Child care must be highlighted in EU reform guidelines say European Socialists          

21 September 2007

Child care – and the need to achieve the EU’s child care targets – should be highlighted in the EU’s new guidelines for national reform says the Party of European Socialists. 

At a meeting of the PES Lisbon Network, led by former German Finance Minister Hans Eichel, socialist and social democratic politicians agreed that a joint submission by the PES and Socialist Group in the European Parliament on new guidelines for the Lisbon Strategy (which have to be adopted next year) should include “the development of child care facilities, in order at least to meet the Barcelona targets.” 

“Child care is a necessity for the 21st century family”, said Hans Eichel “and services are being expanded in several but not all Member States. This should be better reflected in the new guidelines.”       

The EU’s Lisbon Strategy – aimed at making Europe the world’s most competitive economy – is widely seen as Europe’s top priority. Next year EU guidelines for national reform under the Lisbon Strategy will be revised, which is why the PES is working with its European Parliamentary group to prepare socialist proposals for updating the guidelines. 

The meeting was attended by over 40 representatives from Europe’s socialist, social democratic and labour parties including several MEPs as well as a number of people working for the European institutions.    

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