New EU Parliament group set to tackle plight of carers

A new group designed to raise awareness of the work done by carers throughout Europe has been launched in the European parliament.

The ´interest group on carers´ will work alongside Eurocarers, a new European organisation comprising representatives from different member states.

Irish MEP Kathy Sinnott, acting chair of the interest group, said at the launch on Tuesday that there was an "urgent need" to address the EU’s demographic challenges.

An ageing population, changes in the size of families and a rising number of women in the workplace mean that, in future, unpaid caring will form the "bedrock" of community care provision, she predicted.

"Across Europe, there are millions of carers providing unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner," she said.

"Therefore, it is time for the EU to consider the role and contribution of unpaid care to health and social care systems.

"Carers give so much to society yet, as a consequence of caring, they experience ill health, poverty and discrimination.

"If carers are to continue to care, measures need to be taken to safeguard their rights and interests."

Her comments were echoed by Georg Fischer, head of the social protection unit in the European commission’s employment and social affairs directorate.

"We welcome the establishment of this new group and hope it will help make the whole issue of caring more visible at all levels," said Fischer.

He added that member states would have to recognise that caring will increasingly constitute a major aspect of social policy.

Baroness Jill Pitkeathley, president of Eurocarers, said she believes parliament has an "important" role to play in ensuring that carers´ interests are "explicitly" taken into account in current and future EU policy making.

"That is why there is a need for a specific interest group addressing these issues," she said.

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