Brussels, 17 December 2014
Yesterday 16 December the European Commission presented its 2015 Work Programme to the European Parliament. With this document, the College sets out its plans for the 12 months ahead, making new proposals and proposing to withdraw or amend 80 proposals put on the table by the past Commissions in the previous years.
Among the new proposals, we chiefly point out the Mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Communication on the post-2015 post development Goals. Through these two initiatives, the European Commission would like to give a new boost for jobs, growth and investment, making the European Union a stronger global actor.
FAFCE will monitor that these policies do not consider the labour and financial markets in the unique light of the economy, but focus foremost on the person and his talents, as an active participation towards social cohesion and prosperity for all European citizens. A better consideration of the challenges determined by the demographic change is also needed, in order to better address policies for a real economic growth.
The European Commission will also make proposals to complete the EU Accession to the European Convention of Human Rights. But we are unsure whether or not this will help create a real area of Justice and fundamental Rights based on mutual trust, as wished by the Commission itself. Citizens must be involved in this process and need to be informed of the concrete impacts and juridical consequences that this accession could have.
We deplore that the Juncker Commission did not listen to more than 100 organisations representing several million citizens in EU Member States, who asked to withdraw the proposal for a fifth Equal Treatment Directive. Originally intended to remedy specific discrimination against disabled people, it has since become an instrument to advance many other wide-ranging political objectives. We will continue asking that the Commission come up with a proposal that truly targets remedies for real and demonstrated problems that citizens in the EU face.
Finally, we noticed the proposal for a withdrawal of the Proposal for a new Maternal Leave Directive. We would welcome a proposal which focuses on supporting real family life and work balance as a way to not oblige women and mothers to choose between founding a family and their job.
In order to introduce a human dimension to the process of EU integration, FAFCE firmly believes in the fundamental importance of implementing family mainstreaming in all sectorial policies. As we did with our European Elections Manifesto, we call upon the European Parliament and the European Council to take the interests of the family into account with regard to the implementation of the Work Program of the Commission in January.
Contact: Maria Hildingsson, Secretary General
+32 4 70 20 39 18
info@fafce.org
