Transnational and Non-Governmental Actors In European Family Policy: Opportunities and Limits On Policy Adaptation and Change (Roundtable)

This roundtable will bring together scholars, experts and activists engaged in family policy agenda setting, program adoption, implementation, and analysis at the transnational, European level. During the last decade we have observed increasing intensity, diversity and scope of interaction among various European governance institutions such as the European Commission, European Parliament, NGOs, various interest lobbies, national, and local government actors in this area but the significance and impact of this phenomenon has not been fully examined and understood yet. This panel will engage in the discussion and assessment of these transnational processes and their outcomes with a special attention to the impact of the EU level directives, recommendations, and funding on national policy decisions, the ability of transnational NGOs to influence European social policies, and the attempts to reconcile various ideological and political conflicts regarding the role of women, children’s rights, and contemporary changes in the definition of the “family.” The roundtable is designed to represent a wide spectrum of perspectives, ranging from European Commission, to NGO activists, and academics with extensive background in EU-level family policy initiatives.