The European Care Strategy is a policy framework launched by the European Commission in September 2022 to strengthen care systems and improve both care services and care conditions across the European Union. It aims to ensure high-quality, affordable, and accessible care throughout people’s lives – from early childhood education and care to long-term care for older persons and persons with disabilities – while also supporting carers, especially women, who make up the majority of both paid and unpaid caregivers.
Main objectives
1.Improve access to quality, affordable, and accessible care services
Ensure that every child and older person in need can access adequate care services in all EU countries.
Close gaps in availability between and within Member States.
2.Improve working conditions and career prospects in the care sector
Address low wages, poor working conditions, and labour shortages in care professions.
Promote professionalisation, training, and fair pay for care workers.
3.Support informal and family carers
Promote measures to recognise and support informal carers (often family members).
Encourage work-life balance policies and flexible working arrangements.
4.Promote gender equality
Reduce gender gaps in employment by ensuring that women are not forced to leave the workforce due to care responsibilities.
Strengthen the implementation of the EU Work–Life Balance Directive.
Two key components
The strategy includes two specific Recommendations (non-binding but influential policy tools with strong recommenations for all 27 EU countries).
1.Council Recommendation on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
This Council recommendation aims to update the Barcelona Targets (2002): by 2030, at least 50% of children under 3 and 96% of children between 3 and mandatory school age should participate in ECEC. It emphasises affordability, quality, and inclusiveness (including for children with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds). See more here.
2.Council Recommendation on Access to Affordable High-Quality Long-Term Care (LTC)
This Council recommendation aims to ensure universal access to long-term care that is available (enough services), accessible (physically, financially, socially), affordable and of high quality. It stresses the importance of home- and community-based care and the fair treatment of both formal and informal carers. See more here.
Implementation and Follow-up
The European Commission monitors national implementation and supports Member States through EU funding (e.g. ESF+, Recovery and Resilience Facility, Erasmus+). It monitors progress through the European Semester (policy coordination mechanism) for ECEC, and national implementation reports on LTC. The Commission also organises mutual learning opportunities for governments to boost their capacity to deliver on the objectives of the Strategy.
Key resources
European Commission Communication on the European Care Strategy (September 2022)
ESF+ provides funding to implement the new European Care Strategy | European Social Fund Plus
