Large families buckling under new cuts
“We’re already feeling the effects because this is around the time that we would get paid the benefit,” said POPO spokesman Elias Karaiskos, who said that he has three children, two of whom were students.
The measures passed in December targeted student and child benefits by introducing income criteria: all families earning over €89,000 a year would stop getting benefits and lower-income families were targeted on a sliding-scale. Those earning €39,000 or less were not affected by the cuts.
The new steps also redefine the meaning of a large family: if a family has two children who are dependents and two at university, they are considered a two-child family. The family would no longer receive an allowance for having two students at university, as they are no longer considered dependants, regardless of the family’s income.
Under the new measures, many families will receive the allowance yearly instead of monthly.
“At the moment people don’t even know whether they’re going to get their money as the Grants and Benefits Service have not even issued the application forms,” said POPO head Efthymios Strouthos, who reiterated that beneficiaries of the allowance need the allowance to live and not simply to save.
Under the new system all families must now reapply for benefits based on the new criteria, whereas the old system simply required a one-off application to be submitted and then every time a family’s financial situation might change. Now the application must be made yearly.
The last allowance was paid out on December 31, however under the new system they will not be given out until April, when applications have been processed.
A lack of application forms was confirmed by a Grants and Benefits Service administrative officer, Chrysostomos Papayiannis. “We realise how difficult the situation is especially because there are loopholes in the law,” said Papayiannis.
Only those applications that have been processed will receive a payment by April, if not they will not get the benefit.
In order to help the process run as smoothly as possible large families and three-member families – around 35,000 families – will be invited to make their applications first, he said.
He could not say when the forms would be ready but reassured that it would be soon.
DISY MP Tassos Mitsopoulos expressed concern over the issue yesterday citing the new measures as causing problems in the living standards of larger families.
“They should continue to receive the allowance then when their application is processed the relevant readjustments should be made,” said Mitsopoulos.
By Natalie Hami
Cyprus: children or money?
Large families lay into proposals
The two proposals, designed to save €100 million between them, were under discussion at the House Finance Committee last month. Another €100 million is due to come from elsewhere to meet the state’s target of benefits’ cuts worth €200 million.
“The government’s bills will eradicate large families and harm our country,” said Paraskevas Samaras, the head of the Large Families Association, who called on the state to exclude large families from any plans to assist economic recovery.“Child benefits have been reduced in recent years, while other benefits increased as much as 40 per cent,” he also said.
According to the proposal, child benefit would be stopped for all families earning over €89,000 a year. Incomes lower than that would be on a sliding scale but those bringing in €39,000 or less would keep the current amount. Savings to the state from this would be €80 million.
As for student grants, families whose income is over €90,000 a year would not receive grants while those in income brackets below that would still receive the grant on a sliding scale.
The measure is due to save €20 million. There would also be a different scale for families with more than two children.
Finance Minister Kikis Kazamias, said that ideally, the government would reshuffle the cuts to facilitate the more vulnerable sectors based on annual incomes. But the current situation did not lend itself to that, he said.“The state’s economic situation does not offer the government this possibility,” said Kazamias.He added that his ministry was prepared to engage in dialogue to discuss any new proposals - just so long as the goal is a common one; to save €200 million.
Committee
Chairman, DIKO’s Nicolas Papadopoulos, wondered why the cuts were being
centred on just student and child benefits. Out the total €1.4 billon
paid out in benefits every year the state was cutting only €100 million,
and all of that was coming from student grants and child benefit, he
said.
Montecitorio (Italy), September 22, 2011: Large Families demonstrate against the new fiscal maneuvers of the Government
“The latest reform plan doesn’t contain any of the long promised fiscal reforms that should introduce more attention to families with children” says Mr. Mario Sberna, ANFN president ” Italy is one of the oldest country in the world, with the lowest fertility rate: we are an old country that does not invest on its future, its families, its children. Large families, which represent only the 1.3 % of all Italian families, has suffered for years of discriminations and injustices: but we believe in the future and we have a great responsibility in front of our own children: we must do something about it, they can’t go on living in a suicidal country”
"Putting together the “talents” that everyone has we could create
something that can become a resource for everybody."
