COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES C0MC89) 363 final Brussels, 8 August 1989 COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION on family policies OQKEENTS iwnaxcnoH p. 3 I. EBCGRAFHIC, SOCDOUDGICAL AHD HXHCMTC (IITI'KXT p. 4 1. EBGGRAfHIC BM3SGB0QHD p. 4 A. Trend in principal demographic indicators p. 4 B. Changes in family structure p. 6 2. SOCIAL AHD FT1"*™? OLKIMCT p. 8 A. Women and employment p. 8 6. Sooio-eoonomlo changes p. 9 3. ancajcrsKH p. 10 II. KHJUmmJUM OP IBB BCEB OP THE FAMILY AHD ARSONS IN ns FAVOUR m PUBLIC ALTIHKITIKS p. 11 1. AT IH1SEHAXI30NAL LEVEL p. 11 2. AT RATIONAL I£VEL p. 12 3. AT (TMMnHTTY LEVEL p. 13 III. CXXELBSttX p. 14 AHNEXE I : LIST OP SENIOR OFFICIALS PAKnCrPATDC IH PREPARATORY WQRC ANHEXBH : SIATISTIGAL TABLES AHHEKB III : HT/WIORf OP MEASDRES TAKHJ IH SUPPORT OP THE FAMELT (Working document prepared by Oomnission servioes) AHNEXB IV : THE SHAKDC OP WggTKBTBTT.TITES JM THE MBiBBR STATES -a- nfmuuuTiui 1. Varied approaches to the question of family exist in the Member States. Conception of the role of the public authorities with regard to the family also differs. However, by the slanting of diverse measures adopted in a certain number of areas such as social security, taxation, family law, etc. in all Member States, the public authorities are directing their attention to families* living conditions. Family policy conditions the sum total of these interventions. 2. In its oommunioation "Problems of social security - areas of common interest" of 24 July 1986, the Commission analysed the implications of demographio trends in the Community, and proposed the organization of "concertation at the level of senior national officials responsible for the policies (family policy measures), as is already the case in the field of social protection".- At the meeting on 27 May 1987, the Council of Ministers for Social Affairs welcomed this communication, which responded to the European Parliament recommendations (resolution of 9 June 1983 on family policy in the Community) and to those of the Economic and Social Committee (report on the demographio situation and report on the social aspects of the internal market) all adopted almost unanimously. On 22 February 1988, the Council on General Affairs adopted the following conclusions: "At the European Council in Copenhagen, the French delegation mentioned the disturbing demographio situation in Europe and emphasized that Europe could not retain its political, eoonomlo and cultural position in the world without a renewal of its demographio dynamism. The Ministers responsible far Family Affairs will meet to exchange information on their national experiences and will submit a report in 1989 on their 3. The aim of this communication is to submit to the Ministers for Family Affairs a draft report drawn up in conjunction with the senior national officials responsible for family affairs, in preparation for which the Commission organized a seminar an the implications of Community family policies (Frankfurt, 18-19 April 1989). One following were stressed during the preparatory work: the disturbing demographio situation in Europe; the impact of social and économie changes an the family; the effects of Community sectoral policies an the family; the fundamental role of the family as the basic unit of society; the cultural and sooio-eoonomio role of the family, based on the transmission of values and inter-generational solidarity. - 3 - 5. From this work, four main areas of common interest emerged: ways of reconciling work and family life and sharing family responsibilities; measures adopted to assist certain categories of families; consideration of the most deprived familles; impact of Community policies an the family, in particular the protection of children during childhood. 6. On this basis, the draft report in question, after describing the demographic, social and economic context of the family, and reviewing its impact on various family groups, concludes with an outline of a feasible approach to these questions. 7. Annex m, a working document prepared by Commission services, nmn+Ai-na a description of national measures adopted In favour of the family, mainly relating to the above areas of common interest and based on information supplied by the Member States. -4 - I. TiarCTAwnq yyTfirrynriAT. Awn Hrymrmr wyrpjriiim 1. DaCGRAPHIC BACUSOUND A. Main demographic indicators 8. Since the end of the 1960s we have been witnessing a reversal of demographic trends. The high birthrate, which had been characteristic of all European oountrles since the industrial revolution, daolInert at an Increasing rate from 1965 onwards. Since 1980, no EEC country, with the exception of Ireland, has achieved full population replacement. Deaths outnumber births with a consequent standstill In population levels, and even a reduction within a few décades unless entries (births and immigrations) compensate for the losses. 