What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union, in particular Article 2 thereof,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Articles 8, 19, 153 and 157 thereof,

– having regard to the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing led by the World Health Organization, and in particular its ‘enablers’ relating to the provision of integrated care and access to long-term care,

– having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights and, in particular, its principles on gender equality, work-life balance, childcare and support to children, inclusion of persons with disabilities, a shared responsibility community, and the right to long-term care, and to the Commission action plan to boost the social economy and create jobs,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2020 entitled ‘A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025’ (COM(2020)0152), and to the Commission’s Declaration of principles for a gender-equal society,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 3 March 2021 entitled ‘Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030’ (COM(2021)0101),

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the EU’s ratification thereof,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 7 September 2022 on the European care strategy (COM(2022)0440), the Council Recommendation of 8 December 2022 on early childhood education and care: the Barcelona targets for 2030 and the Council Recommendation of 8 December 2022 on access to affordable high-quality long-term care,

– having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights action plan, 2030 headline targets and the EU Social Scoreboard,

– having regard to Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU (the Work-Life Balance Directive),

– having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2021 on the EU Strategy for Gender Equality,

– having regard to its resolution of 5 July 2022 entitled ‘Towards a common European action on care’,

– having regard to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (COM(2021)0044),

– having regard to its resolution of 16 February 2022 on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer — towards a comprehensive and coordinated strategy,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2022/2041 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on adequate minimum wages in the European Union,

– having regard to the report by Mario Draghi of 9 September 2024 entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms (Pay Transparency Directive),

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 15 November 2023 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing an EU Talent Pool (COM(2023)0716),

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/2831 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on improving working conditions in platform work,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 3 December 2024 on ensuring work-life balance and gender equality for all generations in the context of demographic challenges, approved by the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) at its meeting held on 2 December 2024,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 4 December 2024 on labour and skills shortages in the EU: Mobilising untapped labour potential in the European Union, approved by EPSCO at its meeting held on 2 December 2024,

– having regard to the framework of actions on retention and recruitment in social services, adopted by the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Social Services in June 2025,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 March 2024 entitled ‘Labour and skills shortages in the EU: an action plan’ (COM(2024)0131),

– having regard to the Commission’s Social Protection Committee Annual Report 2024,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2025 entitled ‘The Union of Skills’ (COM(2025)0090),

– having regard to the 2025 Commission report on gender equality in the EU, in particular its section on the gender care gap,

– having regard to the Commission report of 8 May 2018 on the development of childcare facilities for young children with a view to increase female labour participation, strike a work-life balance for working parents and bring about sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe (the ‘Barcelona objectives’) (COM(2018)0273),

– having regard to the ninth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion, published in March 2024,

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee entitled ‘Towards a new care model for older people: learning from COVID-19’,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 November 2018 entitled ‘Care services in the EU for improved gender equality’,

– having regard to its resolution of 10 March 2022 entitled ‘Gender mainstreaming in the European Parliament – annual report 2020’,

– having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2021 entitled ‘The gender perspective in the COVID-19 crisis and post-crisis period’,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the joint deliberations of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality under Rule 59 of the Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (A10-0083/2026),

A. whereas gender equality is one of the EU’s founding values; whereas gender mainstreaming and an intersectional approach should be implemented and integrated across all EU policies;

B. whereas the European Pillar of Social Rights action plan sets out concrete initiatives for implementing principles that are essential for building a stronger social Europe for just transitions and recovery, including one on long-term care;

C. whereas care encompasses both formal and informal care; whereas formal care refers to care work provided under formal employment arrangements, while informal care refers to care work provided within an individual’s social environment and is usually, though not always, unpaid; whereas, therefore, the notion of ‘carer’, as commonly agreed, includes all forms of ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ caregiving; whereas care work comes in many forms, including childcare, long-term care, healthcare and personal services; whereas formal and informal care services are predominantly provided by women; whereas informal carers provide care to persons with chronic illnesses, disabilities, fragile health or other long-lasting health or care needs, outside of a formal care framework;

D. whereas a care society recognises care as fundamental to the functioning of economies and societies; whereas care work should be valued and equally shared between men and women while recognising, in particular, the right to receive care, as laid down in the European Pillar of Social Rights; whereas the provision of affordable, high-quality and person-centred long-term care is part of the fundamental right to health; whereas this rights-based approach reflects the ongoing shift in care provision towards services that respect the autonomy, dignity and inclusion of persons that are in need of care across all life stages, considering, in particular, how ageing populations are currently impacting society; whereas the formal long-term care sector is still based on the provision of residential care services, while home and community-based care are more likely to uphold the right to independence of persons in need of care;

E. whereas among those aged over 65 in the EU, 8 % – over 7 million individuals – receive informal care, with this figure rising to 11 % among those aged 75 and above; whereas this demographic transformation that Europe is undergoing will significantly affect care needs and how care services are managed; whereas failure to address this challenge with a gender-sensitive approach risks undermining women’s participation in the labour market, thereby reinforcing gender inequalities and endangering the well-being of older persons, children and families; whereas in the context of ageing societies, it is essential to mainstream a human-rights-based and person-centred approach to care that guarantees the participation of all; whereas policy shifts, together with demographic trends, increasingly favour home-based care for older people; whereas many of the needs of older people and persons with disabilities can be covered by community-based services, such as personal assistance and financial housing aid;

F. whereas rural, remote and island areas and outermost regions lack sufficient or adequate social care and support services, which may reinforce the economic and social challenges they might already face; whereas access to these services in those areas remains a challenge given their declining and ageing populations, and a lack of connectivity and infrastructure; whereas this can contribute to the lower attractiveness of these areas as places to live and work; whereas this disproportionately affects women, who face additional difficulties in trying to reconcile work and private life; whereas these areas face shortages of general practitioners and specialised and emergency care, leading to the emergence of ‘medical deserts’; whereas enhancing the availability of quality social care has the potential to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in these regions; whereas social economy actors deliver essential, community-rooted care services that enhance the inclusion, affordability and quality of care, especially in underserved and rural, remote and island areas and outermost regions, while responding to regional needs;

G. whereas both formal and informal care are often unseen and undervalued socially and economically, with wages in long-term care and other social services 21 % below the EU average; whereas the societal added value of formal and informal care is often hard to measure and the people providing such care are not adequately recognised, valued or supported, which places additional physical and psychological strain on them; whereas formal and informal carers are essential for the sustainability of Europe’s health and care systems;

H. whereas much of the economic gender gaps are explained by gender differences in care provision and the undervaluation of the professional care sector, which employs significantly more women than men;

I. whereas good working conditions in the care sector play a key role in the delivery of high-quality care services;

J. whereas the availability, accessibility and affordability of high-quality childcare facilities are crucial in enabling people, especially women with caregiving responsibilities, to participate in the labour market;