"All of us have very little free time and it is difficult to create groups in the cities or provinces. This could be an opportunity (and a challenge!), to put in contact with each other people from the same town, who otherwise might never meet. The group "Figli Numerosi in Rete" was born in Parma, but in reality it touches any place where there is someone who participates. If we get many messages or requests from the same town, we can instantly create a contact among the guys, as well as with the group. Guys who are part of a family, so in reality, their families can meet.
If you have friends with some difficulty or something to ask / propose, you should be spokesmen for them, the fact that we belong to an association does not mean we have to be closed to the world or seeing it as an exclusive. "Passaparola dei Figli Numerosi" is an opportunity for all of us, it was born with the intention of creating a meeting point, to help each other, so we cannot close the door to those who might need help." writes the Caruso Family in their proposal.
"We believe that it’s possible to build a better future “sharing” and not “grabbing”; that each family produces alone the light of a led and maybe this is why it’s hard to see it, but together with the other families… what a great show of lights that we’d see!"
The proposal urges every large family and specially their children to get united in the net sharing their personal experience with each other on Facebook!To see the proposal of the Caruso Family in English
FAMILY KALEIDOSCOPE
Let's compose the common European family photo album!
Photo competition organized by the Ministry of National Resources of Hungary!
Submit your family photo depicting the most beautiful moment, which reveals: you can live without family, but not worthy!
Let's present the diversity of the European families in order to find out: family is the greatest value, may we live anywhere in Europe.
We expect such private moments, captured experiences, which families are willing to share with the public at large as well, for all to see: family is the main source of happiness.
We also welcome one-sentence captions for the family after-images sent to the competition (which might be a message to the young people facing before family formation, perhaps, when, where or on what occasion was the record made, why it is the most beautiful moment for them).
We are waiting the black and white or color images electronically, in high resolution, in jpg, pdf or tif formats to the address sajtofoosztaly@nefmi.gov.hu until the 15th of May 2011.
The proper size for the assessment is min. 2000 x 3000 pixels, 1,5 Mb. After judging the winner images will be required in a larger size necessary for publication.
A candidate may appoint up to three photos.
The pre-judged pictures of the Family Kaleidoscope will be uploaded to www.kormany.hu governmental website, where can be voted for the images capturing the most intimate moment.
We will raffle valuable prizes among the candidates. The images received the most votes will be awarded and also presented to the public.A good example: the new large family of the Denmark Crown
Mary Donaldson of Tasmania, Australia, married Prince Frederik in 2004; the following year Prince Christian was born and in 2006 Princess Isabella. At the time of her marriage Princess Mary said that she would like to have several children -- something she has reaffirmed more recently, saying:
"I'd like to have that experience again. That boundless freedom of childhood is so wonderful. The world is so different for a child, waking in the mornings, wide-eyed and ready to take it all in."
The new constitution would include clauses defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Should these constitutional changes be adopted, they would create a complete about-face for Hungary, which currently has one of the most liberal abortion laws in Europe.
An ad-hoc parliamentary committee in charge of drafting the constitution has presented the draft document for debate in the Hungarian National Assembly between Dec. 10 and 15, before being submitted to a vote. If the document is approved by parliament, new changes to the constitution will only be possible if two subsequent parliaments vote on identical changes with the backing of a two-thirds majority on each occasion, the document stated.
The newly governing party, Fidesz, is usually described in the European media as “centre-right” and socially conservative. It rules in a coalition government with the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP). This April, the Fidesz/KNDP coalition won a huge landslide victory with a two-thirds majority, with Fidesz winning 263 of 386 seats in the National Assembly. Fidesz started its political life as a student-led anti-communist party who were actively persecuted by the regime. Its power has grown in successive elections since winning 8.95 percent of the vote in 1990, to its current 52.73 percent.
