Brussels, 15 May 2013
Hosted by
Anna Zsáborská, Member of the European Parliament, Slovakia
Martin Kastler, Member of the European Parliament, Germany
on behalf of the European People’s Party
With the participation of
László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Professor em. Philippe de Woot
Maria do Céu Patrão Neves, Member of the European Parliament, Portugal
Heinz Becker, Member of the European Parliament, Austria
Convened
in observance of the International Day of Families
and as part of preparations for the 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family (2014)
Co-organized by
International Federation for Family Development
Make Mothers Matter International
World Youth Alliance
Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe
European Federation of Parents and Carers at Home
New Women for Europe
Forum Européen des Femmes
European Federation of Parents and Carers at Home
European Large Families Confederation
European local inclusion and social action network (ELISAN)
CARE for Europe
Veneto Region
The 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family offers an opportunity to refocus on the role of families, take stock of recent trends and share good practices in the field of family policies, review challenges faced by families worldwide and recommend solutions. This Raise Awareness Conference was organized to take part in the preparations for this Anniversary.
The event was centered on work-family balance, one of the three main themes of the 20th Anniversary besides confronting family poverty and social exclusion, and advancing intergenerational solidarity. The first panel on the ‘Rush hour of life and the life cycle approach’ explored practices that proved to be effective in promoting a better work-life balance for families. With reference to these good practices, the speakers of the second panel provided their expert opinion on how the different stakeholders (employers, employees, civil society) can work together to enhance these practices. The conference also provided an opportunity to explore the possibility of creating a European family-friendly label as an initiative of the European civil society.
Program
12.30 – 13.00
Registration
13.00 – 13.10
Welcome address
Working Group on Family, the Rights of the Child and Solidarity between Generations in the European Parliament
– Anna Zsáborská, MEP
– Maria do Céu Patrão Neves, MEP
Address …
13.10 – 13.50
The “rush hour” of life and the life cycle approach – best practices at work
Moderator: Ines Mortreuil (HR-Strategy Consultant)
– Work-life balance policies and examples in the Veneto Region (Italy)
Elena Curtopassi, Veneto Region Brussels Office
Presentation …
– Betreut.de – providing online support for families (Germany)
Steffen Zoller, founder
Presentation …
– Company initiatives for workers with care responsibilities for disabled children or adults (Eurofound)
Robert Anderson, Head of the Unit Living Conditions and Quality of Life
Presentation …
– Fédération des particuliers employeurs (France)
Isadora Hugo-Provost, EU and Governmental Affairs Officer
Presentation …
13.50 – 14.05
Debate with the floor
14.05-14.45
Various perspectives on the implementation of best practices
Moderator: Pierluigi Brombo (European Economic ans Social Committee)
– Isabelle Sonneville, Human Resources Director, AXA Belgium
– David Fieldsen, Office Manager, CARE for Europe
Luca Jahier, President of the Various Interest Group of the European Economic and Social Committee
14.45 – 15.00
Debate with the floor
15.00 – 15.15
Towards the empowerment of families in the United Nations Framework: A Declaration of the Civil Society
Ignacio Socias (International Federation for Family Development)
Presentation …
15.15 – 15.45
Exchange of views with Commissioner László Andor
Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Speech …
– Anne-Claire de Liderkerke, President, Make Mothers Matter Europe
Speech …
– Antoine Renard, President, Federation of catholic Family associations in Europe
Speech …
15.45. – 16.00
Concluding remarks: Corporate Social Responsibility and Families
Philippe de Woot (Emeritus Professor, Université Catholique de Louvain)
