6th Austrian Family Report – Lot 15: Family Policy in Europe

In this study, WIFO provides an overview of the development of family policy in the EU countries as well as current developments in priorities and the mix of measures in family policy. First, relevant socio-economic and socio-cultural trends are discussed (e.g., participation and extent of participation of women in the labour force, intra-family employment constellations, fertility rates, population attitudes towards childcare and parenthood, etc.). The most important agreements and guidelines at EU level (e.g., Barcelona targets for the expansion of pre-school childcare, Parental Leave Directive, planned Directive on Early Fathers Leave, etc.) are also briefly presented. After an overview of the current state of the literature on the categorisation and typologisation of family policy in the EU, the family policy of the individual countries is categorised on the basis of suitable indicators. Against this background, differences and similarities as well as changes in family policy in the EU countries will be identified. Finally, an outlook is given on future challenges for family policy in the EU (e.g., cross-border family benefits, refugee and migration movements).