Modern Hungary’s first constitution was adopted in 1949 when the country was under communist rule. This was heavily amended in 1989 when communism in Europe was collapsing, and the current revision was announced earlier this year. If it is adopted, the new constitution will be the country’s first under a democratic government.
A pro-life constitution would mean a massive shift in Hungarian law, and a nearly unprecedented change for any EU country. Under communist rule abortion was allowed without restriction and was paid for by the state since the 1950s. Hungary’s current abortion rate, at nearly 30 percent of all pregnancies, is one of the highest in Europe.
Hungary’s birth rate is similar to that of many European countries spiraling down into a demographic crisis, with a general fertility rate of 1.39 children born per woman and a median age for women of 42.6 years. Population growth rate is - 0.156 per cent.
Although the Hungarian population today is only 51 percent Catholic, the country’s connection to the Church is ancient and still strong. The first king, Stephen I is a canonized saint in the Catholic Church and was crowned with a crown sent from Rome by the pope in AD 1000. The Kingdom of Hungary remained a significant power in Europe until the communist take-over in the 20th century.
In his remarks to the new ambassador of Hungary to the Holy See, Pope Benedict XVI mentioned the country’s ancient connection to the Church, and said it is “desirable … that the new Constitution be inspired by Christian values, particularly in what concerns the position of marriage and the family in society and the protection of life.”
“Marriage and the family constitute the decisive foundation for a healthy development of the civil society of countries and peoples. Marriage as a basic form of ordering the relationship between man and woman and, at the same time, as basic cell of the state community, has also been molded by biblical faith,” the pope said.
“Europe will no longer be Europe if this basic cell of the social construction disappears or is substantially transformed.”
Paul Tully, the general secretary for the UK’s Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, told LifeSiteNews.com that it is not unprecedented for European countries to do a complete about-face on abortion and related social issues.
“It’s not all that unusual,” he said, citing the case of Poland, which immediately instituted pro-life laws after its people kicked out its communist rulers in the early 1990s.
“In a sense,’ Tully said, “this is a similar thing, in terms of shaking off former communist influences.” Tully agreed that it would be unusual, but also that in general, countries that have a strong religious heritage and have thrown off Soviet rule have a greater animus against abortion in public opinion.
Hungary, he said, has “a strong attachment to religious values, as in Poland,” and this draft constitution seems to be a deliberate hearkening back to the country’s pre-communist days as a Christian kingdom.
The new government’s plans have already come under attack by Europe’s intellectual liberals with an editorial piece appearing in the UK’s Guardian newspaper, warning that the European Union needs to “send a message” to Hungary’s new government, which it accuses of “dismantling the rule of law and eroding a fragile democratic political culture.”
Medvedev urges more kids
AFP/Moscow, 1 Dicember, 2010
to the nation and urged families to have three or more children to avert a demographic crisis.
Speaking before the two houses of parliament, Medvedev said that he decided to make
children the central theme of his address, calling investment in young people “the most noble,
intelligent and secure investment possible”.
The address, which some had expected would mark a political departure, called for rewards
for large families and investment in children in rhetoric that some observers compared to
the Soviet era.
Medvedev called the demographic situation a threat to the nation and backed a “radical
increase of families with three or more children”.
In a quirky argument, he said that national heroes including the first man in space,
Yury Gagarin, and writer Anton Chekhov were the third children in their families.
Large families should be eligible for free l and for building a house and tax cuts, he said.
Although Russia’s birth rate has increased by 21% since 2005, the country is now facing
the consequences of a demographic collapse during the 1990s, as the low number of
children born in those years now reach adulthood.
Medvedev focused on policy details, pledging up to 100bn rubles ($3.19bn) to modernise
children’s hospitals and clinics over the next two years.
“We should not be ashamed of the country that we pass on to our children and
grandchildren,” Medvedev said.
101 ANFN LARGE FAMILIES CLAIMING REPAYMENT OF TAXES PAID UNFAIRLY101 ANFN LARGE FAMILIES CLAIMING REPAYMENT OF TAXES PAID UNFAIRLY
101 Families of the National Large Families Association have registered a letter to the
Tax Agencies, claiming a refund for taxes unfairly paid, as income tax over the last 5
years.
