PES child care campaign ends with presentation to European Commissioner  

11 December 2007

The PES today presented the results of its year-long child care campaign to European Commissioner Vladimir Spidla – and urged him to make the strongest possible proposals in his communication on meeting EU child care targets which is due to be published next year.

Underling the strong political support form the PES for a strong communication, and encouraging the Commissioner to be bold in his proposals, were Zita Gurmai (President of PES Women), Jan Andersson (Chair of European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee), MEPs Teresa Riera and Rovanna Plumb and Estelle Göger, Vice-President of the European Young Socialists.

The PES representatives highlighted the commitment of our political family to more and better child care and emphasized that child care was important for EU goals for education, employment and the economy as well as social integration. They also outlined some specific proposals from PES Women on what should be in the Commissioner’s communication.

Commissioner Vladimir Spidla was presented with a book outlining the results and main outcomes of the PES child care campaign as well as a giant card from the Socialist Group in the European Parliament with the slogan ‘Child care for all’ and a book ‘Putting children first’ produced by the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions.

Commissioner Spidla told the PES representatives that he would publish his communication in the second half of 2008 and announced that the Commission had agreed ‘common indicators’ for child care which would finally enable it to compare child care provision across the EU Member States. Zita Gurmai urged the Commissioner to follow his communication with a green paper. 

Read more on the child care campaign 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Julian Scola, Communications Advisor - Media & Campaigns
Party of European Socialists, Rue du Trône, 98, B-1050 Brussels
Mobile +32 486 117 394,