About us

Our mission

Eurocarers brings together carers’ organisations as well as relevant universities & research institutes – a unique combination that enables evidence-based advocacy. Our network works to ensure that care is valued and unpaid care is recognised as central to the sustainability of health and long term care systems. We believe that carers’ know-how and needs are worth listening to and people should have the right to choose freely whether they want to be a carer, and to what extent they want to be involved in caring. Our aim is therefore to act as a voice for informal carers, irrespective of their age or the particular health need of the person they are caring for by:

• Documenting and raising awareness about the significant contribution made by carers to health and social care systems and the economy as a whole, and of the need to safeguard this contribution;
• Ensuring that EU and national policies take account of carers, i.e. promote their social inclusion, the development of support services, enable them to remain active in paid employment and maintain a social life.

We call for the development and implementation of an ambitious and comprehensive EU-level initiative that would address the various challenges facing carers throughout Europe by encouraging member states to recognise and support their significant contribution to care systems and society as a whole. A description of our vision for such an initiative is summarised in the document ‘Enabling Carers to Care‘.

Eurocarers has defined its Development Strategy for the 2023-2030 period. This strategy, known as the Network Development Strategy 2023-2030, aligns with our proposed EU approach to support and empower carers. It provides a framework for identifying and promoting the most favourable opportunities that result from our research, networking and advocacy initiatives, all geared towards nurturing carer-friendly societies in Europe.

In solidarity with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Pillar of Social Rights, Eurocarers recognises the shared equality of carers and those persons to whom they provide care, to achieve their individual basic human rights. Eurocarers is committed to continue working in solidarity and partnership with their representative organisations.

Due to demographic factors and developments in medical care and social support an increasing number of people require long term care.

Approximately 80% of this care is provided by spouses, relatives and friends. Without the work of these unpaid carers, formal care systems would be totally unsustainable and many acute needs would remain unattended to. Yet carers receive little recognition for the valuable work they do. Policies to support them, although under development in many countries, are still far from adequate.

EUROCARERS, the European Association Working for Carers, has adopted ten principles which serve to strengthen the position of carers. EUROCARERS strives for the implementation of these principles in all policy areas relevant to carers and at the same time uses them as guidance for its own actions.

10 Guiding Principles