Action on informal carers

Subject: Action on informal carers

The June 2021 report of the Social Protection Committee on long-term care, endorsed by the EPSCO Council, concludes that the demand for high-quality long-term care is set to rise and that access to and affordability and quality of long-term care are key challenges. It underlines that an adequate workforce is key to meeting the rising demand for high-quality services and stresses that informal care is essential in long-term care provision.

Indeed, some estimates indicate that 80 % of all long-term care is provided by informal carers, often without pay and with minimum respite and support.

In addition, the Commission has stated its intention, as part of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, to propose an initiative on long-term care in 2022 to ‘set a framework for policy reforms to guide the development of sustainable long-term care that ensures better access to quality services for those in need’.

Given the above, it seems clear that a dedicated and focused strategy on care and caring is required to adequately address the challenges related to the provision of both formal and informal care.

Can the Commission indicate whether such a strategy could be considered?

Joint answer given by Mr Schmit on behalf of the European Commission (20 October 2021)

In the 2021 State of the Union address (1), the President announced a new European Care Strategy to be presented by the Commission in 2022 to support men and women in finding the best care and life balance. The strategy will address both carers and care receivers.

The European Pillar of Social Rights (2) states that everyone has the right to affordable long-term care services of good quality, in particular home-care and community-based services (3).

In line with the announcement in the Social Pillar Action Plan (4), the European Care Strategy will include an initiative on long-term care in 2022 to set a framework for policy reforms in view of developing sustainable long-term care to ensure better access to quality services for those in need.

⋅1∙ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/ov/SPEECH_21_4701

⋅2∙ https://ec.europa.eu/social-rights

⋅3∙ Principle 18.

⋅4∙ https://ec.europa.eu/social-rights-action-plan








| | )The Commission is currently reflecting on the shape and scope of the initiative, including on the provision of formal and informal care. Next to long-term care, as part of the European Care Strategy, the Commission will revise the Barcelona targets to support convergence of participation in early childhood education and care, also with a view to strengthening female labour market participation by providing high-quality care for children.

Inputs from stakeholders will be important to the elaboration of the European Care Strategy. These include two recent broad public consultations on the Social Pillar Action Plan (5) and the Green Paper on Ageing (6), which launched a wide debate, including on access, quality and affordability of care and long-term impacts on social protection systems.

Reports such as the European Parliament resolution of 7 July 2021 (7) will also be considered.

The Commission has provided a formal reply to the resolution including feedback on the various calls it entails.

⋅5∙ January-November 2020.

⋅6∙ January-April 2021.

⋅7∙ ‘Old continent growing older — possibilities and challenges related to ageing policy post 2020’