17/12/2018 (Agence Europe) – In the middle of negotiations on the work-life balance directive (see EUROPE 12160), COFACE, which represents family organisations in the European Union, renewed on Monday 17 December its call to seal a European agreement to support childcare support among Member States. In conjunction with the European Foundation for Social Rights, the organisation proposes to revise upwards the 2002 Barcelona objectives for childcare for children under 3 years of age, to adopt a new roadmap for early childhood education and care (ECEC) by 2030, and to provide for in-depth monitoring through the European semester budget process and the social scoreboard of national policies in this area. To view the full report: https://bit.ly/2A29KCR. (PH)