Families from all Italian regions are targeting the tax offices of the country with an
initiative that is going to turn the provincial offices of the Internal Revenue service
upside-down. It is said in the letter that “the tax laws are unconstitutional” as
“violation of Articles 3, 29, 31, 53, and 97 of the Fundamental Rights Chart”.
As widely reported by ANFN, an association of families with at least 4 children, born in 2004 to defend extra-large families’ values and rights,
the current tax legislation does not take into account the taxpayer’s family composition, “in total affront to his real ability to pay”, and
“to progressiveness”. In vain, in 1995 The Constitutional Courts declared that “the tax calculations show with no doubt that the current family
tax treatment damages one-income households and large families with members who do not produce or perform house work”, asking the
legislator to adopt, “the remedies necessary for the restoration of tax fairness and protection of families”, and stressing that “the legislator
will not allow the last set of inequalities in harm, in observance to the constitutional principles and criteria set out in tax courts”.
After awaiting tax reforms vainly, now families ask for the repayment of the “wrongly calculated and paid taxes”. “It is unacceptable to go
on ignoring the contributive capacity principle laid down by the Article n° 53 of the Constitution”, Mario Sberna wrote, presenting the initiative
to Presidents Napolitano, Berlusconi, Fini and Schifani. It would be better to stir things up, in order to “make the Republic’s commitment in favor
of Large Families concrete, such commitment is ratified in the Article n° 31 of the Constitution”. “If times of economic crisis may prevent to
allocate significant resources to families”: Sberna says, “the present system of inequality is unjustifiable”. As years went by, this system had
led to the present situation of poverty among large families (one out of three lives below the poverty line) and the dramatic decline of birth
rate: two thousand children less, in the first quarter of 2010, and a birth rate of 1,41 which is among the lowest in Europe”.
Now the response from the Tax Agencies is being awaited, “according to article 2 of Law N° 241 August 7th 1990, even to allow activation of
the appropriate legal actions”. ANFN families Association are not going to stop it here.
II Italian National Conference on Family, 8-10 November, 2010, Milan (Italy)
The II Italian National Conference on Family took place last week in Milan.
About 2.000 stakeholders attended the meeting organised by Mr. Carlo Giovanardi, Under-Secretary of the Italian Government, and by the Osservatorio Nazionale della Famiglia, directed by Prof. Carlo Donati.
The general crisis of the Italian family, low birth rates and the aging of population call for a "family mainstreaming", a convergence in all national and local policies. With this issue,The National Conference has started to produce a National Plan for family policies, which means to organize organically the many initiatives concerning the well being of families.On the second day of the conference 10 different workshops produced documents and suggestions in day-care, mass media, immigration, adoptions, education and a tax system based on the number of members in the family. Although it is possible that the Italian Government may resign before long, the National Plan on Family will represent the demand for family policy coming from the people.
General Assembly of ELFAC, 1st of August of 2010, Rimini (Italy)
After a welcome address of Regina Maroncelli as representative of the host association, each representative had the opportunity to report on the situation, activity of their association. After the presentations the items of the agenda were discussed such as the new website of ELFAC, which is still under construction, the use of the European Large Family Card, Family Platform project and the possible development of the European Large Families Confederation. As always, the meeting ended with defining the objectives of the Confederation for 2010.
As the host association of this board meeting was the Italian Large Families Association, the next day representatives and their accompaniments could join the Conference of ANFN in the Science and Fun park of the city, where several conferences where held with the participation of ELFAC members (Fernando Castro, László Márki, Raúl Sánchez).
First White Book of Large Families published in Valencia
The presentation of the book was held at the campus of the Santa Úrsula Catholic University of Valencia. Some important personalities attended the event, like Angélica Such, counsellor of Social Welfare, Juan Cotino, Vice-President of the Tercero del Consell, David Catayud, general secretary of Family and Social Acts, Carolina Martínez, General Director of the Family and Pilar Albert, General Director of Social Acts and Elderly.
