Recordings of #Care4Care Policy Series

With the expansion of multinational care companies across Europe, more rigorous European standards are needed to ensure decent working conditions and accessible, quality care for all. To address staff shortages and improve recruitment and retention rates, the care profession needs to be fundamentally revaluated. The workers’ pay and conditions need to match their crucial role in our societies. This session focuses particularly on working conditions and training needs for carers.

Among the speakers:

• Christian Morabito, International Researcher and Expert in the field of inequalities in ECEC
• Leena Kaasinen, Finnish Union of Practical Nurses, SuPer
• Heinrich Dorner, Member of the regional government of Burgenland (Austria), Member of the Committee of the Regions
• Rainer Winter, Head of the EU Liaison Office of Burgenland
• Laeticia Thissen, FEPS Policy Analyst on Gender Equality

Moderation by Paola Panzeri, Policy Staff on gender equality, local and regional governments, EPSU.

Domestic help constitutes an occupational group where platforms are booming. At the same time, it represents a sector where women are still largely over-represented. The impact of digitalisation on the care sector is significant, with the increasing use of digital platforms highlighting the necessity for European-level regulation, taking into account the sensitive nature of care.

How can the European Union ensure that the regulation of the care and digital transition go hand in hand, especially in the contxt of the AI Act and the EU Care Strategy? This question takes centre stage during the second Care4Care Lunch Series session, as the participants explore pathways to harness the potential of new technologies while acknowledging the limited scope of automation and productivity improvements for a humane approach to care.

Among the speakers:

• Claire Marzo, Associate Professor, Paris East University
• Adam Rogalewski, Policy Officer for Health and Social Services, EPSU
• Irene Rioboo Leston, Researcher, EIGE

Moderation by Inga Sabanova, Policy Officer, FES Future of Work Competence Center.

In addition to being a fundamental human necessity, the care sector also represents a substantial industry, an economic powerhouse that continuously generates new employment opportunities and contributes billions in income, taxes, and profits. The economic aspect can be a driver of quality of care and social cohesion if addressed properly and effectively.

This session explores the opportunities for enhancing the wellbeing of people while simultaneously establishing care as a building block of an economic strategy.

Among the speakers:

• Prof. Chiara Saraceno, Honorary Fellow, Collegio Carlo Alberto, Turin, Italy
• Cecilia Naverra, Policy Analyst, European Parliamentary Research Service
• Milan Brglez, Member of the European Parliament, S&D, Slovenia
• Mary Collins, Senior Policy & Advocacy Coordinator, European Women’s Lobby

Moderation by David Rinaldi, Director for Studies and Policy, FEPS.

Wrapping up the Care4Care Policy Lunch Series, the final session delves into an often overlooked realm of EU action: the need to ensure affordable, high-quality long-term care. By taking a leadership role in this policy domain, the EU can adopt a more proactive stance in addressing the persistent inequalities that have arisen due to the neglect of care.

As the European Care Strategy should not serve as a mere endpoint but rather the very start of the EU's journey towards the development of solid care policies, the panelists discuss the role of social infrastructures to better value different care needs, from independent living to formal and informal care provision.

Among the speakers:

• Florian Sanden, Policy Coordinator, ENIL
• Tuscany Bell, Policy coordinator, EPSU
• Lisa Pelling, Head of Arena Idé, Sweden
• Laeticia Thissen, Senior Policy Analyst on gender equality, FEPS

Moderation by Elena Zarachenko, FEPS YAN & Doctoral Researcher.