Previous conferences
Conferences have taken place once a year since 1985, usually hosted
by the association whose country has EU Presidency in the first half
of the year. These Conferences are dependent on the support of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country hosting the Conference.
Topics of interest to EUFASA include:
- spouse/partner employment and pension provisions
- education, especially children with special needs
- separation and divorce
- foreign born spouses
- health/insurance issues
- security/safety issues
These themes recur in different forms, along with topics pertaining
to the structure and mechanisms of EUFASA itself, in the working groups
and the Conference presentations. Some topics merit EUFASA-wide surveys
where information is often elicited both from the associations and their
Ministries.
At the end of each EUFASA Conference a letter is drafted summarising the
Conference and outlining any recommendations arising from the
Conference, and each association is requested to present it to its own
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In recent years EUFASA has made presentations at the COADM meetings in
Brussels – usually ‘dans les marges’ but on occasion as part of the
meeting. This is the only EU forum which gives EUFASA a voice and an
opportunity to inform and influence family-policy in the EU Ministries
of Foreign Affairs.
23rd Conference - Berlin, 14th and 15th May, 2007
22nd Conference - Vienna, 26th to 28th March, 2006
21st Conference – Helsinki, 15th to 17th May, 2005
20th Conference - Dublin, 16th to 19th May, 2004
19th Conference - Athens 11th to 14th May, 2003
18th Conference -
Spain, 21st to 23rd April, 2002
17th
Conference – Stockholm, 26th and 27th March, 2001
16th Conference - Lisbon, 9th to 11th April 2000
15th Conference - Bonn, 7th to 9th March 1999
14th Conference - London, 15th to 17th March 1998
13th Conference - The Hague, 20th to the 22nd April 1997
12th Conference - Rome, 22nd and 23rd April 1996
11th Conference - Paris, 3rd and 4th April 1995
10th Conference - Athens, 18th to 20th April 1994
9th Conference - Brussels, 5th to 7th May 1993
8th Conference - Lisbon, 28th to 30th April 1992
7th
Conference - The Hague, 14th to 16th April 1991
6th Conference - Dublin, 8th and 9th May 1990
5th Conference - Madrid, 17th and 18th April 1989
4th Conference - Bonn, 6th and 7th June 1988
3rd Conference - Copenhagen, 24th November 1987
2nd Conference - London, 6th and 7th November 1986
1st Conference - Rome, 10th June 1985
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23rd Annual EUFASA Conference in Berlin MAY, 14 – 15. 2007
The conference took place in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Berlin. The delegates of meanwhile 24 member associations, observers
from Denmark, Estonia and Slovenia, attended it.
13 guests from European Embassies in Berlin and from the German MFA
participated.
AGENDA
EDUCATION AND MOBILITY
WORKING ABROAD
FUTURE OF EUFASA
The following workshops were held:
1. Pension for spouses
2. Job Data Base
3. Pre post (and coming home) training
4. Public Website: brainstorming about a reshape
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22nd ANNUAL EUFASA CONFERENCE IN VIENNA 27 - 28 MARCH 2006
AGENDA
CHANGING ROLE OF THE SPOUSE
FAMILIES IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
EUFASA MEMBERSHIP
CONFERENCE FOLLOW-UP >>
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21st ANNUAL EUFASA CONFERENCE IN HELSINKI
15 – 17 MAY 2005
This year’s Conference was held in the House of the Estates in
Helsinki on 16th and 17th May. There was participation from all the
current EUFASA member associations with the notable exception of
Denmark whose association seems to have closed down, as well as
observers from Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.
AGENDA
NEW MEMBERS
Paula Fitzmaurice Hanney (Ireland)
Working group - France, Hungary, Ireland (Chair), Italy, Poland, UK
EUFASA AFTER THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION
Gigi de Visscher-Choteau (EU Commisssion)
Working group - Belgium, EU Commission (Chair), Finland, Italy,
Switzerland
COADM - Duty of Care
Huberta von Fritsch (Germany)
INTERNET TEAM - The Public Website
Michel der Gaspard (Web Consultant)
Internet Team - Austria, EU Commission, Finland (Chair), Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Web Consultant
THE PRACTICALITIES OF HOSTING A CONFERENCE
Paula Fitzmaurice Hanney (Ireland)
Working group - Austria, Finland, Greece, Ireland (Chair)
Workshops were held on the following topics:
- Families in Difficult Situations,
- How to Establish an Association
- Pension Funds,
- the Role of the Family Officer,
- the European Job Database,
- Post Reports and How to Keep an Association Alive.
