Normative and Institutional Frameworks for Family Formation

Abstract

As discussed in the previous chapters, EU guidelines, Directives and policy goals help to support young people in their transitions to adulthood. The focus of guidelines, Directives and policy goals is to develop employment and family policy in relation to the reconciliation of work and family life which does not discriminate according to age and gender. National Reform Programmes contain Member States’ reactions to these European aims and incentives but are not free from ‘window-dressing’ in order to reach high rankings in the OMC’s best practices. Also national normative frameworks, legislation and historical institutional settings determine the way in which EU Directives and guidelines are presented and interpreted by national politicians. For that reason, we cannot assume that all the intentions expressed in the National Reform Programmes (Chapter 3) are backed up by national public and political agreements, or that these intentions simply fit into national institutional settings.