Policy Briefs

How can we better support families with young children today to decrease inequalities among future generations? In November 2022, the Open Research Area DICE (Development of Inequalities in Child Educational Achievement) project organised a High-Level Experts Meeting to discuss this subject with eminent scholars and stakeholders.

On 27 April 2022, the European Commission published a Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on ‘Attracting Skills and Talent to the EU’. We sat down with researchers for them to offer their insights on the proposed initiatives and evaluate policy options based on research evidence.

From 16 to 18 May 2022, more than 50 international experts from politics, science and society discussed the perspectives of younger people in Germany, Europe and around the globe at this year’s Berlin Demography Days.

Migration processes, despite being highly uncertain, volatile and complex, very often demand concrete, rapid and targeted policy responses. Yet, addressing the uncertainty that is an inherent feature of migration trends is still a challenge. How can progress be achieved in this area?

Up to this point, families have not played a significant role in the discussion of the climate crisis. Yet, they play a crucial role in shaping intergenerational relationships – also and especially when it comes to environmental protection and climate-friendly behaviours.

Familien spielen in umweltpolitischen Diskussionen zur Klimakrise bislang keine herausgehobene Rolle. Dabei sind sie der Ort, an dem intergenerationelle Beziehungen hauptsächlich gestaltet werden – auch und insbesondere in Sachen Umweltschutz.

The EU’s anti-trafficking Directive adopted a holistic, human rights sensitive approach but it has not been sufficiently implemented in all member states’ legislation. This Policy Brief reviews the challenges and gaps in its implementation, such as the lack of adequate assistance and protection for victims of trafficking and missing identification systems.

Political decision-makers often rely on scientific evidence and expert knowledge as one of many inputs to make choices that align with their policy goals. However, given the increasing complexity of policy issues, time pressure, public expectations and institutional constraints, as well as the breadth of research and data available on migration now, identifying what is reliable knowledge is challenging.

European welfare states have evolved into sizable and resource-consuming institutions with a total social spending of around 28 percent of GDP and social policies affect every stage of citizens’ lives. But what do welfare states mostly do?

In the period after the pandemic, long-term socio-demographic challenges that have developed during this time can be expected and societies and political decision-makers should be prepared to deal with them. This brief presents recommended improvements that can be made in societies as we move forward.