Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-02-14-Speech-3-337"
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"en.20070214.23.3-337"2
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".
Demographic change in Europe concerns all the Member States of the EU. A major feature is the low or even falling birth rates throughout Europe. The changing demographic of nations necessitates comprehensive structural changes as part of a long-term strategy if the social cohesion of the generations and the competitiveness of the European economy are to be preserved.
In its Communication entitled ‘The demographic future of Europe – from challenge to opportunity’ of 12 October of last year, the European Commission notes that Europe has never in its history experienced economic growth without population growth. In this light, confronting the demographic challenge with the help of the renewed Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs takes on particular importance.
A priority for the German Council Presidency in this regard is enabling men and women wishing to start a family to do so with the help of family-friendly policies. Experience in a number of Member States has shown that political measures are possible as well as necessary. There should be a European ‘alliance for the family’ to serve as a platform for Member States to exchange views and experiences. Its field of competence should include key tasks relating to the management of demographic change.
This alliance should also actively involve the social partners, civil society and representatives of science and industry. The key objective of the alliance should be to offer support to the Member States through this ongoing exchange. The intention is that, by the end of the German Presidency, not only will the political starting signal have been fired, but also the first tangible steps will have been taken towards the realisation of this alliance. In so doing, the idea is to utilise existing resources and to tie in with existing structures; the European Demographic Forums launched by the Commission in its Communication will be particularly important reference points in this regard.
The European Commission has already set up a high-level group on demography and the family. The alliance will complement the comprehensive initiatives at European level for the promotion of gender equality, particularly the European Pact for Gender Equality and the Commission’s Roadmap for equality between men and women 2006–10.
Only an improvement in the reconciliation of family and career will enable men and women to decide to have more children without giving up their careers. The Member States must work together with the social partners and individual companies on reducing pay inequality and on supporting parents in the early stages of bringing up their child.
After all, an improvement in the reconciliation of family and career is another chief objective of the European Pact for Youth, with a view to giving young people access to vocational and social integration."@en1
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