According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, carried out by the Joint Research Centre and in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, nearly eight out of ten EU citizens are of the opinion that overall public spending on key social policies should increase. Investments in healthcare (71%) and long-term care (70%) rank first in order of importance, followed by preferences for education (68%), pensions (66%) and housing (62%).
To ensure quality, affordable and accessible care services across the EU and to promote better working conditions and work-life balance for carers, the European Commission presented a European Care Strategy in September 2022. The EU ministers adopted a recommendation for Member States to align the offer of long-term care services to people’s needs, ensure that services are affordable and of high-quality, support fair working conditions and address the skills needs in the sector, as well as mobilise adequate and sustainable investments, including through the use of EU funds.
Mobilising ESF+ resources
Healthcare and long-term care services, including for persons with disabilities, are increasingly gaining importance for ESF+ allocations after the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to improve health and long-term care systems. In response to the challenges of an ageing population, the growing needs for quality and availability of health and long-term care and shortages of qualified care workers, 22 Member States have programmed ESF+ resources to support health and long-term care sectors and services – reaching a total of €6.7 billion during the 2021 - 2027 programming period. This includes activities that promote active and healthy aging, enhance family and community-based care services and improve the accessibility, effectiveness and resilience of healthcare systems. The ESF+ also helps reskill and upskill care workers, and funds measures to help improve their working conditions.
Countries such as Bulgaria and Croatia assign strategic importance to long-term care in their ESF+ programmes. Lithuania invests in the training of care workers. Italy, Poland, Romania and Greece are the countries with the highest level of investment in long-term care under the ESF+, with the significant majority of countries supporting over half of their long-term care measures through the fund.
EU funding will be pivotal for helping Member States to modernise and integrate their healthcare and long-term care systems, with the ESF+ the biggest contributor to meeting these challenges.
