15th May International Day of Families – COFACE contribution
Yesterday, the United Nation’s International Day of Families was celebrated. In that occasion, the Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE) called the European Commission to safeguard family life of migrants and refugees, and for a European Year for Reconciling Work and Family Life in 2014.
During the event, COFACE Director remembered vulnerable families and those whose right to live their family life depend on the possibility of family reunification, this last being a clear sign of social cohesion and integration. In view of the upcoming Integration Forum, COFACE, together with other 20 NGOs, stated that family reunification is a fundamental human right under EU law and families must be supported in order to fulfil it. In that perspective, Member States have the obligation to properly implement the EU Family Reunification Directive.
COFACE also called on the European Commission to start procedures against the Member States that are not respecting EU rules and encourage building a mechanism to monitor Member States’ implementation of the Directive and its practical impact on migrant families.
Furthermore, the 2012 International Day of Families was focused on "Ensuring work-family balance”. Nowadays, it is difficult to find the right balance between work and family life because of the economic, social and demographic trends. It would be useful to find a way enabling families to have time for each other, access to available and quality services while they are at work and benefit from sufficient financial resources to live well in order to create a healthy and well-functioning society. In that perspective, next policy strategies should be focused on family policy, social, economic, innovation and equal opportunities policies both at EU and Member States levels.
COFACE called to dedicate 2014 to Reconciling Work and Family Life for all those reasons, believing that it would highlight the efforts of the European Commission for a job-rich recovery and invited all institutions and organisations at EU and national level to support this important initiative towards the European Year 2014.
For further information, please visit http://www.coface-eu.org/en/
During the event, COFACE Director remembered vulnerable families and those whose right to live their family life depend on the possibility of family reunification, this last being a clear sign of social cohesion and integration. In view of the upcoming Integration Forum, COFACE, together with other 20 NGOs, stated that family reunification is a fundamental human right under EU law and families must be supported in order to fulfil it. In that perspective, Member States have the obligation to properly implement the EU Family Reunification Directive.
COFACE also called on the European Commission to start procedures against the Member States that are not respecting EU rules and encourage building a mechanism to monitor Member States’ implementation of the Directive and its practical impact on migrant families.
Furthermore, the 2012 International Day of Families was focused on "Ensuring work-family balance”. Nowadays, it is difficult to find the right balance between work and family life because of the economic, social and demographic trends. It would be useful to find a way enabling families to have time for each other, access to available and quality services while they are at work and benefit from sufficient financial resources to live well in order to create a healthy and well-functioning society. In that perspective, next policy strategies should be focused on family policy, social, economic, innovation and equal opportunities policies both at EU and Member States levels.
COFACE called to dedicate 2014 to Reconciling Work and Family Life for all those reasons, believing that it would highlight the efforts of the European Commission for a job-rich recovery and invited all institutions and organisations at EU and national level to support this important initiative towards the European Year 2014.
For further information, please visit http://www.coface-eu.org/en/
Published byMs. Anna Fragnito
in categoryEvents & Activities
on16 May : 13:18
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