(Strasbourg) “The family, the first school of life”: this is the name of the workshop that is taking place today in the premises of the European Parliament, in Strasbourg – where the plenary session is taking place – in the run-up to the International Day of Families, which will be celebrated for the twenty-second time, proclaimed by the United Nations, on May 15th. The initiative is promoted by the Parliamentary intergroup “Family Friendly Policy”, chaired by Slovakian MEP Anna Zaborska. Guest speakers include Antoine Renard, president of Fafce (Fédération des Associations Familiales Catholiques en Europe). Zaborska, in opening the day, emphasises the fact that family policies “are strictly under the jurisdiction of the member states”, even if the European Union may contribute with regulations or measures to promote “the wellbeing of families” and their members, especially women, children and workers. “The EU – she states – cannot ignore the needs of families” and must cooperate with the member states. “The family is the fundamental cell of society and, if the family suffers, all of society suffers”, and vice versa. So, “despite respecting the principle of subsidiarity”, the MEP says she is sure that “the educational roles” of the family must be supported, and “birth rates” must be helped too.