ESF) as well as the European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) to improve the availability of childcare facilities and promote equal educational opportunities.

Overall information on the take-up of cohesion policy funding by Greece in the 2014-2020 programming period and on specific social interventions is available on the Commission's website (3), and on a dedicated national website (4).

Indicatively, in the period 2014-2020, the ESF co-financed with around EUR 700 million vouchers that cover the full cost of care in facilities for children from low-income families up to the obligatory pre-school age. The ESF also supported the roll-out of all-day school and educational support to disadvantaged pupils.

Regarding the ERDF, almost EUR 160 million were available for education infrastructure for early childhood education and care, primary and secondary education.

⋅1∙ Union Funds under shared management refers, namely, to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the Cohesion

Fund, the Just Transition Fund (JTF), and measures financed under shared management in the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI), together referred to as ‘the Funds’.

⋅2∙ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R1060&qid=1637159072391 ; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?

uri=celex:32013R1303

⋅3∙ https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/countries/GR

⋅4∙ ΕΣΠΑ 2014 — 2020 (espa.gr)








| | )More than EUR 500 million from the ESF and the Youth Employment Initiative (5) were allocated to help young people make a good start in their professional life, which is an important factor influencing people’s choices to have a family.

Greece has indicated its commitment to the European Child Guarantee (6), under which all Member States are recommended to ensure free access to high quality childcare, education, healthy nutrition and healthcare for all children in need and to adopt national action plans to this effect by March 2022.

⋅5∙ https ://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32015R0779

⋅6∙ https ://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/06/14/access-to-key-services-for-children-in-need-council-agrees-european-child-guarantee/