Institutions and the Family

“Political initiatives” aimed at preventing divorce, at reconciling the work and the family, at fighting domestic violence, at safeguarding the choice of raising one’s children on a full-time basis until they are three years old and at reducing VAT on child care products. These are some of the guidelines listed in the “Proposal for a EU strategy for support to couples and to marriage”, by the secretariat of the Bishops’ Conference Commission of the European Union (COMECE) presented in Brussels on November 5. The proposal falls within the ever-greater attention which the EU devotes to the family and which last May led to the establishment of the “European alliance for the families”. In the document’s introduction we read that “there is no intention of questioning the present EU agreement on Member States’ expertise in family law or family policies. On the contrary, the purpose is that of promoting a debate on what community institutions “can do within their field of action”.A JOINT COMMITMENT. “EU action in the field of family law – we read in the text – basically consists in exchanging good practices and promoting new approaches. It can give rise to actions by Member States and introduce minimum thresholds of social protection”. Demographic implosion and family crises – points out the COMECE, which had already published a series of proposals on this subject in 2004 – present serious risks and high emotional, social and financial costs for European society. It is therefore “in Europe’s general interest to sustain and reinforce a stable relationship between man and woman, of which marriage is the ideal expression”. “Helping married couples in their relations” and “supporting parents in their educational task” are the objectives indicated in the document as the ideal “joint commitment” of EU Countries. We read in the document that between the years 1980-2005, in Europe “the number of divorces increased by over 50% and over 21 million children were affected by 13.5 million divorces in the past 15 years”. Hence the importance of “good formation for engaged couples and communication programs for spouses aimed at improving dialogue and the ability of overcoming moments of crisis”. COMECE affirms, “the revision of the Lisbon Strategy (scheduled for March 2008) should constitute and occasion for strengthening its social dimension” by means of “initiatives which may reconcile family and professional life”. AGAINST DISCRIMINATION. In order to fight the risk of poverty of many couples, especially young ones, “EU regional policies” should not “rule out” the possibility of “resorting to European funds for initiatives aimed at bettering the general housing conditions of couples with low income”, the COMECE points out. Also domestic violence however, causes a rupture of family ties. It is therefore important “to identify countermeasures at European level” also aimed at preventing “juvenile criminality” which is often the result of “family modes of behaviour”. The text also dwells into the importance of “supporting local associations and volunteer-work organizations committed in giving assistance to families”, and invites to “include in the European debate on labor mobility also problems affecting the family and commuting”. “In the revision process of the Lisbon Strategy it would be important to give the public opinion a strong sign that staying home to look after one’s children – at least until the age of three – is a great contribution to the well-being to all EU citizens”. Thus the COMECE highlighted the importance of uprooting all forms of discrimination “as relates to fiscal matters or pension rights” directed against those who “make this choice”. ON THE CHILDREN’S SIDE. “The EU has jurisdiction as relates to indirect taxation”, the COMECE affirmed and proposed a reduction of VAT on those products “necessary for the care and growth of a child”. In order to eliminate children’s exposure to risks, it is necessary “to efficiently ban the most violent videogames”, through “adequate legislation” and “help parents control their children’s use of mobile phones and of the Internet”. Children’s well-being however, is strictly linked to what they eat. “In the EU one child out of four is overweight”, the document points out, emphasizing the “central role of parents is guiding their children’s food intake”. Parents play a major role also “in preventing abuse of alcohol and narcotics by adolescents”. The COMECE urges the European Commission to envisage greater “support to people with children affected by mental illness (two million in Europe)”, or disabilities. It wishes there may be support for immigrated family reunion “to be considered a key-factor for integration”. To the document is annexed a snapshot of the present situation of family law throughout Europe (divorce, alimony, patrimonial rules, etc.) Info: www.comece.org.