11/12/2009 Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“There is evidence that when family-friendly policies are pursued consistently over a long period, they do have a positive effect on individual decisions to have children and tackle the demographic problems of Europe,” Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD) stressed at a meeting of PACE Social Affairs Committee in Paris on 11 December.
His report on “investing in family cohesion as a development factor in times of crisis” was adopted unanimously by the committee. It calls for a comprehensive family policy linking income, childcare facilities, gender equality, education, social and cultural services, inter-generational solidarity, employment and infrastructural provision and planning.