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20th ANNUAL EUFASA CONFERENCE IN DUBLIN
16 – 19 MAY 2004
This year’s Conference took place in Dublin Castle on the 17th and
18th May. It was attended by delegates from the EUFASA member
associations, including Cyprus, Hungary and Poland as new EUFASA
members, and Luxembourg who had rejoined after an absence. The
Conference was also attended by the EUFASA Web Consultant; privileged
observers from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland; local observers from
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia; local
observers from the EUFASA embassies; and observers from Romania and
Turkey. Given the increasing attendance it was decided at this
Conference that local observers could no longer be accommodated at
EUFASA Conferences.
AGENDA
Foreign born spouses
Elisabetta Ciardullo Criel (Belgium)
Working group - Belgium (Chair), Finland, France and Sweden
EUFASA Guidelines
Gertrud Wincrantz-Wernstedt (Sweden)
Working group - Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden (Chair),
Switzerland, UK
Internet Team Presentation
Michel der Gaspard (Web Consultant)
Internet Team - EU Commission, Finland, Greece, Ireland (Chair),
Italy, Switzerland, Web Consultant
COADM
Emilie Salvesen (United Kingdom)
Working group – Italy, Spain, UK (Chair).
Divorce and Separation within the MFA
Huberta Von Fritsch (Germany)
Working group – Austria, EU Commission, France, Germany (Chair),
Greece
Spouse Associations of the Acceding Nations
Emilie Salvesen (United Kingdom)
Working group - UK (Chair), Italy, Netherlands
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19th ANNUAL EUFASA CONFERENCE IN ATHENS
11 - 14 May, 2003
This year’s annual conference took place at the Zappeion Conference
Centre in Athens on 12th and 13th May. Delegates from the EUFASA
member associations and privileged observers, the EUFASA Web
Consultant,
local observers from the EU embassies in Athens and observers from
Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey
attended.
AGENDA
EUFASA web site presentation
by Web Consultant Michel der Gaspard (Sweden)
Scandinavian Data base
by family officer of Sweden Marie-Louise Kärrlander
Report on COADM meeting on 6 December 2002
by Emilie Salvesen, United Kingdom
Progress of associations
by Christiane Bonneville, France
Reports on the new family office of Spain
by Ambassador Juan Maria Lopez-Aguilar;
and family office of France by Christiane Bonneville
Enlargement of the European Union and the implications/consequences
for EUFASA
by Linda Kontovounisios of Greece
Report on the consequences of divorce
by Germany
EUFASA new guidelines
by Mechtild Van der Lugt, Netherlands
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18th ANNUAL
EUFASA CONFERENCE IN SPAIN
21 - 24 April 2002
This year’s annual meeting of EUFASA took place in Madrid on the
22nd and 23rd of April in the Palacio de Congresos, Campo de las
Naciones. Two representatives from each Member State plus the European
Commission, as well as three observers (Norway, Switzerland and
Iceland) attended the Conference. The Candidate countries were also
invited. Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Hungary each sent a
local observer. Most of the spouses of EU Heads of Mission posted in
Madrid also attended the meeting, as well as the web consultant, who
is in charge of the website and Internal Network of EUFASA. In all,
some 60 persons attended.
AGENDA
Pension compensation for spouses
Chair: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Norway
Spouse careers - (continuation)
Chair: Sweden, Finland, France, The Netherlands and Switzerland
Liaison officer - Necessity or luxury?
Chair: UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands
Children with special needs
Chair: European Commission, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and
UK
Working practices for EUFASA
Chair: The Netherlands, Italy, Spain and UK
EUFASA on the Internet
Coordinator and Web Consultant: Michel der Gaspard
Editorial committee: Spain, Austria, Greece (EUFASA president 2003),
the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden (EUFASA President 2001) and UK.
