Researchers from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and Hungary will take part in a conference on legal aspects of family protection and demography in Central Europe. „The results of our research include proposals for legislative changes aimed at improving the demographic situation in Europe,” says Prof. Paweł Sobczyk from the University of Opole.
„Normative aspects of family protection and family development – an international perspective” is the title of an international scientific conference to be held on 22-23 February 2024 in Krakow. The conference is a summary of the work of the research team „Demographic Issues and Solutions in Europe” established by the Central European Academy as part of the Central Europeans Professors’ Network. Comparative legal research has made it possible to analyse the legal foundations of family policy in several Central European countries, the conclusions of which led to legislative postulates for new legal solutions in the field of pro-family and pro-demographic policy.
The issues of legal protection of the family, including family policy, concern problems that are in the center of interest of lawyers dealing primarily with family law. The key task in this respect is faced by politicians, who should translate the recommendations of scientists into the language of law, i.e. good law in the form of statutes. As the head of the international team, Prof. Paweł Sobczyk, points out, the research conducted by lawyers and the resulting proposals for legislative changes are aimed at improving the demographic situation in Europe. In Poland, despite many legal solutions in the field of family policy, there is a lack of coherence of the system, consistency and legislative patience in the implementation of quite good legal solutions. Of course, one should be aware that even the best law is not able to reverse certain cultural and social trends that we are witnessing in the so-called highly developed countries. We live in a time when having children is not a problem that depends on the financial situation, but more and more often on the mental situation – emphasizes Prof. Paweł Sobczyk, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Opole.
The team dealing with demographic issues of Central Europe conducted research on the legal aspects of demographic development, with particular emphasis on the situation of the family, parents, legal guardians and children. The lawyers conducted research on the constitutional foundations of family protection and family policy, legal instruments supporting families, parents and children, as well as the legal basis for infertility treatment and assisted reproduction.
Various issues addressed by the experts include population issues in Europe, macroeconomic factors influencing demography, or the role of the family and family policy in solving demographic problems. The research also took into account axiological, worldview and religious issues. Therefore, apart from lawyers from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary, the conference will also be attended by experts from other sciences.
During the conference, a lot of attention will be paid to social programs aimed at increasing the fertility rate, especially in countries with the so-called negative birth rate. Unfortunately, Poland is one of such countries, where – despite many new forms of support for parents, families and children (especially since 2016) – we continue to observe worrying demographic phenomena.
You can read about various aspects of the research on the scientific blog run by the Central European Academy, based on texts prepared by members of the research team. The results of the lawyers’ research will soon be published in an international scientific monograph edited by Prof. Tímea Heinerné Barzó – Director General of the CEA.
The two-day conference with the participation of scientists from Central Europe will begin on 22 February at 9.30 a.m. at the Consulate General of Hungary in Krakow.
