Caring Responsibilities in European Law and Policy

This book explores the emerging engagement of EU law with care and carers.The book argues that the regulation of care by the EU is crucial becauseit enables the development of a broad range of policies. It contributes to thesustainability of society and ultimately it enables individuals to flourish. Yet, todate, the EU approach to regulating the caring relationship remains piecemealand lacks the underpinning of a cohesive strategy. Against this backdrop, thisbook argues that the EU can and must take leadership in this area by settingprinciples and standards in accordance with the values of the treaty, in particulargender equality, human dignity, solidarity and well-being. The bookfurther makes a case for a stronger protection for carers, who should not onlybe protected against discrimination, but should also be supported, valued andput in a position to make choices and lead full lives. In order to achieve this,a proactive approach to rebalancing the relationship between paid and unpaidwork is necessary. Ultimately, the book puts forward a series of legal and policyrecommendations for a holistic approach to care in the EU.