Press release

International “Day of Families”

Berlin, May 15th, 2009: At the occasion of the International “Day of Families” the President of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) declared in a euro political statement of principle that two issues are be of central interest for a better acceptance of Europe from the point of view of families: First of all the European Economic Community will have to turn also into a Social Community and secondly the European Union is in need of more legal capacity. Therefore Mrs Bussmann welcomes the ratification of the Lisbon-treaty by the Czech Senate and hopes for a successful referendum in Ireland.

Although also in the future there will not exist an explicit European competence for family policies, already today European decisions influence in an indirect way considerably the living conditions of families. “For a well-balanced family life, families need a good combination of financial means, time and family services”. Therefore, also in the legislative period to come the EU-working hour guidelines, the EU-maternity protection-guidelines as well as the EU-Vat-guideline will be important family political issues. If the Catholic Family Associations in Europe stand up for a Europe wide protection of Sundays they fight for an important cultural heritage to safeguard free time to be shared by children and parents at least once a week. And if they call for a reduced VAT on children’s products they fight for the financial discharge of families.” In the course of an increasing European integration it is becoming more and more important to better separate the diverse political levels within the sense of the principle of subsidiary. “It cannot be accepted that efforts for European wide minimum standards for maternal protection question already existing comprehensive national regulations”, Mrs Bussmann said. On the other hand also regional and municipal responsibilities for family services (as there are child care facilities, assistance for the elderly etc.) have to be focussed, and this particularly with a view to the strengthening of close, family supporting services.

However, the Europeanizing of family policies embraces more than mere social aspects: rather social political issues are concerned. Family Associations fight against the tendency to consider families only from a functional point of view and to comprehend the conciliation of work and family life as the very benchmark in times of demographic debates. Far too fast sight is lost that families ought to be supported as cross generational communities in solidarity. “We appreciate that the Fundamental Rights are deeply respected and protected in Europe. However, we draw attention to the fact that some endeavours to diminish facts of discrimination might have an anti-family effect. It rather has to be striven for to consider families as Europe’s wealth and to make Europe sustainable against all short-term interest pragmatism.” After all the family based on marriage presents the true value that stands for the durable stability of the social consensus bearing in mind the pluralism of ways of life today. Beyond all solemn speeches there is a very concrete need for action: “Parliamentary initiatives that will succeed in struggling poverty and social exclusion in order to diminish the poverty of children and families will be the proof for credible European policies”.

V.i.S.d.P.
Stefan Nacke
General Secretary of FAFCE

At the end it is preferable to live a better than a longer life – the European Family Associations’ comments on palliative medicine

Berlin, 22.01.2009: The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) welcomes the resolution application “Palliative Care”, which the Council of Europe will discuss on January 28th, 2009 in Strasbourg. By stressing the quality of life palliative medicine makes this a matter of priority respecting at the same time the unavailability of life as well as the right on a good life, Ms Elisabeth Bussmann, President of the FAFCE said. For families with incurably ill members this comprehensive approach was a good alternative to “apparatus medicine” aiming at all costs at a lengthening of life. A more positive and a more comprehensive life concept ought to be opposed to a logic that has in sight only the illness but not the individual. However, the patient’s autonomy as well as his need for a personal and pastoral company ought to be taken into account.
Palliative medicine makes an intense time full of meaningful experiences possible in the end of life, and thus personal relations can be shaped full of hope and the inevitable parting from close relatives can be done in dignity. Ms Bussmann gives her expressive thanks to all the doctors and nursing staff as well as the voluntary helpers of the hospice movement: “Bearing in mind the person-despising euthanasia debate and the culture of death expressed therein, the hospice-staff is practising a humanizing culture of life!”

The Catholic Family Associations of Europe give courage for a social political debate on the positive value of life particularly also at the end of life. They invite the European States to implement sustainably - for instance by means of a legally unambiguous phrasing of the living wills -the promising possibilities of the palliative medicine into the organisational everyday-life of their public health systems.

V. i. S. d. P.

Stefan Nacke

„Children are not an illness“– FAFCE welcomes the new directive concerning the legal protection of expectant and nursing mothers

Berlin, 02.10.08: The President of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE), Ms Elisabeth Bussmann, in principle welcomes the new directive for the legal protection of expectant and nursing mothers, the draft of which the EU Social Commissioner Mr Vladimir Spidla will present to the public on October 8th. The envisaged prolongation of maternal leave from 14 to now 18 weeks will make life easier for all mothers and their families. “However, the justified family political intention to provide more time for children should rather be integrated within the frame of a continuation of the directive for parental leave”, according to Ms Bussmann. “This would mean an increase of freedom of choice in the structuring of family responsibility for both, mother and father.” On the other hand she welcomes the envisaged new regulation of wage compensation payments, the amount of which will in future depend on the salary – unlike the present EU-directive which orientates by the sick benefit, since: “Children are not an illness”, as the FAFCE-President pointed out. “Apart from this, however, we should have expected that the national states themselves provide adequate regulations”. With a view to the new steps taken by the Commission it has to be critically questioned whether by means of regulations pertaining to labour law, now a European attempt is made to draw social political competences aside that primary are up to the member states themselves according to the principle of subsidiarity.
The principle of subsidiarity originally deriving from the catholic social doctrine and laid down in the European Treaties adjudicates extensive responsibility in a completely reversed manner to the respective lower levels. “The important European minimum standards are, good family policies will always be a duty of priority of the respective national society”, stresses Ms Bussmann, “only in case the politicians should fail in finding reasonable regulations, Europe will be called for solutions”.

V. i. S. d. P.

Stefan Nacke

FAFCE backs the proposal of the European Commission for reduced VAT to children's products

Berlin, 08.07.08: The President of the Federation of catholic Family associations in Europe (FAFCE), Elisabeth Bußmann, has called on the Governments of the EU Member States to endorse the proposal for a Council Directive to apply reduced VAT for specific children's products.

"A reduction of VAT to children's products is a decisive contribution in favour of a family friendly policy in Europe. The Governments of the EU Member States should use this opportunity and consent to the proposal submitted by the European Commission", Elisabeth Bußmann states today in Berlin. "Families with children are far more affected by taxes on goods than other sections of the population are. If tax reductions are planned it is a question of fairness to take into account families as well as small and medium sized businesses."

This Monday, European Tax-Commissioner Lázlo Kovás has submitted a proposal to change the VAT Directive 2006/112/EC so as to provide Member States to apply reduced VAT also to locally supplied services and to specific products, such as children's nappies and children's car seats. Council has to decide unanimously.

V. i. S. d. P.

Claudia Hagen