Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-12-12-Speech-2-333"
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"en.20061212.44.2-333"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission has not yet carried out a study into the effects of the various benefit systems on the birth rate. Demographics experts are generally agreed that it is difficult to separate the effects of different kinds of financial benefits from other, perhaps decisive, factors influencing the birth rate. The Commission feels, however, that the search for examples of tried and tested approaches should not be restricted solely to the EU Member States; we could certainly learn from what the Northern European countries that are not EU Member States, in other words Norway and Iceland, have done to solve the problem of demographic change.
Following its communication 'Demographic Future of Europe – From Challenge to Opportunity', adopted on 12 October 2006, the Commission decided to set up a group of government experts on demographic and family issues, which will help the Commission in future activities and act as a basis for exchanging tried and tested approaches. I also wish to point out that as well as adopting the communication on demography, the Commission decided to consult with the European social partners over the issue of harmonising professional, private and family life. The social partners have been called on to assess whether further improvement is needed, especially when it comes to working time, flexible working conditions, the new opportunities provided by information technology, the accessibility and quality of childcare, care for the elderly and other dependent persons and holidays, including family holidays and holidays taken with the aim of caring for dependent persons, children or disabled family members.
In view of the fact that the Norwegian social partners are members of the European organisations representing social partners, their experience with family contributions will be taken into account.
The Commission will also support the German Presidency in creating a European alliance for families. The Commission takes the view that such an alliance would help identify tried and tested approaches and enable their exchange between Member States, with the aim of improving family conditions in the EU and of giving Europeans the opportunity to have the number of children they want to have. Honourable Members, as you may have gathered from my long speech, the Commission has yet to assess directly the issue of financial payments, which will be examined at a later date."@en1
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