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17th Conference – Stockholm, 26 and 27 March, 2001
For the first time, the Swedish Foreign Affairs Spouses’ Association (SAK),
hosted a EUFASA conference. Delegates from the nineteen EUFASA member
and traditional observer associations were invited, EU member
countries, the European Commission and traditional observers Iceland,
Norway and Switzerland. Since one of the priorities of the Swedish
Presidency was to actively promote the entrance of the candidate
countries into the European Union, SAK decided, for the first time in
a EUFASA context, to also invite a representative each from the 13
candidate countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
and Turkey). Information meetings were held with representatives of
all European and candidate countries’ missions on three occasions and
SAK also sent a press release informing Swedish and international
media about the conference.
AGENDA
1. Children with special needs (European Commission)
2. EUFASA on the Internet (Michel der Gaspard - Web Consultant)
3. The Role of a Spouse Association (France)
4. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – a Family Problem (Sweden)
5. Spouse Careers (Finland)
6. EUFASA Legal Status (Belgium)
Her Majesty Queen Silvia participated during parts of the conference
and, at the courtesy of the Queen, a reception in the Royal Palace was
held on the 26th of March. Speeches were held by Ms Lena Hjelm-Wallén,
Deputy Prime Minister and Ms Mona Sahlin, Minister at the Ministry of
Industry, Employment and Communication. SAK collaborated with Official
Institutions, Swedish industry (among others Telecom company Ericsson
and Volvo) and official cultural and tourist authorities (among others
Stockholm Information Service and the Swedish Institute.)
The minutes from each topic on the agenda end by a joint statement.
These statements appear in the final document Declaration of Intent.
As a result of the 17th conference, one of the candidate countries,
Poland, created a spouses’ association. During the Stockholm
conference, the new EUFASA web site www.eufasa.org was released, a
great step forward in the future collaboration within the EUFASA
circle. It was decided to create a common EUFASA vocabulary since a
number of crucial terms, such as "pension" and "partner" caused
confusion.
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16th Conference - Lisbon, 9th to 11th April 2000
At this conference were present delegates from the 15 associations of the EU member countries, the traditional observer countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), the European Commission and three guest observers from the CPLP (Community of the Portuguese Language Countries): Brazil, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau.
The ACDP welcomed the delegates on Sunday with a day trip to Azeitão, which included a lunch at a cottage, followed by a visit to the Lisbon Oceanarium at the site where the Expo '98 was held. That same evening the French Ambassador's wife, Mme Kathryn Brochand, kindly hosted a cocktail for all. The actual conference began on Monday morning at the Congress Centre for the Portuguese Presidency of the EU and the Secretary General, Ambassador Pedro Ribeiro de Menezes, performed the opening address. The Chairman, President of the ACDP, Mrs. Ribeiro de Menezes declared the session open and the presentations and discussions continued through to the next day.
On Monday evening the Secretary General hosted a glamorous dinner in the beautiful halls of the Palácio das Necessidades.
AGENDA
- Opportunities for European Education (European Commission, France, Italy and Norway)
- Eufasa on the Internet (Sweden, France, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom)
- Legal Status (Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom)
- Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (Sweden)*
- Social and Economic Implications of Death, Disability & Divorce (Switzerland, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom)
* Due to lack of time, this topic was postponed to next year's conference in Stockholm.
The main issue discussed at this conference was the Eufasa Legal Status, into which Belgium has put a lot of effort, and the approval of the Eufasa on the Internet in which Portugal had a decisive role as part of the working group.
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15th Conference - Bonn, 7th to 9th March 1999
Delegates from all the 15th countries of the EU and the European Commission, the traditional observers (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland) and other guest countries.
