Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-13-Speech-2-189"
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"en.20070313.20.2-189"2
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"Mr President, five years ago the EU set targets for childcare. Member States should strive to provide childcare for at least 90% of children aged between three and the mandatory school age, and for 33% of children under the age of three, by 2010.
On the fifth anniversary of the Barcelona targets, we are here to evaluate the progress made in this area. Sadly, these targets have not yet been reached. Only five countries meet the 33% target: Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Sweden. We must look at how the other Member States are performing. I wonder if the Commission has been monitoring the situation regarding these targets. Is the Commission preparing an analysis? Are there common standards in order to monitor childcare? What are the consequences for those Member States not implementing the targets?
Why should Europe invest in childcare? It is not by chance that a childcare campaign was launched by the Party of European Socialists, who pleaded for accessible, affordable and good quality childcare. We did so because we strongly believe that investing in childcare means investing in our future; putting our children first gives them a good start in life and ensures equal opportunities when later entering the labour market. It allows the EU to deal with demographic challenges in order to make the EU market a more competitive one, as well as making Europe more social. It allows greater participation by women in the labour market and makes it possible for men and women to reconcile family and working life, as the Commissioner mentioned in his speech. Clearly, by investing in childcare, we can make equal opportunities a reality and maximise life’s opportunities for all children. This can contribute to the elimination of poverty, irrespective of the socioeconomic background.
Therefore, I ask Member States and the Commission to work together and to commit to achieving these targets. Hungary is a good example: the Minister for Social and Legal Affairs recognised the importance of childcare and is committed to increasing childcare, particularly among children aged 0-3 years, from 8% to 33% in five years."@en1
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