Using the EU Semester to strenghten informal carers’ advocacy in your country

We are pleased to share our latest policy brief breaking down what European Semester process is, how it can be used as a vehicle for strengthening informal carers’ advocacy in your country, and analysing how the 2026 edition responds to the needs and situations facing informal carers across EU countries.

The European Semester process is an annual year-long EU mandatory process that coordinates, monitors and evaluates Member States’ economic, fiscal, social, employment, environmental, energy, and climate policies, reforms and investments. It has become an increasingly important process for informal carers over the recent years, drawing attention to and investment in long-term care services and support to informal carers.

This increasing visibility of long-term care has been growing incrementally since the adoption of the European Care Strategy in 2022 and this increased attention has not slowed in 2026. We see that the majority of countries have received recommendations advising them of serious reform they need to make in long-term care: 21 out of 27 Member States. Many countries received recommendations based on the key objectives of the European Care Strategy: namely the need to ensure access to affordable high-quality long-term care. For others, concerns were raised about the financial sustainability of countries’ long-term care systems, the need to ensure that a lack of long-term care services is not the block to women entering or staying in the labour market, and also key workforce challenges faced by long-term care workers.

Eurocarers was particularly pleased to see how many country reports referenced the need to take action to support informal carers specifically, again a marked increase from previous years. For Eurocarers’ members and allies in Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Portugal, this can act as a useful advocacy tool to push national authorities to do more.

Overall, this momentum is needed and timely. In 2027, the European Commission will publish a renewed plan for action on care: the European Care Deal. It is essential that the widespread challenges brought to light in the European Semester 2026 are responded to with clear policy guidance and investment in this new European Care Deal.

We hope that this policy brief can provide useful inspiration for key EU advocacy hooks for you to use in your advocacy in your countries.

Read Eurocarers’ analysis here.