The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the vulnerability of the current nursing and care system in the EU into the focus of the general public. In particular, the numerous deficits related to the availability of high-quality care services and the working conditions of care personnel have given rise to calls for a comprehensive reform of the care sector. Against this background, the EU Commission presented a European Care Strategy on 7th of September 2022, which is intended to make a significant contribution to improving the situation of caregivers and the quality of services for those in need of care, both in early childhood education and long-term care.

AK welcomes the initiative of the EU Commission in general. However, the proposal lacks concrete and verifiable objectives in many places. Furthermore, the actual legal design by means of European legal acts remains unclear.