On February 3, 2021, the application for membership was officially confirmed by the EUROCARERS board.

Eurocarers brings together caregiver organizations and relevant universities and research institutes - a unique combination that enables evidence-based advocacy. Our network is committed to ensuring that care is valued and that unpaid care is recognized as central to the sustainability of health and long-term care systems. We believe that the expertise and needs of caregivers are worth listening to and that people should have the right to freely choose whether they want to be a caregiver and to what extent they want to be involved in care. Our aim is therefore to act as a voice for informal carers, regardless of their age or the particular health needs of the person they care for, through:

• Documenting and raising awareness of the significant contribution informal carers make to the health and social care system and the wider economy, and the need to safeguard this contribution;
• Ensuring that EU and national policies take family carers into account, i.e. promoting their social inclusion and the development of support services, enabling them to remain active in paid employment and maintain a social life.

We call for the development of an ambitious and comprehensive initiative at EU level that addresses the various challenges faced by carers across Europe by encouraging Member States to recognize and support their significant contribution to care systems and to society as a whole.