Addressing the European Family Network of Municipalities, Commissioner Dubravka Šuica emphasized the pivotal role families with several children play in managing demographic change and proposed enhanced support measures. Drawing from her experience as a former mayor, Šuica highlighted the challenges municipalities face in reconciling family aspirations with paid work, particularly in providing quality child-care beyond urban centers.
Concrete EU measures
Šuica referenced the recently adopted 2023 European Union Demography Toolbox and two notable European Commission initiatives launched in the first 100 days of the Commission’s term: the Union of Skills and the new STEM plan. The Union of Skills aims to support lifelong learning with a focus on green and climate skills, skill retention, and recognition of diverse training types. The STEM plan intends to improve foundational education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, target declining performance, increase STEM teacher numbers, and encourage female participation in STEM careers.
Policy implications
The proposals suggest a policy orientation towards strengthening EU-level support for municipalities in family and educational services, including financial resources to improve child-care access and education quality. This translates to increasing EU powers in social policy implementation while expecting municipalities to manage operational challenges.
Stakeholder impact
Municipal authorities stand to gain through calls for fair resource allocation, enhancing their capacity to support families locally. Families, especially those with multiple children, may benefit from improved child-care and educational services. The education sector could experience increased investment and initiatives fostering STEM education and skilled workforce development. Conversely, municipalities might face increased administrative responsibilities and expectations to deliver on these expanded services, necessitating effective use of resources. Overall, these initiatives underscore a move towards integrating social welfare priorities with educational and demographic policy at the EU and municipal levels.