At the presentation speeches were held by Rocío Fernández, Germán Martín y Pablo Vidal, well-known professors of the UCV after the inauguration of José Alfredo Peris, rector of the University.
The White Book
To elaborate the work, the Family Forum organized a poll with the intervention of the Federation of Large Family Organizations of the Region.
The poll, filled out by 1011 families, asked the people about marriage, living together, children, home, education and work, housework, rolls in the family, incomes and expenses, religion and politics.
The book also compares the different measurements of the family policy for large families applied by the different communities of Spain. One of the chapters of the book makes a comparative of the different type of family cards used in the country.
At the end of the book, the authors offers to the reader some good ideas and proposals for the future.
To read the book: Documents
Card offering discounts for big families in France
French families and families from EU countries legally residing in France with at least three children under 18 years old can benefit from a card offering a range of discounts. The card is called a ‘Carte Familles Nombreuses’. Under the scheme, each member of the family has their own card. The management fee for processing applications comes to €19, which the family must pay. This amount stays the same however many cards are issued to the family.
Card began with discounts on train journeys
When the card was created in 1921, it gave cardholders discounts on journeys using the French national railways. Families with six children or more benefit from a 75% reduction, those with five children from a 50% reduction, those with four children from a 40% reduction and those with three children from a 30% reduction. Parents who have or have raised five children at the same time benefit from a 30 % reduction on second class tickets.
A poll in 2009 showed that one cardholder in four uses the card at least once a month to take the train, 26% to go on holiday or for a long weekend by train, 31% more rarely and 17% never. One family in four uses it at least once a month to benefit from commercial partners other than the French national railways.
More and more commercial partners offering discounts
The card was opened up for commercial partners to give discounts in 2006, with 22 partners joining the scheme that year. By May 2007, there were 44 partners and by January 2010, there were 93 partners.
So now cardholders can benefit from a range of other discounts, including national museums, supermarkets, shops and fun parks. In May 2007, the French Health Ministry reported that over three million people held the card out of a maximum possible of seven million people. It added that cards should be issued within an average of ten days of reception of an application. The French national railways in charge of processing applications.
Online applications since 2007
Those applying for a card no longer have to go to train station ticket offices but can, since 2007, apply for one online. They can start their application for a card by going to www.voyages-sncf.com,
- going to the ‘train’ section at the top of the screen,
- clicking on ‘cartes et abonnements’
- and then scrolling down to ‘cartes pour la famille’.
If they click on ‘demande’, a form will appear. The French national railways will then send them a kit to apply for a card.
The kit comprises an application form, an explanation of what the card is for, a pre-paid envelope and a sleeve for identity photographs. The card is valid for three years, after which the family needs to apply for a new card. For parents who have brought up five children or more, the card is valid for six years.
For further information
Contact: French Ministry of Labour press service
Email: cab-famille-presse@famille.gouv.fr
Tel: +33 1 40 56 53 48
On Sunday, 27 June 2010, about 200 people took part in the First European Meeting of Large Families in Santiago de Compostela, in which the institution was put forward as a example to follow in order “to prevent mass suicide”. These were the words of Beatriz Mato, the Galician Minister of Work and Welfare, in the opening ceremony of the conference, which was organized by the Galician Association of Large Families (AGAFAN). In her speech, she spoke about Spain’s decreasing birth rate with particular reference to Galicia. Speaking on this subject, she highlighted the importance of support for pregnant women, since she considers the family to be “the backbone” of modern society. The minister went on to say that “for the first time in Spain” there is a family law that recognizes the elderly as an “active part” of society.
Raúl Sánchez, the Director of the Institute of Advanced Family Studies (IESF) of the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya and the General Secretary of ELFAC, participated in a roundtable session regarding family politics in the European Union along with Members of the European Parliament Antolín Sánchez Presedo (PSOE) and Pablo Arias Echeverría (PP).
