topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2129.95 0.50
DAX 6374.98 0.55
IBEX 30 6492.1 -0.78
CAC 40 3064.18 0.53
FTSE 100 5386.92 0.66
AEX 294.96 0.75
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13142.53 -0.09
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4120.2 0.96
Hang seng 18800.99 0.47
Straits Times 2786.75 0.50
ISEQ 20 503.48 0.51
You are here: Home News Spanish News European ministers told to encourage baby boom

Spanish News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


18/06/2009European ministers told to encourage baby boom

The ministers called for more government support for people wanting to have children.

Vienna -- The falling birth rate and economic crisis make it crucial for governments to support families who desire more children, the Council of Europe said Tuesday.

"The decision to have children is first and foremost an individual choice, but ... it must be a real choice," deputy secretary-general Maud de Boer-Buquicchio told journalists at the start of a two-day conference of family affair ministers from the council's 47 member states.

"Ministers of family affairs (must) lift any obstacles which could exist," she added.

According to a council report presented at the conference, the birth rate among member states varied immensely, from over 1.8 children per woman in Scandinavian countries to less than 1.4 in many eastern European countries.

And while child support, parental leave and good childcare facilities exist in most countries, these measures could be streamlined for all of Europe.

Paid maternity leave for instance varied between six weeks in Portugal to 52 weeks in Bosnia, Bulgaria and Serbia, and paternity leave went from two days in Greece and the Netherlands to 12 weeks in Slovenia, according to the report.

In Austria, most men and women said they wanted two children, but the real rate just below 1.4 children per woman, noted state secretary for economy, family and youth Christine Marek, whose ministry helped organise the conference.

In countries with fewer measures to support families, there were fewer children, she added.

Europe's birth rate must remain around 2.1 children per woman to prevent a drop in population.

In a draft statement seen by AFP, the conference urged incentives to encourage working mothers, to allow fathers to take care of their children and permit young people to have children while continuing their studies.

"In the current economic financial crisis, there is a risk that availability of funding for social services is going to be reduced ... this is a very serious issue," de Boer-Buquicchio warned.

"Family and work are not a contradiction," Marek said, adding that she hoped "that in the future more and more countries will be able to realise their wish to have children."

"We need more children than we have now, and we want more children," she said.

AFP/Expatica


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Technology in Spain

Sat phones/internet links

English in Spain

What is the best travel insurance cover to Spain?

American in Spain

U.S. citizens, plan to vote in 2012? Did you know...

Relocation to Spain

thinking of moving to madrid

Jobs in Spain

Job Agencies or how to find work.

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Editor's Guide: Getting Started in Spain

Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Groups and Clubs in Madrid

Here's a guide to an extensive list of groups and clubs in Madrid for expats, from sports groups to social and family gatherings.

Groups and Clubs around Spain

Groups and Clubs around Spain

A brief introduction to our Tax section for Spain, from help with inheritance tax to accounting advice.

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Groups and Clubs in Barcelona

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in Spain, from what to ask the experts to opening a Spanish bank account.