Brussels, 17 April 2024 – An important milestone was reached today in Brussels at the Representation of the European Region Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino. It was the CARE4CARE European meeting, which brought together all partners of the CARE4CARE project with European institutions and stakeholders.
This event signifies the culmination of the first phase of research for our project. Over the past year, our dedicated researchers have tirelessly crafted reports aimed at identifying the most pressing needs in the care industry. To ensure the accuracy and relevance of these reports, each of our academic partners conducted a national event, bringing together local, regional, and national stakeholders from various backgrounds to provide valuable inputs. This meticulous process paved the way for the CARE4CARE European Meeting of 17 April.
Organised with great care by TOUR4EU, the European Federation for Family, Employment and Home Care (EFFE) and the European Federation for Services to Individuals (EFSI), our event received the patronage of the European Economic and Social Committee and the participation of the Belgian EU Presidency, bringing together representatives of European institutions, universities, employers’ associations, and civil society.
The day’s agenda comprised three main parts. In the beginning, time was allocated to present the initial outcomes of the national reports from the six countries at study: Italy, Poland, France, Germany, Sweden and Spain. Comparative reports were later showcased by researchers from the Faculty of law at Lund University and the University of Girona.
Subsequently, participants engaged in breakout sessions covering topics such as gender discrimination, social dialogue and collective bargaining, working conditions and discrimination based on migration. Finally, moderators of the beak-out sessions summarised the critical reflections and outcomes, paving the way for a plenary discussion.
In her opening remarks, Professor Maria Luisa Vallauri, principal investigator of the project from the University of Florence, underscored the essential role of the healthcare sector in the EU’s foreseeable future while also highlighting the consequent challenges.
“The Project started one year ago after the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes the reliance of Europe and the European Union on the care sector necessary. In Fact, the European Commission underlined the key importance of this sector for the future of the European society and economy. It became quite immediately evident that the care sector was facing great challenges, particularly in terms of personnel shortages. Moreover, it is a sector heavy shouldered by women and migrants often laboured under low wages, diminished protection and inadequate security.” – Prof. Maria Luisa Vallauri
As a reminder, the ambitious project, coordinated by a team from the University of Florence, aims to establish an analytical and regulatory framework for the care sector that is replicable in other countries and to devise new institutional strategies. Moreover, it seeks to actively involve care workers and their representatives in political decisions that affect them and develop a web platform that provides accessible information on working conditions to enhance awareness.
Lastly, the concluding remarks by William Chiaromonte, Professor of Labor Law at the University of Florence, are noteworthy as he sought to underscore the achievements thus far:
“The results that have been obtained and will be obtained in the future months are intended to help improve the working conditions of care workers and avoid their exploitation. Given the first results of the project, it is possible to state that the consortium is on the right track. The first part of the project has already been useful in highlighting the peculiarities of the national care sectors. It has emerged that there are clearly differences among the national systems, but, at the same time, interesting convergences have been highlighted due to directive established at the EU level.” – Prof. William Chiaromonte
For more information on the CARE4CARE project and to stay updated on its progress, visit our website at www.care4care.net and subscribe to our newsletter at care4care.net/newsletter