AGENDA
- Challenges Facing Foreign-born Spouses (Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Italy and Norway)
- Social and Economic Implications of Death, Disability and Divorce in the Foreign Service (Germany, Austria, European Commission, Spain, Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom and Switzerland)
- EUFASA on the internet (Sweden)
- Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (Sweden)
- Legal Status (Belgium)
- The Role of the Diplomatic Spouse/Partner in the 21st Century (The United Kingdom)
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14th Conference - London, 15th to 17th March 1998
For the first time, the newly formed Organisation of the Spouses of the European Commission was present. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland participated as observers.
AGENDA
- Safety (Spain, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland)
- Special Education for the Children and the Young (Ireland and the United Kingdom)
- Database (The Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden)
- The Role of Diplomatic Spouse in the 21st Century (The United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Finland, Iceland and Switzerland)
- EUFASA Legal Status (Belgium, Denmark, Italy and the United Kingdom)
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13th Conference - The Hague, 20th to the 22nd April 1997
19 countries were present at this conference (12 as permanent members plus 3 as observers)
AGENDA (themes developed by the working groups):
- Pay and Pensions (Ireland, Austria, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Switzerland)
- Database (the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden)
- EUFASA Legal Status (Belgium, Denmark, Italy and the United Kingdom)
- Consequences of this Changing Society on Diplomatic Life (The Netherlands Germany, Belgium, France and Norway.)
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12th Conference - Rome, 22nd and 23rd April 1996
This year, there was no theme for debate, only the presentation of the conclusions of the work done by the 4 working groups that were set up at the 1995 conference in Paris.
Agenda
- European Schools (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France and Italy)
- Spouses' Employment (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland and the United Kingdom)
- Eufasa Delegate (France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Portugal)
- Health (Greece and Germany)
The second EUFASA Newsletter was published by Ireland and had as a single theme "Subsidies and Pensions"
- The Irish Association presented the replies sent by the various countries to their questionnaire.
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11th Conference - Paris, 3rd and 4th April 1995
This conference received for the first time as member countries, Austria, Finland and Sweden.
Conference Theme:
"Diplomatic Life of Today for European Spouses - a new approach".
Related to this theme the following studies were presented:
- The Present Role of the Spouses (Austria, France, Spain and Portugal)
- Foreign-Born Spouses (Germany)
- Preparation for Posting (Belgium and the United Kingdom)
- Problems Related to the Countries of the former USSR (Finland and Greece)
- Retirement and Pensions (Norway and Switzerland)
- European Schools (Italy)
- Difficult Countries (The Netherlands)
Various commissions were formed to continue the work on the above-mentioned projects: European Schools, Work Funds, Health, Delegate in Brussels.
At this conference the need for the publication of a EUFASA newsletter was also discussed to divulge the work done by the already formed commissions. Spain offered to produce the first issue of the annual newsletter that was released in December 1995 with information sent out to all associations.
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10th Conference - Athens, 18th to 20th April 1994
This year, the topic discussed was:
"Problems and consequences of life in difficult countries and the need for financial assistance in cases of emergency or special situations".
Related to this main theme the following topics were presented:
- Health Problems, Physical and Psychological Implications in Difficult Countries.
- Financial Support in Special Cases
- Health in Difficult Countries - Precautions and Preventions (The Netherlands)
- Criteria for the Classification of a "Difficult Country" (The United Kingdom)
At the end, the name of the conference was voted and changed to EUFASA - European Union Foreign Affairs Spouses' Association.
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9th Conference - Brussels, 5th to 7th May 1993
Sole topic - the return home: Psychosocial consequences for the Diplomat's children and their education. Detailed study based on interviews to children and spouses' of diplomat's and two psychologists. In some countries of the EEC, spouses and children are offered language courses funded by the MFA, as well as a social assistant to help solve the problems of adaptation on returning home.
The feeling was also that diplomat's children should not grow up thinking that they are part of an elite, and must be encouraged and helped to equally try to fit into the culture of both their and other countries.
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8th Conference - Lisbon, 28th to 30th April 1992
On the 28th April, Dr. Manuela Pinheiro, wife of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time and as such, honorary president of the ACDP, offered the conference members a dinner at the Palácio das Necessidades.
