WRITTEN QUESTION E-2175/00 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European social statute for housewives.
Date: 2000-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, housewife, social status

C 72 E/184

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

family member of a migrant worker. It should be recalled that, as Community law now stands, migrant
workers and their family members have wider rights in the host Member State, notably as regards social
advantages, than other Union students.

However, the Honourable Member has not provided enough information for the Commission to establish
whether Mr and Mrs Grief or their children have rights under Community law as migrant workers.

(2001/C 72 E/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2175/00

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: European social statute for housewives

(7 July 2000)

The diversity of regulations relating to housewives in the various Member States fuels the argument that, in
one way or another, the role of housewives will have to be regulated if the legitimate aspirations of what
constitutes an important grouping within the Community are to be satisfied.

In France there exists a social statute for housewives; in Italy the government has set up a domestic-
accident insurance scheme; in Spain, preferential treatment for savings intended to increase the future
pensions of housewives is under discussion and in a non-Community country (Switzerland), housewives
receive childcare payments and a retirement pension.

Does the Commission not think that, with a view to uniformly regulating the current situation of
housewives in the various Member States, a European social statute for housewives should be proposed,
incorporating all the aspects which should be regulated in order to consolidate the social dimension of
housewives within the European economic environment?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(13 September 2000)

The Honourable Member refers, in his question, to the present position of housewives in the Member
States. He asks whether a European social statute for housewives should be proposed with a view to
uniformally regulating the current situation, which varies considerably from one Member State to another.

While the Commission recognises the important contribution housewives make to their families and
society in general, the powers of the European Union are very limited in the field of family law.

Where the status of housewives is concerned, I would point out that, in 1987, the Commission submitted
a proposal for a Directive (1) (cid:145)completing the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men
and women in statutory social security schemes(cid:146). It provided for individual entitlement to social security, as
an alternative to derived rights, and also covered housewives.

This proposal was not adopted by the Council
Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee.

in the end, despite the favourable opinions of the

The Commission intends to look into this question, in connection with the new strategy for modernising
and improving social security in Europe.

(1) OJ C 309, 19.11.1987.