Raúl Sánchez criticized the fact that Spain is “light years” behind other European countries in terms of family assistance. He added that the assistance merely consists of “healthcare benefits” and that it is “three times lower” than that of the European Union. He called for the introduction of “societies that are responsible towards families”, as well as a family perspective in public policies.
Emilia Tarifa, the Vice President of the Spanish Federation of Large Families, pointed out that families have been “neglected for many years” and that they will “suffer the most if the crisis is managed badly”. She went on to champion the education of children “without imposed measures” and expressed her regret at the loss of “the few” existing benefits such as the baby cheque.
In a similar speech, the Portuguese Fernando Castro, President of the European Large Families Confederation, spoke out about “the loss of values” in modern society, which he described as being “ill”.
Slovak MEP Anna Záborská elected Chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Family
The Intergroup monitors the family mainstreaming within the EU politics with regard to Art 16.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State."
Anna Záborská M.D. is a trained doctor and has practised medicine in Slovakia and in Algeria. After being involved in organising the velvet revolution in the former Czechoslovakia, Anna Záborská was elected twice to the National Parliament of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava where she chaired the Committee on Public Health. She represented Slovakia as observer to the European Parliament and was elected as MEP in June 2004 and chaired the Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (2004-2009). Dr. Anna Záborská is married and has two children and five grandchildren.
Polish Association of Large Families – Poland for Family, Family for Poland
During the conference, leading European legal and local solutions will be presented, as well as best practices at the workplace, models of cooperation among non-governmental organizations and labour market institutions, local authorities and governmental administration. Furthermore, achievements of recent research, social and economic thoughts will be presented, as well as, the results of the most recent European research and analysis.
Among the speakers we have invited representatives of the European Union countries governments, experts and high-ranking EU officials and media representatives. The working-out of a solutions model, based on best European Union practices, will constitute the expected result of the conference. Apart from that, the direction of action in the area of family policy will be determined, which will lead to its implementation in the domestic and international debate. Furthermore the intention is to build a platform for an international dialogue, as preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2011 and as the initiation of a Polish forum for the formulation of family policy trends.
We invite and encourage you to an active participation in the debate. We would like the conference to start a discussion about the future of family policy in our country and, as a result, lead to a stable and balanced development with a simultaneous support for the reconciliation of family and work roles.
Bed & Breakfast in Florence – Special Prices for Large Families
Have you ever visited Florence with your family? Now,- thanks for the Associazione Nazionale Famiglie Numerose of Italy (ANFN)- you have the opportunity to visit the city staying in a Bed&Breakfast for a special price!
The National Association of Large Families of Italy offers to all ELFAC-members to get the same discount of the Donatello guest house as their members.
For large families, the Donatello Bed& Breakfast offers:
- free for children until the age of 6
- 50 % discount for children between the age of 6 – 12
- 30 % discount for children between the age of 12 – 18
- special discount after the 4th night
For further information please visit their website:
“Woman, Family and free choice”
Conference organized in Rajecke Teplice in Slovakia, March 26th – 27th, 2010 by Forum Zivota
The topic of this conference is: "Women, Family and "free choice": 15 years after Beijing".
As the government of Slovakia organizes this year an important number of public events to celebrate "Bejing+15" to promote a one-sided political stand, the Slovak pro-life-movement would take strategic profit of its 12th annual national to pass another - positive - message on the matter of "B+15" to Slovak citizens.
The key messages of the lectures are that the defence of the dignity of women and the fight for the role of women for the common good represents also a traditional social-conservative task and responsibility and is not just a predilection for liberal feminists
As always, at the occasion of this conference, the Forum Zivota will grant the "Anton Neuwirth Award for the Protection of Life" to honour the public commitment of a national association, an individual activist and an international organisation.
The conference takes place on 27 and 28 March 2010 in a small and smart town in the centre-north of Slovakia (Rajecke Teplice) in the Slovak mountains (http://www.rajecke-teplice.sk/).
