MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Does the Commission see it as urgent to adopt an ambitious family policy to tackle the demographic challenge? – E-001728/2024

Question for written answer  E-001728/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Mathilde Androuët (PfE)

In her State of the Union address[1], and in the political guidelines for 2024-2029[2], Ursula von der Leyen raised the issue of ‘skills and labour shortages’. One of the remedies she proposes to address these shortages is ‘legal immigration’, an idea already put forward in the Pact on Migration and Asylum[3]. The ‘shortages’ concerned largely stem from the demographic decline we are seeing. It is hitting many European regions very hard[4].

Yet unless they are torrential in nature, the European Economic and Social Committee emphasised back in 2011 that ‘[m]igration inflows […] would not be sufficient in themselves, since immigrants do not necessarily settle in areas where the birth-rate is low’, and that ‘immigration requires active pursuit of integration policies in order to avoid inter-community problems’[5]. What is more, the unemployment rate among immigrants from outside Europe is significantly higher than it is among those in other categories[6].

As part of a long-term recovery strategy for Europe’s demography, does the Commission not consider it a priority to adopt, as a matter of urgency, ambitious family policies, as already advocated by the EESC back in 2007?

Submitted: 17.9.2024

• [1] 2023 State of the Union address by President Ursula von der Leyen – European Commission – 13 September 2023.
• [2] Europe’s Choice – Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029 – 18 July 2024.
• [3] Pact on Migration and Asylum – European Commission – https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum_en.
• [4] Ninth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion – EESC – 30 May 2024.
• [5] Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The role of family policy in relation to demographic change with a view to sharing best practices among Member States’ – OJ 2011/C 218/02.
• [6] Immigrants and descendants of immigrants – INSEE – 11 April 2023.