Brussels, 06/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - As part of the Austrian Presidency, Social Security and Generations Minister Ursula Haubner organised a conference on the theme “Demographic Challenges - Family Needs Partnership”, in Vienna on 2-3 February to discuss the role of the family and the obstacles to a genuine work-life balance. Leila Kostiainen, Finnish Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Health, stated on behalf of the future Presidency of the Council that the birthrate would increase in Europe if every child was able to have a place in a nursery, as in Finland. The Finnish social model of the strengthened positive loop was based on equality in family life, giving an assurance that the Finnish Presidency in the second half of 2006 would continue the work of the Austrian Presidency on equality of opportunity at work and in personal life, with the maintenance of work capacity and attractiveness of one's professional life as a central theme. Gerry Sutcliffe, British Secretary of State for Employment stressed the urgency of the demographic challenge, and said that in the United Kingdom a new law had just been proposed recognising the equality of the roles of both parents during the first year of a child's life. Ursula Haubner was of the opinion that immigration could only be a short-term, and certainly not medium- or long-term, response to demographic challenges and that having a family would have to be made more attractive.