Implementation (Principle 11)
Description
a) What Member States and Social Partners can do
Member States are responsible for the content of teaching and for the organisation of their education systems and they are invited to give effect to the Pillar in this context, particularly through enhanced availability and better use of early childhood education and care facilities, and by introducing policies to counter child poverty and measures to promote equal opportunities, for instance national and subnational strategies that include targets, indicators, earmarked budget allocations and a monitoring mechanism. National strategies on child participation could be put in place to promote awareness on how to involve children in all actions and decisions that concern them.
At national level, social partners may support the implementation of this Pillar by collecting and exchanging good practices across the Union. Thanks to the involvement of the social partners in work-life balance issues, and in some countries their responsibility for social security systems, many companies already promote or even provide childcare for their own staff. In this way, the social partners play a key role in the identification and exchange of good practices.
At Union level, social partners are to be consulted in accordance with Article 154 TFEU on possible initiatives based on Article 153 TFEU, and may sign agreements which may be implemented at Union level at their request in accordance with Article 155 TFEU. Social partners may also collect and exchange good practices across the Union. At national level, social partners may support the implementation of this Principle through their involvement in the design and implementation of relevant policies.
b) Recent and ongoing initiatives at EU level
The Commission is presenting together with the European Pillar of Social Rights the "New start to support Work-Life Balance for parents and carers" initiative. It proposes legislative and policy actions aiming to facilitate the uptake of parental leave by both women and men, to introduce the paternity leave and the carers' leave, to promote the use of flexible working arrangements, as well as to provide more and better child and other care facilities and remove economic disincentives such as tax-benefit disincentives, which discourage second-earners, often women, from entering the labour market.
The Commission is presenting together with the European Pillar of Social Rights a review of the implementation of Commission Recommendation 2008/867/EC on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market, and of Commission Recommendation 2013/112/EU: Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
The Commission will further support Member States in providing a common framework for high quality early childhood education and care and step up efforts to help them learn from each other and identify what works best.
In 2017, the Commission will launch and implement a Preparatory Action on a Child Guarantee, following a European Parliament's proposal. It aims to clarify the concept of such a guarantee, its feasibility and potential to contribute to the overall objective of fighting child poverty.
Member States are responsible for the content of teaching and for the organisation of their education systems and they are invited to give effect to the Pillar in this context, particularly through enhanced availability and better use of early childhood education and care facilities, and by introducing policies to counter child poverty and measures to promote equal opportunities, for instance national and subnational strategies that include targets, indicators, earmarked budget allocations and a monitoring mechanism. National strategies on child participation could be put in place to promote awareness on how to involve children in all actions and decisions that concern them.
At national level, social partners may support the implementation of this Pillar by collecting and exchanging good practices across the Union. Thanks to the involvement of the social partners in work-life balance issues, and in some countries their responsibility for social security systems, many companies already promote or even provide childcare for their own staff. In this way, the social partners play a key role in the identification and exchange of good practices.
At Union level, social partners are to be consulted in accordance with Article 154 TFEU on possible initiatives based on Article 153 TFEU, and may sign agreements which may be implemented at Union level at their request in accordance with Article 155 TFEU. Social partners may also collect and exchange good practices across the Union. At national level, social partners may support the implementation of this Principle through their involvement in the design and implementation of relevant policies.
b) Recent and ongoing initiatives at EU level
The Commission is presenting together with the European Pillar of Social Rights the "New start to support Work-Life Balance for parents and carers" initiative. It proposes legislative and policy actions aiming to facilitate the uptake of parental leave by both women and men, to introduce the paternity leave and the carers' leave, to promote the use of flexible working arrangements, as well as to provide more and better child and other care facilities and remove economic disincentives such as tax-benefit disincentives, which discourage second-earners, often women, from entering the labour market.
The Commission is presenting together with the European Pillar of Social Rights a review of the implementation of Commission Recommendation 2008/867/EC on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market, and of Commission Recommendation 2013/112/EU: Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
The Commission will further support Member States in providing a common framework for high quality early childhood education and care and step up efforts to help them learn from each other and identify what works best.
In 2017, the Commission will launch and implement a Preparatory Action on a Child Guarantee, following a European Parliament's proposal. It aims to clarify the concept of such a guarantee, its feasibility and potential to contribute to the overall objective of fighting child poverty.
Importance
High