9. This rapid fall in the birthrate since 1965 Is remarkable not only because it occurred simultaneously in all the countries of Western and Eastern Europe, but because all strata of society have been affected, regardless of religion, social status and education and despite the économie growth rate of each of these oountrles, the proportion of women on the labour market or unemployment rates. 10. This decline in the birthrate is not an isolated phenomenon, but occurred in parallel with other factors, such as the decline in the number of marriages, an Increase in the period of time between marriage and the birth of the first child, and a rise in the number of divorces. 11. In all the oountrles of the Community, marriage, often preceded by a period of cohabitation of varying length, is being entered into later in life and less frequently, so that between the beginning of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s the total number of marriages declined by 20%. - 5 - In other words, if the behaviour observed in recent years in various age groups were to be true of a whole generation throughout its life, marriage would lose its general and more or less universal character and be entered into by only half or slightly more of the population. However, it is likely that the present Indices exaggerate the trend.1 12. Alongside the decrease in the number of marriages, there is an -tivwfrtfs» in the number of unions "by agreement" or "de facto" marriages which would account for the Increase in the number of children born out of wedlock. While no Member State remains untouched by this trend, the relative scale of the phennmenon differs greatly from one Member State to another. With close to 40% of births being Illegitimate, Denmark occupies an entirely exceptional position'; the united Kingdom and France are in a ffinrfiM» situation (roughly 20% in 1985), followed by the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, where the rate varies from 8% to 9%. m Greece, less than 2% of recorded births occur outside marriage (see Annex II, Table 4). 13. Since the mid-1960s and, above all, since 1970, there has been a very rapid rise in the divorce rate; the number of divorces tripled between 1964 and 1982. Divorce is not only becoming more frequent, but is occurring earlier in the marriage. The increase in the Intensity of the phenomenon and the shortening of the duration of marriages ending in divorce combine to produce a véritable explosion of the divorce rate Indicators (see Annex II, Table 3). In the light of the Initial data available, the final proportion of divorced couples among those who married In 1975 will probably be over 1 out of 5 In France, over 1 out of 4 In England and Wales and dose to 1 out of 3 In Denmark.2 14. Significant changes have also taken place in regard to the mortality rate. Whereas, at the end of the last century, the average life span in Europe was between 40 and 50 years, with an infant mortality rate of 10 to 20% ..., today, life expectancy Is well over 70 years, ooming close to or sometimes eaooofling 80 years In the case of women; the Infant mortality rate is under 1%.3 This Increase In life expectancy, oomblned with the fall in the birthrate, are at the origin of the ageing of the population (In other words the proportional increase of elderly persons In a given population) typical of Europe today. 1 Burnel, Eoonomlo and Social Committee Report of 19 June 1985 on the demographic situation In the Community (ESC 602/84 SOC 80, p.9). 2 Burnel, op. cit., p.10. 3 G. Calot, "La fécondité en Europe: evolutions pw=y^gg et perspectives d'avenir", in Symposium on Population Change and European Society, IDE, Florence, 1988. - 6 - 15. The longer life expectancy of women (an average of 6 to 7 years) and a substantial drop in the mortality rate of the extremely elderly has accentuated the Imbalances in the group of the elderly. The category of 75 years and more is becoming numerically and proportionately larger, and women are in the majority In this group (over two-thirds in 1985). 16. The combination of these various factors: a fall in the birthrate, Increased life expectancy ocmnlned with a fall-off in the flow of immigrants since 1973, has had repercussions on all society's structures, especially the age structure of the population. Europe is ageing, and although this process is slow at the moment, the first signs can be seen in the distribution by age group of the population. This Increase in longevity Implies that in the long term the active population will be older, expenditure on health and pensions will be higher, and there will be an additional burden on families who have to provide for their older members. The fall in the marriage rate and the increase in the divorce rate have altered the family structure and increased the diversity of family models, phenomena which need to be confronted.