For further information and inscription please contact Mr Marek Michalčík by E-mail: marek@forumzivota.sk
“Family Policies: an Investment in the Future”
Conference organized in Toledo , September 24th – 25th, 2009 by the UNAF and WFO European Region
UNAF (Union of the Family Associations) and WFO (World Family Organization) European Region organized a conference in Toledo, Spain to delve deeper into the question how family policy actions can best be implemented to support families against the background of the demographic challenge Europe is facing.
The conference held on the 24th and 25th of September, 2009 was a good opportunity with its fascinating keynote speakers, lively workshops and roundtable discussions to speak about the dialogue between family organizations and the European Institutions.
From ELFAC, László Márki, Leonids Mucenieks, Raúl Sánchez were invited to participate at the conference as speakers. They were asked to speak about some good practices in their countries – family-friendly municipalities in Hungary, family card in Spain - and the impact of crisis on family policy in Latvia.
The 15th member-country of ELFAC: Greece
ASPE, Supreme Confederation of Multi-Child Parents of Greece has joined the European Large Families Confederation
The Greek confederation of large families became a member of ELFAC last May, when the General Assembly of the Confederation accepted its petition for affiliation.
ASPE, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded under the Greek Law in 1931, to undertake
(a) the representation of the Large (four or more children) Families in Greece,
(b) the study and the promotion of their needs and demands, and
(c) the looking after of their material and non-material interests as well as
(d) the support of the concept and the institution of family in society.
ASPE has 120 member associations of large families (four or more children in Greece) and represents 180.000 families which means about 1.200.000 persons.
- To support and promote the institution of family, as an institution of a high humanistic value that society relies upon where characters are forged, tomorrow’s honest citizens are prepared and virtues like affection and love are cultivated.
- To promote the enhancement and advancement of family policies all across the laws and regulations to effectively support and promote parenthood, motherhood, better children care etc.
- To represent the ‘voice of the family’, and of the large family in particular, to the various national and international fora.
- To avert social exclusion threats for large families.
- To look after the material and non-material interests of the Large Families.
Contact:
www.aspe.gr
info@aspe.org.gr
Large Families criticizes the short sensibility of the EU rejecting the reduced VAT for nappies and goods for babies
European Large Families Confederation does not understand why to put the maximum VAT on a basic item which is used daily by millions of children in Europe
13 March 2009
European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC) has received disappointingly the exclusion of the nappies and other infantile items from the list of items with possibly reduced VAT (7%), by the ECOFIN, the meeting of the Economics and Finance Ministers of the European Union.
The 10th of March ECOFIN added products and services of attendance at residence, repairs and housing alterations, and cloth, footwear with others to the list, while nappies, prams and other infantile items will carry on with the maximum rate, as the consensus necessary was not achieved by each country.
For ELFAC, this decision is a sample of the short sensibility of the members of Ecofin, who did not only ignore the suggestion of the European Commission, in favour of the reduction, but also forgot the social demand and the positive impact that a VAT reduction of the items of infantile hygiene would have on millions of European households.
ELFAC has been demanding this matter for years, asking that nappies should not be considered as luxury items because of the effect of VAT. The battle has been extended to all Europe, where the Confederation carried out an energetic protest-campaign of this matter, which culminated last July with the decision of the European Commission to make a change in the regulating policy of VAT.
“The Commission understood that it is his responsibility to watch over the social and economic protection of the families, of the families with children, all over Europe; however the state members has neglected this responsibility. It is quite striking that in the time of crisis, families with children are not supported; something that would help daily life of millions of families in Europe is not approved”, says the president of ELFAC, Fernando Castro.
An important expense of millions of families
During the first two years of a child, 6-8 pieces of nappies are used daily, which supposes a significant expense for the family. However the prices range by age of the baby and brand of the nappies, the average is around 900 Euros annually. In case of large families, with three or more children, this economic outlay, 75 Euros a month per child, may extend for years. Families with multiple-childbirth, have to pay out this amount of money multiplied by two or three at once.
MORE INFORMATION: Fernando Castro – President of European Large Families Confederation president@elfac.org