The conference took place at the recently opened Centro Cultural de Belem, where the work sessions of the Portuguese presidency of the EU first took place. There were 58 delegates present including as observers, participants from Austria, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. On the 29th there was a dinner at the British Embassy and on the 30th, when the conference came to the end, late that morning, there was a lunch at the Spanish Embassy followed by a trip along the coast through Estoril, Cascais, Guincho, Cabo da Roca and Sintra. There was a guided tour to the Sintra Palace and the day ended with tea at the Palácio de Seteais.
Agenda
- Problems Faced by the Diplomat's Family "back home" (Belgium)
- Compensations for the Spouses (The United Kingdom)
- ECFASA "Guidelines" (The Netherlands)
- The Standardization of the Qualifications of the Employed Spouses (Ireland)
- Health and Welfare Provisions Abroad (Italy)
Portugal presented the updating of the Charts, which begun at the 1990 conference, but introduced new topics for comparison between the various countries: Health, Education, Insurance-Pensions, Employment opportunities for the spouse, and Database - Questionnaire. Still today, these charts are updated annually.
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7th Conference - The Hague, 14th to 16th April 1991
Five topics were discussed. Four of these, work related.
Agenda
1. Databank (The Netherlands)
2. Work Permits (Belgium)
3. Social Security (The Netherlands)
4. Join Activities (Germany)
5. "Compensations for the Spouse?" (The United Kingdom)
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6th Conference - Dublin, 8th and 9th May 1990
A new name was voted for the conference: ECFASA (European Community Foreign Affairs Spouses' Associations).
Agenda
1. The Role of the Spouse (Ireland, Spain)
2. Tandem Couples (Ireland)
3. Pensions (The United Kingdom)
4. Action Plan (Ireland, France)
5. Environmental Risks Abroad (Germany)
6. The Spouses Associations (Ireland)
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5th Conference - Madrid, 17th and 18th April 1989
Agenda (work presented by the Spanish Association):
1. The Diplomat's Residence and the Marital Housing
2. Psychological Effects on Children due to Diplomat's Postings
3. Education
4. The Spouse Professional Activity
5. Health
6. Housing
7. Health Insurance Abroad
8. Pension
9. Cooperation with National and International Organisations
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4th Conference - Bonn, 6th and 7th June 1988
France did not yet have an association; they were, however, represented by an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an active participant. Luxemburg's association was still in an embryonic phase. Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland were present as observers.
Agenda
1. Spouses' Employment
2. Retirement and Other Pensions
3. Education
4. Health
The topic of "Liaison Officers" was also discussed.
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3rd Conference - Copenhagen, 24th November 1987
42 delegates participated, including observers from Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America.
Agenda
1. Spouses' Employment
2. Pensions Schemes for the Spouses
3. Health
4. Education
5. Specific Problems of Diplomat's Children
One of the resolutions taken at this conference was:
The need for an annual conference of diplomat's spouses' association where participation would be limited to 12 member countries of the EEC, although the host country may invite non-participant observers as conference members.
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2nd Conference - London, 6th and 7th November 1986
Participants included the delegates of the member countries of the EEC and observers from Austria, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
Agenda:
- Spouses' Employment
- The Public Image of the Diplomat
- Children's Education and their Difficulties
- National Health Service
Conference Resolutions:
- To continue the exchange of ideas and solutions, the proposal for an annual conference in the country holds the presidency of the EEC was accepted.
- Each member country has the right to refuse that the conference take place.
- The Italian delegation put forward the suggestion that English be accepted as the common language for future meetings. This discussion was postponed till the following conference.
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1st Conference - Rome, 10th June 1985
All the associations of the member countries of the EEC were present in the "Symposium" (France still had no association but was represented by the "Bureau d'Information" of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Four themes were discussed presented by the Italian Association related to the topic of the meeting: "European Dimensions of the Diplomatic Service - Family Implications", for which a study plan was suggested:
- The Value of Tradition: the role of the diplomat's wife and the family's engagement in the missions abroad.
- The Role of the Wife in the Diplomatic Service: her potential and future
- The Repercussions of the Diplomatic Life in the Family Life: health, education, emotional stress
- Cultural Interests/Professional Interests: Problems resulting from the marriage dissolution: separation, divorce, and widowhood.
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