Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-06-19-Speech-2-059"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20070619.6.2-059"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the future of the European economy and the development of competitiveness and of the facility to work in the European Union will depend to a great extent on the level of education and training of the citizens, especially young people, so that they can contribute to economic development and social cohesion in Europe.
Efforts at both European and national level have borne fruit. In the Europe of the 25 in 2004, the majority of young people between 20 and 24 years of age were in higher education. However, extending the period of study in combination with training, retraining, further training, lifelong learning and so on results in young people postponing their personal, private life or starting a family or pursuing their desires because, as the Green Paper on demographic change concludes, the desires of European citizens to start a family and have children are not compatible with everyday reality. Having children at an advanced age also causes problems on health grounds. It puts a burden on public health and is an obstacle to the demographic development of Europe. Therefore, creating a family-friendly society – as also provided for in the European Youth Pact – means that private, family life needs to be combined with work and with the period of studies which, as we can see, is very long.
The report being tabled today for the vote endeavours to highlight the approach needed in order to formulate policies which support young people. It will give them the facility, on the one hand, to programme their education plans and, on the other hand, to honour their family commitments to raise children or to support elderly people in their family environment because, as we know, in a few decades two thirds of Europeans will be elderly people.
Many students are already living this sort of life combining studies and family. However, the percentage differs from one state to another, from 41% in Sweden, to 12% in Greece, 10% in Austria and 10% in Latvia. There are therefore huge differences between the Member States and this is hampering mobility and access to education.
The aim of our report, therefore, which has no wish to subtract from subsidiarity, is to recognise and respond to the family and social needs of young men and women taking on family responsibilities in parallel to their studies and training. The Member States are responsible for granting special social assistance in order to support the wish of young people to have families without taking account of whether they are exercising some professional activity or whether their parents have an income.
Family benefits can also be granted in the form of loans, affordable housing, adequate crèche services in universities, social and health cover, greater flexibility during studies, an awareness on the part of the teaching staff of the particular needs of student parents or students with family commitments and the use of new technologies to make their life easier. There must also be stronger equality policies, in order to understand that the burden must not fall entirely on women when they are studying.
I am particularly satisfied that the Commission communication acknowledges the need to combine studies, training and family life. I hope that my report will inspire future proposals for family- and youth-friendly measures and a forward-looking solution to the demographic problem.
I should like to thank my honourable friends for the amendments which improved the report; however, I do not support amendments which limit the content of the report or add elements which are unrelated to its subject matter. I therefore hope that my report will be supported."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples