Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the Revision of the Barcelona Targets on early childhood education and care
Date: 2022-09-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
Subjects: access to education, child care, children's rights, early childhood, female work, gender equality, nursery school, position of women, right to education, work-life balance

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 7.9.2022  COM(2022) 442 final 2022/0263 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the Revision of the Barcelona Targets on early childhood education and care   
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

In her 2021 State of the Union speech, President Von der Leyen announced a European care 
strategy in order to support men and women in receiving the best care in different life stages 
and  finding  the  best  work-life  balance  for  them.  The  initiative  consists  of  a  Commission 
Communication  on  a  European  care  strategy1  accompanied  by  two  proposals  for  Council 
Recommendations, one on the revision of the Barcelona targets on early childhood education 
and care (ECEC), and the other on long-term care (LTC)2. 

The  availability  of  ECEC  services  is  a  key  driver  of  women’s  labour-market  participation. 
The correlation between mothers’ labour-market participation and enrolment rates in ECEC is 
particularly strong for mothers whose youngest child is under 3 years old. With this in mind, 
the Barcelona targets on childcare were set by the European Council3 in 2002 with the aim of 
increasing  female  labour-market  participation  by  enhancing  the  provision  of  ECEC.  The 
European Council set two targets, i.e. a participation rate of 90% of children from age 3 up to 
mandatory  school  age,  and  a  participation  rate  of  33%  of  children  under  3  years  old4. 
Although the Barcelona targets were on average reached at EU level, some Member States are 
significantly  lagging  behind,  and  differences  persist  in  particular  for  children  from  lower 
income households.  

The  objective  of  this  Recommendation  is  to  encourage  Member  States  to  increase 
participation in ECEC in order to facilitate women’s labour-market participation and enhance 
the  social  and  cognitive  development  of  children,  in  particular  for  children  in  vulnerable 
situations  or  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds.  Specifically,  the  Commission  proposes  to 
revise  the  Barcelona  targets  to  create  new  momentum  for  fostering  further  upwards 
convergence  among  Member  States  of  children’s  participation  in  ECEC5  and  thus  help 
increase women’s labour-market participation and close the gender employment gap6. It also 
addresses  additional  dimensions  that  are  relevant  to  reaching  the  Barcelona  objectives, 
notably affordability, accessibility and quality of ECEC which are key to respond to parents’ 
and  children’s  needs  and  thus  influence  the  actual  uptake  of  such  services.  It  also  invites 
Member  States  to  take  into  account  the  time-intensity  of  children’s  participation  in  ECEC, 
which should be sufficient to allow parents to meaningfully engage with paid work, and the 
share of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion participating in ECEC.  

Since  2002,  female  employment  has  been  increasing  steadily,  reaching  67.7%  in  2021 
compared to 60.7% in 20107 - though it declined in 2020 (66.1%) due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

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COM (2022) 440. 
COM (2022) 441. 
Barcelona European Council of 15 and 16 March 2002 (2002), SN 100/1/02 REV 1. 
Report  from  the  European  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social  Committee and the  Committee of  Regions, Report on the Barcelona objectives, 
(2013), Barcelona objectives (europa.eu). 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  ‘A  Union  of  Equality:  Gender 
Equality Strategy 2020-2025’, COM(2020) 152 final. 
The  gender  employment  gap  means  the  percentage  point  difference  between  male  and  female 
employment rates. 
Eurostat,  ‘Employment  and  activity  by  sex  and  age  –  annual  data’,  available  at:  Employment  and 
activity by sex and age - annual data [LFSI_EMP_A]. 

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This rising trend is accompanied by a pattern of increasing women’s educational attainment, 
with more women completing higher education and obtaining advanced degrees8. 

Despite  these  improvements,  the  gender  employment  gap  is  still  significant  and  stands  at  a 
wide 10.8 percentage points in 20219. Eurofound estimated the loss resulting from the gender 
employment  gap  at  EUR  320  billion  in  2018.  Most  of  this  amount  consists  of  earnings  and 
welfare contributions lost to the economy due to women not taking part in employment10. The 
gender  employment  gap  is  closely  related  to  caring  responsibilities.  Women  remain  the 
primary caregivers to children and adults in need of care and bear the main responsibility for 
household chores. This imbalance limits the possibility for them to participate in and allocate 
time to paid work.  

In  2021,  in  the  Labour  Force  Survey  (LFS)  for  the  EU-27,  27.9%  of  women  aged  25–49 
outside the labour force indicated that looking after children or adults in need of care was the 
main reason for not seeking employment, compared to only 8.0% of men11. In pre-pandemic 
2019,  these  figures  stood  at  32.6%  and  7.6%  respectively12.  The  European  Institute  for 
Gender Equality (EIGE) indicates that caregiving responsibilities keep 7.7 million women in 
Europe out of the labour market and constrain many women to work only part-time: 29% of 
women working part-time cited care duties as the main reason for doing so, compared to only 
6% of men13.  

The gender care gap, namely the difference in time devoted to  unpaid care work by women 
and men, is  linked to  and further reinforces  gender stereotypes in both  women’s and men’s 
occupations  and  roles.  Women  are  still  widely  expected  to  provide  unpaid  care  to  a  greater 
extent  than  men,  even  within  dual-earner  families.  Before  the  COVID-19  crisis,  employed 
women in  the EU with  children under the age of 7, living in  a  couple, spent  on average 39 
hours per week on unpaid work as compared to 19 hours per week14 for employed men in the 
same situation. The gender care gap was higher for women in precarious employment. 

With the closures of and restrictions in care services during the pandemic, women were even 
more  called  upon  to  provide  care  work.  The  COVID-19  crisis  has  aggravated  gender 
inequalities  in  unpaid  care15,  reinforced  traditional  gender  roles  and  derailed  the  modest 

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15 

in 

(2021), 

the  EU’, 

‘Report  on  gender  equality 

the  European  Commission, 
Report  of 
annual_report_ge_2021_en.pdf (europa.eu). 
Statistics | Eurostat (europa.eu) 
Eurofound,  ‘Women  and  labour  market  equality:  Has  COVID-19  rolled  back  recent  gains?,  (2020) 
Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. 
Eurostat database table LFSA_IGAR, “Care of adults with disabilities or children and other family or 
personal  reasons”,  percentage  of  population  outside  the  labour  force  and  wanting  to  work,  age  group 
15-64. 
EIGE, Research note on gender equality and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, (2021), p. 15, 
Gender  equality  and  the  socio-economic  impact  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  |  European  Institute  for 
Gender Equality (europa.eu). 
EIGE,  ‘Gender  inequalities  in  care  and  consequences  for  the  labour  market’,  (2020),  Gender 
inequalities  in  care  and  consequences  for  the  labour  market  |  European  Institute  for  Gender  Equality 
(europa.eu). 
Eurofound,  ‘Sixth  European  working  conditions  survey:  overview  report’,  (2019),  Sixth  European 
Working Conditions Survey – Overview report | Eurofound (europa.eu). 
European Commission, Joint Research Centre,  Division of Childcare and Housework among Men and 
JRC128157, 
lockdowns, 
Women 
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC128157 

COVID-19 

(2022), 

during 

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progress  in  gender  equality  achieved so far16.  According to  a Eurofound  e-survey on living, 
working and COVID-1917, women with children up to 12 years of age spent an average of 62 
hours  per  week  on  childcare,  compared  to  36  hours  for  men  in  the  same  situation,  and  23 
hours on housework, compared to 15 hours for men during the pandemic. Nearly one third of 
these  women  (29%)  reported  that  they  found  it  hard  to  concentrate  on  their  job  because  of 
care responsibilities, compared to 11% of men. 

The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  states  that  equal  treatment  and  opportunities  between 
women and men must be ensured and fostered in all areas, including as regards participation 
in  the  labour  market,  terms  and  conditions  of  employment  and  career  progression.  It  also 
recognises children’s right to affordable ECEC of good quality; children’s rights to protection 
from poverty; and the right for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to specific measures 
to enhance equal opportunities.  

The European Pillar of Social Rights action plan set a headline target of increasing the overall 
employment  rate  to  at  least  78%  of  the  population  (age  20–64)  by  2030,  and  this  was 
welcomed by EU leaders at the Porto Summit in May 2021 and the European Council in June 
2021.  To  achieve  that  overall  goal,  Europe  must  strive  to  at  least  halve  the  gender 
employment gap compared to 2019 and increase the provision of ECEC, thus contributing to 
better  reconciliation  between  professional  and  private  life  and  supporting  stronger  female 
labour-market participation. 

The  2019  Work-Life  Balance  Directive18  created  minimum  standards  for  family  leave, 
introducing  (i) the  right  to  paid  paternity  leave  and  carers’  leave  and  strengthening  non-
transferable  and  paid  parental  leave,  and  (ii)  the  right  to  request  flexible  working-time 
arrangements  for  workers  with  care  responsibilities,  to  encourage  equal  sharing  of  care 
between  women  and  men.  Provision  of  high-quality,  accessible,  and  affordable  ECEC 
complements  working-time  arrangements  in  allowing  work-life  balance  and  is  crucial  to 
enable parents, especially mothers, to participate in the labour market. 

Public sector support for the ECEC sector is a social investment which brings multiple returns 
for  individuals,  society  and  the  economy  as  a  whole.  It  promotes  women’s  labour  market 
participation,  spurs  women’s  uptake  of  full-time  jobs,  improves  children’s  development, 
strengthens  social  inclusion  and  fairness  and  helps  break  the  inter-generational  cycle  of 
poverty.  In  the  context  of  labour  shortages  and  persistent  employment  gaps,  increasing  the 
labour market participation of women, including by enhancing access to ECEC, represents a 
major  opportunity  for  an  inclusive  and  sustainable  growth19.  Investment  in  ECEC  has  also 
significant job creation potential. Recent research from the International Labour Organisation 

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EIGE  Research  note  on  gender  equality  and  the  socio-economic  impact  of  COVID-19,  (2021),  p.  36 
Gender  equality  and  the  socio-economic  impact  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  |  European  Institute  for 
Gender Equality (europa.eu). 
Eurofound  Report  on  living,  working  and  COVID-19;  (2020),  Living,  working  and  COVID-19  | 
Eurofound (europa.eu). 
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, OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 79. 
European Commission, European Economy Brief, ‘The Macro-Economic Benefits of Gender Equality’, 
March 2022; see also Proposal for a Joint Employment Report from the Commission and the Council, 
24.11.2021, COM(2021) 743 final. 

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(ILO) shows that investing 1.1% of GDP in ECEC and 1.8% of GDP in long-term care each 
year would create an additional 26.7 million jobs in Europe by 203520.  

Such  investment  can  generate  additional  tax  and  social  security  revenues.  Overall,  tax  and 
social  security  revenue  from  increased  earnings  and  employment  would  rise,  reducing  the 
total funding requirement of care policy measures from 3% of GDP (before taxes) to a net 2% 
of GDP (after taxes)21. The  ILO estimates that the rate  at  which Member  States can  recoup 
investments in the care sector is on average around 55%, depending notably on the amount of 
investment  needed,  the  labour  demand  in  the  Member  State  concerned  and  the  level  of 
taxation.  Member  States  can  improve  the  fiscal  sustainability  of  investments  in  ECEC  by 
evaluating  the  impact  on  public  finances  and  ensuring  cost-effectiveness,  including  through 
an efficient design of funding mechanisms that are coherent with the overall sustainability of 
public finances.  

In addition to investing in ECEC, many Member States have introduced a legal entitlement to 
a place in ECEC, while others have made ECEC attendance compulsory, especially in the last 
year  before  primary  school.  By  making  it  a  legal  entitlement,  public  authorities  have  to 
guarantee a place for each child whose parents demand it (in the age range covered by legal 
entitlement);  whereas  in  countries  where  ECEC  is  compulsory,  public  authorities  have  to 
ensure a sufficient number of pre-primary places for all children in the age range covered by 
the  legal  obligation.  In  most  Member  States,  such  legal  entitlement  already  exists,  but  the 
starting age for the entitlement varies significantly. In Europe, there are significant differences 
in  the  age  at  which  children  have  a  guaranteed  place  in  ECEC.  Only  seven  EU  Member 
States22 have introduced a legal entitlement to a place in ECEC for children from an early age 
(6-18 months). This follows often immediately after the end of childcare leave since, ideally, 
there  should  not  be  a  gap  between  the  end  of  adequately  paid  family  leave  and  a  legal 
entitlement to a place in ECEC. For children age 3 or older, a legal entitlement exists in  13 
Member States23 and some Member States committed to introducing it in the context of their 
national recovery and resilience plans24. 

Evidence  shows  that  the  provision  of  quality  ECEC  plays  a  crucial  role  in  improving 
children’s  cognitive,  social  and  educational  development  from  an  early  age25.  Such 
improvements  often  translate  into  better  learning  achievements  and  employment  prospects 
later  on  in  life26.    Participating  in  high  quality  ECEC  is  beneficial  for  all  children  and 
especially  for  those  in  a  disadvantaged  situation.  It  is  an  essential  tool  to  fight  inequalities, 

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ILO  ‘Care  at  work:  Investing  in  care  leave  and  services  for  a  more  gender  equal  world  of  work’,    7 
March 2022. 
 International  Labour  Organization  (ILO),  2022:  ILO  Care  Policy  Investment  Simulator,  Geneva, 
forthcoming. 
Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden. 
In addition to the ones above Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Luxemburg, Poland, Spain; European 
Commission, Eurydice Policy Brief Early Childhood Education and Care, 2019, p. 6; detailed overview 
of  Member  States‘  systems  in  European  Commission,  Structural  Indicators  for  Monitoring  Education 
and Training systems in Europe, Eurydice background report, 2021, p. 12.  
For example  Slovakia, Commission  Staff Working Document  Analysis of the recovery and resilience 
plan of Slovakia, SWD(2021) 161 final of 21.6.2021. 
Council  Conclusions  on  a  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training, 
Education and Training 2020 Strategic Framework (2020), OJ 2009/C 119/02. 
European  Commission,  Annual  Report  on  Employment  and  Social  Developments  in  Europe:  Young 
Europeans: employments and social challenges ahead, chapter 5, June 2022. 

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tackle  possible  social  disadvantages  of  children27  and  promote  equal  opportunities.  These 
aspects  are  specifically  mentioned  in  the  2019  Council  Recommendation  on  High-Quality 
Early  Childhood  Education  and  Care28  and  in  the  European  Child  Guarantee29.  Benefits  go 
beyond  the  children  involved.  At  the  individual  level,  participation  in  ECEC  is  associated 
with  greater  educational  attainment,  higher  earnings,  improved  social  integration  and  better 
health.  There  are  also  many  benefits  on  a  societal  level,  ranging  from  reduced  spending  on 
welfare and lower crime rates, to higher tax revenues and improved social cohesion30.  

Finally, this proposed Recommendation addresses the working conditions in the ECEC sector. 
Workers in the sector, many of whom are women, often face difficult working conditions and 
limited  career  prospects.  Improving  working  conditions  requires  stronger  social  dialogue, 
adequate  pay  and  upskilling  and  re-skilling  opportunities.  The  promotion  of  fair  working 
conditions for staff in ECEC should contribute to attracting and retaining workers – both men 
and women - in the sector, and may equally contribute to tackling gender segregation in the 
sector and remedy the staff shortages experienced in many countries31. It is also an important 
aspect  in  ensuring  quality  of  care.  The  EU  is  supporting  Member  States’  investment  and 
reforms  in  ECEC  through  its  different  funding  instruments,  in  particular  the  European 
Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund plus and the Recovery and Resilience 
Facility.  This  support  is  particularly  important  to  tackle  territorial  inequalities  across  and 
within Member States. The EU is also providing direct technical support for reforms under the 
Technical  Support  Instrument. The Commission  monitors implementation  of ECEC policies 
and  assesses  progress  towards  the  Barcelona  targets  in  the  European  Semester  and  will 
continue to do so. 

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The revision of the Barcelona targets for early childhood education and care is announced in 
the 2020-2025 Gender Equality Strategy32. It is one of the initiatives presented in the Strategy 
aimed  at  promoting  women’s  economic  empowerment  and  the  equal  sharing  of  care 
responsibilities between women and men. The revision is also announced in the EU Strategy 
on the Rights of the Child33, as well as in the European Pillar of Social Rights action plan34 as 
part of the efforts to reach, by 2030, the headline target of an overall employment rate of 78% 
and the complementary goal to at least halve the gender employment gap compared to 2019. 

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European  Commission  Recommendation  of  20  February  2013  on  Investing  in  children:  breaking  the 
cycle of disadvantage (2013/112/EU), 2.3.2013, p. 5-16. 
Council  Recommendation  of  22  May  2019  on  High-Quality  Early  Childhood  Education  and  Care 
Systems, OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, p. 4-14. 
Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee, 
OJ L 223, 22.6.2021, p. 14-23.  
European Commission, ‘Benefits of early childhood education and care and the conditions for obtaining 
them’, Publications Office, 2018. 
International  Labour  Organisation,  ‘Meeting  of  Experts  on  Policy  Guidelines  on  the  promotion  of 
at: 
childhood 
decent 
https://www.ilo.org/sector/Resources/codes-of-practice-and-guidelines/WCMS_236528/lang--
en/index.htm 
Communication from the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  ‘A  Union  of  Equality:  Gender 
Equality Strategy 2020-2025’, COM(2020) 152 final. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the EU strategy on the rights of 
the child, COM(2021) 142 final, 24.3.2021, p. 1-23. 
European  Commission,  ‘Building  a  Union  of  Equality:  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  Action 
Plan’, adopted on 4 March 2021, COM(2021) 102 final 

personnel’, 

education 

available 

work 

early 

for 

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In  its  Communication  ‘An  initiative  to  support  work-life  balance  for  working  parents  and 
carers’35, the Commission stressed, among other things, the importance of support measures 
for Member States to improve access to affordable quality ECEC as a way to  achieve better 
work-life balance for workers with care responsibilities. 

The Work-Life Balance Directive aims at encouraging better sharing of caring responsibilities 
between women and men by strengthening legal entitlements to family leave and granting the 
right to request flexible working-time arrangements. This includes notably 2 months of non-
transferable and adequately paid parental leave for each parent. By granting non-transferable 
rights  to  family  leave,  the  Work-Life  Balance  Directive  aims  to  encourage  fathers  to  avail 
themselves of their rights, thereby facilitating the return of mothers to the labour market. 

The  2019  Recommendation  on  High-Quality  Early  Childhood  Education  and  Care  Systems 
(‘ECEC Recommendation’) aims to support Member States in their efforts to improve access 
to  and  quality  of  their  ECEC  systems.  The  ECEC  Recommendation  includes  a  quality 
framework to guide Member States in improving access to and quality of ECEC. It provides a 
common  understanding  of  the  meaning  of  quality  in  ECEC.  This  proposal  builds  upon  the 
ECEC  Recommendation  and  the  quality  framework  by  emphasising  the  elements  that  are 
particularly relevant for facilitating female labour-market participation and fostering parents’ 
trust  in  ECEC,  such  as  staff/child  ratio,  staff  qualifications  and  continuous  professional 
training, and governance of the ECEC system. 

The  2020  Communication  entitled  ‘Achieving  a  European  Education  Area  by  2025’36 
designates  inclusion  and  gender  equality  as  one  of  the  six  dimensions  to  be  consolidated. 
Based on that Communication, on 19 February 2021 the Council adopted a Resolution on a 
strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European 
Education  Area  and  beyond  (2021-2030)37
    which  includes  an  EU-level  target  that  at  least 
96%  of  children  between  3  years  and  the  starting  age  for  compulsory  primary  education 
should  participate  in  ECEC.  The  Resolution  also  highlights  the  importance  of  improving 
quality, equity, inclusion and success for all in education and training. To ensure consistency, 
this proposal uses the EEA target as a revised Barcelona target for the age group from 3 years 
to compulsory primary education age. 

The  EU  Strategy  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child38,  adopted  by  the  Commission  in  March  2021, 
pools  all  existing  and  future  initiatives  and  actions  on  children’s  rights  –  including  the 
revision of the Barcelona targets – under one coherent policy framework. The strategy aims to 
build  the  best  possible  life  for  children  in  the  European  Union  and  across  the  globe  by 
strengthening children’s participation in society, and fulfilling their rights in line with the UN 
Convention on the Rights  of the Child. The strategy  focuses,  among other things, on socio-
economic inclusion, health and education of children and addresses ECEC as part of building 

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Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  Regions,  ‘An  initiative  to  support  work-life 
balance for working parents and carers’, COM(2017) 252 final, 26.4.2017, p. 1-16. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  Regions,  ‘Achieving  the  European  Education 
Area by 2025’, COM(2020) 625 final, 30.9.2020, p. 1-29. 
Council Resolution, ‘A strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards 
the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030)’, OJ C 66, 26.2.2021, p. 1-21. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the EU strategy on the rights of 
the child, COM(2021) 142 final, 24.3.2021, p. 1-23. 

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inclusive,  quality  education  for  all  children.  In  its  Conclusions  of  9  June  2022  on  the  EU 
Strategy on the Rights of the Child, the Council of the European Union emphasised that all 
children have a right to non-discriminatory access to key services, such as early education and 
care, health, nutrition and housing which are important for their development and wellbeing39.  

The  Council  Recommendation  on  establishing  a  European  Child  Guarantee,  adopted  on  14 
June 2021, aims at preventing and combating social exclusion and supporting Member State 
efforts to guarantee access to high-quality key services for children in need, including free and 
effective  access  to  ECEC.  Approximately  27%  of  children  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social 
exclusion  aged  0-2  participated  in  ECEC  in  the  EU  in  2019.  Although  this  represents  an 
increase of about 11 percentage points on 2010, it is substantially lower than the participation 
rate of the overall population of children (35%)40. 

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

The proposal is complementary to and consistent with a number of other EU initiatives. 

It  is  fully  consistent  with  the  EU’s  2021-2027  Multi-Annual  Financial  Framework  which 
provides  EU  funding  opportunities  under  instruments  such  as  the  European  Regional 
Development  Fund,  the  European  Social Fund plus,  including  its  Employment  and  Social 
Innovation strand, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the Just Transition 
Fund, the Horizon Europe and Digital Europe programmes, all of which play a major role in 
supporting  Member  State 
in  accessible,  affordable  and  quality  ECEC 
infrastructure  and  services.  The  Technical  Support  Instrument  can  also  support  reforms  and 
investment.  The  proposal  is  also  fully  consistent  with  the  Regulation  establishing  the 
Recovery and Resilience Facility with regard to eligible reforms and investments to mitigate 
the  economic  and  social  impact  of  the  coronavirus  pandemic  and  to  make  European 
economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the challenges and 
opportunities of the green and digital transitions in the context of the Facility’s objective. 

investment 

The proposal is also consistent with the Commission’s strategies and action plans to achieve a 
Union  of  equality.  The  EU  2020-2025  anti-racism  action  plan41  aims  at  combating  racism 
through policy  and funding programmes in  the  areas of  employment, housing and  access  to 
healthcare and education. Among other things, it aims to ensure equal access to education for 
children of minority racial or ethnic origin. Also, it promotes the training of teachers to work 
with all children. The action plan provided for a Commission report, published in 2021, on the 
application  of  the  EU  Racial  Equality  Directive,  which  prohibits  discrimination  based  on 
racial or ethnic origin, including discrimination against Roma children, in different areas such 
as education and social protection42. 

39 

40 

41 

42 

Council of the European Union, Conclusions on the EU Strategy on the rights of the child, 10024/22, 9 
June 2022, see: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10024-2022-INIT/en/pdf. 
European  Commission,  Annual  Report  on  Employment  and  Social  Developments  in  Europe:  Young 
Europeans: employments and social challenges ahead, chapter 5, ISSN 2315-2540, June 2022. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions, ‘A Union of Equality: EU anti-racism 
action plan 2020-2050’, COM(2020) 565 final, 18.9.2020, p. 1-26. 
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of Council 
Directive  2000/43/EC  implementing  the  principle  of  equal  treatment  between  persons  irrespective  of 
racial  or  ethnic  origin  (‘the  Racial  Equality  Directive’)  and  the  Council  Directive  2000/78/EC 
establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (‘the Employment 
Equality Directive’), COM(2021) 139 final, 19.3.2021, p. 1-26. 

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The EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation43, together with 
the  Council  Recommendation  on  Roma  equality,  inclusion  and  participation,  adopted  on 
12 March  202144,  calls  on  Member  States  to  fight  multiple  and  structural  discrimination 
against Roma, in particular against Roma children, and to take stronger measures to support 
Roma  children  and  their  families  in  the  interrelated  fields  of  employment,  social  services, 
quality,  inclusive  mainstream  education  and  early  childhood  education  and  care,  health, 
housing  and  access  to  essential  services,  nutrition  and  access  to  leisure  activities.  The 
framework sets the objective of reducing the gap in participation in ECEC of Roma children 
by at least half by 2030. 

The  Commission’s  action  plan  on  integration  and  inclusion  2021-202745  focuses  on  the 
enabling  factors  essential  for  the  successful  integration  and  inclusion  of  migrants  and  EU 
citizens with a migrant background, including children, on different levels such as education 
and training, employment and skills, and health and housing. 

Finally,  the  2021-2030  strategy  for  the  rights  of  persons  with  disabilities46  aims  to  improve 
the lives of persons with disabilities in the EU and beyond and to promote their full and equal 
participation in all areas of life. The strategy addresses participation in all educational levels 
and forms, including ECEC, on an equal basis with others, and the promotion of independent 
living and community-based services. This is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of 
Persons  with  Disabilities,  to  which  the  EU  and  all  Member  States  are  parties,  and  which 
requires parties to take all necessary measures to ensure the full enjoyment by children with 
disabilities  of  all  human  rights  and  fundamental  freedoms  on  an  equal  basis  with  other 
children. In line with the Strategy, this Recommendation fully takes into account the needs of 
children and parents with disabilities, in particular in the provisions on accessibility.  

The  proposal  also  responds  to  the  Conference  on  the  Future  of  Europe  recommendation  on 
demographic transition (proposal No. 15) and on anti-discrimination, equality and quality of 
life  (proposal  No.  29).  Proposal  15  calls  for  “ensuring  quality,  affordable  and  accessible 
childcare across the EU, so that mothers and fathers can confidently reconcile their work and 
family life” and “guaranteeing the access of children in need to services such as education and 
care.”  Proposal  29  calls  to  ensure  the  “creation  and  facilitation  of  affordable  kindergartens 
[…] and free childcare for those in need47.” 

Finally,  this  Recommendation  contributes  to  reaching  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals 
(SDGs)  adopted  in  2015  as  part  of  the  United  Nation’s  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable 
Development  2030,  which  highlight  the  importance  of  gender  equality  (SDG  5.4  and  SDG 
8.5)  and  the  relevance  of  ECEC  (SDG  4.2),  thus  underscoring  the  need  for  action  in  these 
areas. 

43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, ‘A Union of Equality: 
EU  Roma  strategic  framework  for  equality,  inclusion  and  participation’,  COM(2020)  620  final, 
7.10.2020, p. 1-17. 
Council Recommendation of 12 March 2021 on Roma equality, inclusion and participation, OJ 2021C 
93/01, 19.3.2021, p. 1-14. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  ‘Action  plan  on  Integration  and 
Inclusion 2021-2027’, COM(2020) 758 final, 24.11.2020, p. 1-25. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the  Committee  of the Regions, ‘Union of Equality: Strategy for 
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030’, COM(2021) 101 final, 3.3.2021, p. 1-29. 
European Commission, Conference on the Future of Europe, Report on the final outcome, May 2022. 

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2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The proposal is based on Article 292 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 
(TFEU),  under  which  the  Council  adopts  recommendations  on  a  proposal  from  the 
Commission, in conjunction with Article 153 (1), point (i) TFEU. 

Under  Article  153(1)  (i)  TFEU,  the  EU  supports  and  complements  the  activities  of  the 
Member States in the field of equality between women and men with regard to labour market 
opportunities  with a view to achieving the objectives of Article 151 TFEU. Under Article 151 
TFEU, the objectives  of the EU and the Member States include the promotion of improved 
living  and  working  conditions,  proper  social  protection,  and  the  development  of  human 
resources,  with  a  view  to  lasting  high  employment  and  combating  of  exclusion.  Ensuring 
equal opportunities for all children living in the EU contributes to reaching those objectives. 

The  proposal  will  contribute  to  the  objectives  of  the  Treaty  on  European  Union  (TEU), 
notably to combating social exclusion and discrimination, promoting equality between women 
and men and protecting the rights of the child (Article 3 TEU). 

The proposal will also contribute to implementing the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the 
EU,  in  particular  its  Article  14,  which  recognises  everyone’s  right  to  education;  Article  23, 
which  recognises  equality  between  women  and  men;  Article  24,  which  recognises  that 
children have the right to the protection and care necessary for their well-being; and Article 
33, which stipulates that the family must enjoy legal, economic and social protection. 

This  proposal  does  not  exceed  EU’s  regulatory  power  or  impose  binding  commitments  on 
Member  States.  Member  States  will  decide,  according  to  their  national  circumstances,  how 
they can make the best use of the Council Recommendation. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

While  policies  addressing  ECEC  and  women’s  labour-market  participation  are  the 
responsibility of the Member States, the EU has the competence to support and complement 
Member State actions. 

The proposal ensures that action at EU level has added value. It fulfils a political commitment 
to  make  progress  on  equal  opportunities  for  women  and  men  and  in  particular  on  women’s 
labour-market  participation, and to  promote the rights,  equal  opportunities and wellbeing of 
all children. 

• 

Proportionality 

The  proposal  complements  Member  States’  efforts  in  the  area  of  addressing  inequality  of 
women and men, and women’s labour-market participation as well as to promote the rights, 
equal opportunities and wellbeing of all children. It respects Member States’ practices and the 
diversity of national systems. It recognises that different national, regional or local situations 
could  lead  to  differences  in  how  the  Recommendation  is  implemented.  This  will  allow 
Member States to make use of the Recommendation according to their specific context. 

Proportionality considerations also played a key role in guiding the choice of the instrument. 

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• 

Choice of the instrument 

The instrument is a proposal for a Council Recommendation, which abides by the principles 
of subsidiarity and proportionality. It builds on the existing body of European Union law and 
policy, and is in line with the type of instruments available for European Union action in the 
area  of  social  policy.  As  a  legal  instrument,  the  proposal  signals  the  Member  States’ 
commitment to the objectives and measures laid down in this Recommendation and provides 
a  strong  basis  for  cooperation  at  European  level  in  this  area,  while  fully  respecting  the 
competence of the Member States. 

3. 

• 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Stakeholder consultations 

The  Commission  consulted  extensively  with  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders  on  this  initiative. 
All  these  activities  were  summarised  in  the  Synopsis  Report,  published  together  with  this 
proposal for a recommendation48. The consultation activities provided more insights, with no 
substantial divergences from the broad aim and framing of the initiative. They were taken into 
account in the preparatory work and enriched the proposal with additional perspectives. The 
consultation  process  built  on  several  recent  public  consultations,  namely  those  for  the 
European Pillar of Social Rights action plan49, the Green Paper on Ageing50, and the Gender 
Equality  Strategy51.  Those  consultations  stressed  the  importance  of  high-quality,  accessible 
and affordable ECEC – in particular in under-served groups –   to encourage equal sharing of 
caring activities between parents. 

A Call for Evidence was published on the Have your Say portal from 1 to 29 March 2022. A 
total of 123 contributions were received; most (52%) were from NGOs, the others were from 
public  authorities,  business  associations,  EU  citizens,  trade  unions  and  research  institutions. 
Comments  focused  on  access,  availability,  affordability  and  quality  of  care  services,  care 
workers, socio-economic and territorial inequalities, and the gender dimension. 

A number of stakeholders  had already  called for a strategic and comprehensive approach to 
ECEC. 

The European Parliament  has repeatedly  called for a holistic approach to  care, supporting 
the  revision  of  the  Barcelona  targets  with  a  special  emphasis  on  the  need  to  target  children 

48 
49 

50 

51 

care 

women 

disabilities 

Commission staff working document: summary of consultation activities, SWD(2022) 440 . 
The  Commission  received  1  041  unique  written  contributions.  67.5%  of  submissions  came  from 
individuals.  Many  citizens  took  the  opportunity  to  describe  their  personal  situation,  notably  persons 
with 
SWD(2021) 
with 
and 
46_EN_autre_document_travail_service_part1_v8 (2).pdf 
The public consultation gathered a total of 473 replies. 133 submissions came from individuals. Long-
term  care  was  discussed  in  the  context  of  older  people’s  autonomy  and  ensuring  their  at-home  care, 
which opens new employment opportunities and skills needs. Moreover, the need to recognise pension 
rights of informal carers was highlighted. See: Green Paper on Ageing: Factual summary report of the 
public consultation: 090166e5de9b0583.pdf 
The consultation was available online from 8 March until 31 May 2019. It received 1 335 replies, 73% 
of  which  came  from  EU  citizens  (970  replies).  Respondents  were  asked  in  particular  about  which 
specific  goals  they  would  prioritise  for  EU  action  to  increase  women’s  participation  in  the  labour 
market.https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12114-Gender-equality-
strategy-2020-2024/public-consultation_en 

responsibilities: 

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with  disabilities52.  In  its  recent  report  on  the  European  care  strategy  adopted  in  the  Plenary 
Session  of  5  July  2022,  the  European  Parliament  welcomed  the  upcoming  review  of  the 
Barcelona  targets  and  highlighted  the  importance  of  ECEC  for  facilitating  female  labour-
market participation and for closing the gender gaps in care, pay and pension53. 

The Committees of the European Parliament on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and 
Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) organised a Joint hearing in preparation of 
an  own-initiative  report  ‘Towards  a  Common  European  action  on  care’  on  24  March  2022. 
Members  of  European  Parliament  welcomed  the  European  care  strategy  and  stressed  in 
particular the potential of the care sector, currently underfunded and understaffed, in terms of 
job creation. Better working conditions can contribute to gender equality, while education and 
training  play  a  key  role  in  ensuring  qualified  staff  and  professionalisation.  The  need  to 
monitor progress and to take into account Member States competence in this policy area were 
also highlighted. 

Similarly,  the  EESC  has  repeatedly  called  for  a  revision  of  the  Barcelona  targets  and  a 
holistic approach in several opinions54, in which they stressed the need for more investment in 
high-quality,  affordable  and  available  care  services  and  facilities  for  every  family.  It  also 
called for investment to  be channelled towards social infrastructure, in particular ECEC and 
after-school care, and to make the Barcelona targets on childcare more ambitious along with 
covering care of other dependants. 

The European Council stressed the importance of considering the gender pay gap and gender 
care gap together55, as they are both largely dependent and a mutually reinforcing phenomena. 
The  Council  also  called  for  long-term  public  investment  in  high-quality,  affordable  and 
accessible  care  facilities  and  infrastructure,  the  development  of  caring  skills,  and  care 
services.  The  Council  called  upon  the  Commission  to  present  a  revision  of  the  Barcelona 
targets to enhance upward convergence in the provision of quality early childhood education 
and  care  among  Member  States56  and  emphasised  the  right  of  all  children  to  non-
discriminatory access to key services, such as early education and care57. 

At the meeting of the High-level group on gender mainstreaming in January 2022, Member 
States gave broadly positive feedback on the proposal for a care  strategy. In particular, they 
agreed  on  the  need  to  address  accessibility,  quality  and  affordability  of  services;  improve 
working conditions in the care sector; reflect on, among other matters, the educational aspect 
of ECEC; and tackle gender stereotyping in relation to care. 

During  the  exploratory  debates  with  Member  States’  representatives  in  the  Social 
Protection  Committee  (17  March  2022)  and  Employment  Committee  (1  April  2022), 

52 

53 

54 

55 

56 

57 

E.g. the European Parliament Resolution of 15 December 2021 on equality between women and men in 
the European Union in 2018-2020 (2021/2020(INI)). 
European  Parliament  Resolution  of  5  July  2022  towards  a  common  European  action  on  care 
(2021/2253(INI)). 
E.g. Opinion of the EESC, ‘Gender Equality in the labour markets’, (SOC/586-EESC-2018); Opinion of 
the EESC, ‘The challenges of work-life balance faced by working parents and caregivers’, (SOC/529-
EESC-2018);  Opinion  of  the  EESC,  ‘Gender  equality  issues’  (SOC/610-EESC-2018);  Opinion  of  the 
EESC, ‘Opinion on the Social Pillar Action Plan’, (SOC/679-EESC-2021). 
Council Conclusions on Tackling the Gender Pay Gap, ‘Valuation and Distribution of Paid Work and 
Unpaid Care Work’, 13584/20, 2.12.2020. 
Council  Conclusions  on  the  Socio-Economic  Impact  of  COVID-19  on  Gender  Equality,  8884/21, 
14.6.2021, p. 1-26. 
Council Conclusions on the EU Strategy on the rights of the child, 10024/22, 9.6.2022, p. 3. 

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Member  States  shared  a  number  of  examples  and  good  national  practices  and  expressed  a 
preliminary  broad  agreement  with  the  overall  aim  of  the  initiative,  the  analysis  of  the 
challenges  and  the  proposed  policy  objectives. Several  Member  States  pointed  out  that  the 
initiative should be developed in full respect of national competences, also taking into account 
the  different  national  circumstances  and  set-up  of  the  care  systems,  and  avoiding 
administrative  burden.  The  importance  of  EU  funding,  support  for  mutual  learning  and 
improving the evidence base was also highlighted. 

On  13  September  2021,  the  Advisory  Committee  on  Equal  Opportunities  for  Women  and 
Men  adopted  an  Opinion  on  ‘The  care  gap  in  the  EU:  a  holistic  and  gender-transformative 
approach’58.  The  Opinion  supported  improving  the  availability  and  affordability  of  quality 
care  and  ECEC  services  for  children,  revising  the  Barcelona  targets  upwards,  and  setting  a 
policy  framework  for  sustainable  LTC  through  EU  funding,  including  through  the  National 
Recovery and Resilience Plans as part of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

A number of targeted stakeholder consultations, exploratory debates and hearings  were 
held to cover the various elements of the initiative in more depth. 

The Commission organised a strategic dialogue with more than 50 civil society organisations 
on 11 March 2022. Civil society organisations welcomed the revision of the Barcelona targets 
and agreed with the challenges identified by the Commission. They highlighted the need for 
assessing  barriers  to  participation:  to  look  at  further  breakdowns  of  participation  rates  (e.g. 
children  from  migrant  background,  children  with  disabilities,  etc.);  including  children  and 
their healthy development in the centre of the policy; fostering investment in early childhood 
intervention  services  systems  for  children  with  disabilities  as  a  measure  to  promote  their 
participation in ECEC and thus their mothers’ participation in paid work. 

Finally, a dedicated hearing with EU-level social partners was organised on 7 April 2022. 
Social  partners  had  already  delivered  in  December  2020  a  ‘joint  statement  on  childcare 
provisions in the EU’ that stressed how available, accessible, affordable and quality childcare 
facilities are essential for parents to work, in particular mothers. Social partners also called for 
the revision of the Barcelona targets  to  promote the value of working in the sector,  and  for 
good  working  conditions,  including  by  strengthening  collective  bargaining  and  ensuring 
quality, stable jobs, fair salaries and adequate level of social protection. They also called for 
action to attract staff to the sector, in particular men. These views were confirmed at the social 
partners hearing in April. In particular, social partners highlighted the need for an integrated 
life-cycle  approach,  and  the  need  to  increase  investment  in  the  sector  and  make  it  more 
attractive for workers against the background of demographic change and economic outlook. 

• 

Collection and use of expertise 

The Commission built on the expertise of its Joint Research Centre (JRC) and external experts 
to  inform  the  evidence  base  for  this  initiative.  The  related  input  is  made  available  to  the 
general public together with the current proposal for a Recommendation. 

JRC  provided  an  in-depth  review  of  the  EU-SILC  reference  data  set  in  order  to  test  the 
feasibility of possible refinements of the indicators and robustness of measurement at Member 

58 

Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, Opinion, ‘The care gap in the EU: a 
holistic  and  gender-transformative  approach’,  13  September  2021,  opinion_care_gap_2021_en.pdf 
(europa.eu). 

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States level59. JRC also produced a simulation of the possible impact of different levels of the 
target for the relevant indicators in terms of female labour-market participation based on the 
EUROMOD model60.  Finally, a literature review was commissioned to gain an overview of 
effective childcare reforms in the Member States61. 

Furthermore,  an  expert  group62  with  15  members  including  individual  experts  and 
representatives of the  European  Education  and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), EIGE, 
Eurofound,  ILO,  OECD  and  Unicef  provided  input  on  the  state  of  play  and  country 
differences in the approach to ECEC, workforce conditions, and quality of ECEC. They also 
provided input on the measures to enhance ECEC participation, in particular for children from 
disadvantaged  backgrounds,  and  on 
the  elements  relevant  for  enhancing  upwards 
convergence. 

• 

Fundamental rights 

The  revision  of  the  Barcelona  targets  will  contribute  to  achieving  equality  between  women 
and men in all areas, including employment, work and pay. It will contribute to safeguarding 
the right of everyone to education and the rights of all children to such protection and care for 
their well-being, and to the economic protection of the family (Articles 23, 14, 24 and 33 of 
the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU). 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

The proposal has no financial implications for the EU budget. 

5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

The  European  Commission  will  continue  to  monitor  the  Barcelona  targets  in  the  context  of 
the  European  Semester,  which  is  a  key  instrument  for  monitoring  women’s  labour-market 
participation and gender equality, including through the analysis provided in country reports 
and through country-specific recommendations, where appropriate. It will additionally include 
in  its  assessment  the  intensity  of  participation  by  all  children  in  ECEC  (number  of  hours 
attended per week), and the participation of children from different groups, including children 
at  risk  of  poverty  or  social  exclusion  and,  where  feasible,  children  with  disabilities,  with  a 
migrant background, Roma children and other relevant groups, taking into account the age of 
the children and specific national features. 

59 

60 

61 

62 

Flisi  S.,  Blasko,  Zs.  and  Stepanova  E.,  Indicators  for  early  education  and  care.  Reconsidering  some 
aspects of the Barcelona target. JRC Science for Policy Report, 2022. 
Narazani E., Agúndez García A., Christl M., Figari F., Impact on female  employment of revising the 
Barcelona  targets  for  childcare  (GENDERMOD),  JRC  Working  Paper  on  Taxation  &  Structural 
Reforms, 2022. 
Nieuwenhuis R., Yerkes M., Backman L., Strigén J., Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): A 
focused review of reform impact studies, Publications Office of the European Union, 2022. 
Register of Commission expert groups and other similar entities (europa.eu); 

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In  addition,  the  implementation  of  the  Recommendation  will  be  monitored  through  the 
Commission’s  Annual  Report  on  Gender  Equality  and  the  Gender  Equality  Strategy 
Monitoring Portal63. 

The  revision  of  the  targets  covers  additional  dimensions  relevant  to  reaching  the  Barcelona 
objectives  (accessibility,  affordability  and  quality).  Where  indicators  are  available  on  these 
dimensions, they will be included in the Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal and the 
Annual Report on Gender Equality. 

In  order  to  enhance  the  availability,  scope  and  relevance  of  pertinent  data  at  EU  level,  this 
Recommendation invites Member States to develop or improve data collection in a number of 
areas related to its implementation. Member States should notably improve data collection on 
the  participation  of  children  in  ECEC  including  with  reference  to  children  in  vulnerable 
situations or from disadvantaged groups. 

The Commission will publish an in-depth report within five years to give an overview of the 
state of play  of the implementation  of the Recommendation, based on the Barcelona targets 
and  all  relevant  dimensions,  including  policies  and  good  practice  examples  from  Member 
States. 

63 

European  Commission,  Gender  Equality  Strategy,  monitoring  portal,  accessible  via:  ges-
monitor.page.main (europa.eu) 

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2022/0263 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

on the Revision of the Barcelona Targets on early childhood education and care 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 292 in conjunction with Article 153(1), point (i), thereof,  

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

In order to remove disincentives for female labour-market participation, the European 
Council set in 2002 the Barcelona targets on childcare, which consist of two targets: a 
participation  rate  in  early  childhood  education  and  care  (ECEC)  of  33%  of  children 
under 3 years of age and of 90% for children from age 3 until mandatory school age64. 
While  these  targets  have  been  reached  on  Union  average,  significant  differences 
persist  between  and  within  Member  States,  in  particular  for  children  from  lower 
income households and for the youngest group of children. 

The  objective  of  this  Recommendation  is  to  encourage  Member  States  to  increase 
participation  in  ECEC in order to  facilitate women’s labour-market  participation  and 
enhance  the  social  and  cognitive  development  of  all  children,  and  in  particular  for 
children in vulnerable situations or from disadvantaged backgrounds.  

Care  responsibilities  for  children,  particularly  for  very  young  children,  are  a  strong 
constraint to female labour-market participation. In 2021, in the Labour Force Survey 
(LFS),  27.9%  of  women  aged  25–49  outside  the  labour  force  indicated  that  looking 
after  children  or  adults  in  need  of  care  was  the  main  reason  for  not  seeking 
employment, compared to only 8.0% of men; in 2019, so pre-pandemic, these figures 
stood  at  32.6%  and  7.6%  respectively65.  At  the  same  time,  the  employment  rate  of 
persons  25-49  years  old  with  children  below  the  age  of  6  was  90.1%  for  men 
compared to 67.2% for women. Unpaid care responsibilities keep around 7.7 million 
women  in  Europe  away  from  participating  in  the  labour  market,  compared  to  only 
450 000 men.  

(4)  Women  are  also  more  likely  to  adapt  their  working  patterns  to  care  responsibilities, 
which  has  a  lasting  impact  on  their  careers  and  contributes  to  the  gender  pay  and 
pension  gap.  Employed  women  spend  on  average  90  minutes  more  than  employed 
men on housework and direct care activities on a daily basis. Addressing gender gaps 
in employment represents a clear business case as it contributes to growth and is likely 

64 
65 

Barcelona European Council of 15 and 16 March 2002 (2002), SN 100/1/02 REV1. 
Eurostat database table LFSA_IGAR, “Care of adults with disabilities or children and other family or 
personal  reasons”,  percentage  of  population  outside  the  labour  force  and  wanting  to  work,  age  group 
15-64. 

EN 

15 

  EN 

 
                                                 
to generate positive impacts for productivity. In addition, addressing gender gaps has 
well-established  positive  impacts  on  poverty  reduction  and  social  inclusion  and 
constitutes one of the responses to a shrinking workforce.  

The  availability  of  affordable  and  high-quality  care  services  has  a  strong  positive 
impact  on  the  employment  situation  of  carers,  in  particular  women.  While  the 
provision  of  ECEC  increased  across  the  Union,  the  gender  employment  gap  was 
reduced  from  17.7  percentage  points  in  2002  to  10.8  percentage  points  in  2021. 
However, progress has stalled in recent years. 

The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  highlights  the  importance  of  gender  equality, 
work-life  balance  and  early  childhood  education  and  care  as  key  objectives  of  the 
Union.  The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  states  that  equal  treatment  and 
opportunities  between  women  and  men  must  be  ensured  and  fostered  in  all  areas, 
including  as  regards  participation  in  the  labour  market,  terms  and  conditions  of 
employment  and  career  progression.  It  also  recognises  children’s  right  to  affordable 
ECEC  of  good  quality;  children’s  right  to  protection  from  poverty;  and  the  right  for 
children  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds  to  specific  measures  to  enhance  equal 
opportunities.  The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  action  plan  proposes,  among  its 
Union headline targets to be achieved by 2030 that at least 78% of the population aged 
20 to 64 should be in employment by 2030. To achieve that target, the action plan sets 
the goal of at least halving the gender employment gap compared to 2019, including 
through  the  revision  of  the  Barcelona  targets.  The  action  plan  acknowledges  that 
increasing the provision of formal ECEC would support stronger female labour-market 
participation and a better reconciliation between professional and private life. With the 
present recommendation the Union is delivering on its commitment in the action plan. 

At Union level, several recommendations and directives in the areas of gender equality 
and  working  conditions  address  certain  elements  that  are  relevant  for  the  Barcelona 
targets.  Directive  (EU)  2019/1158  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council66 
creates  a  framework  for  a  gender-balanced  take-up  of  family  leaves  and  flexible 
working arrangements as well as of carers’ leave.  

Several Union initiatives have highlighted the importance of ECEC for children. This 
recommendation builds upon these policy initiatives: Council Recommendation of 22 
May  2019  on  High-Quality  Early  Childhood  Education  and  Care  Systems67  helps 
Member  States  improve  ECEC  services  and  underlines  that  such  services  must  be 
inclusive, accessible, affordable and of high quality. The EU Strategy on the Rights of 
the  Child68  provides  a  framework  for  EU  action  to  better  promote  and  protect 
children’s rights and recognises the role of ECEC as beneficial to children’s cognitive 
and  social  development.  Council  Recommendation  of  14  June  2021  establishing  a 
European  Child  Guarantee69  aims  to  ensure  that  children  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social 

Directive 2019/1159 (EU) 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, OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 79-
93. 
Council  Recommendation  of  22  May  2019  on  High-Quality  Early  Childhood  Education  and  Care 
Systems, OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, p. 4-14. 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the EU strategy on the rights of 
the child, COM(2021) 142 final, 24.3.2021, p. 1-23. 
Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee, 
OJ L 223, 22.6.2021, p. 14-23. 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

66 

67 

68 

69 

EN 

16 

  EN 

                                                 
 
exclusion  have  free  and  effective  access  to  key  services,  including  to  ECEC,  in  all 
regions, also remote and rural areas. 

(9)  When investing in ECEC services, Member States should take into account a number 
of  dimensions  beyond  the  mere  availability  of  places  such  as  the  time-intensity  of 
participation, the share of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion participating 
as  well  as  the  accessibility,  affordability  and  quality  of  care  services  provided.  This 
recommendation therefore sets out measures to tackle these aspects. 

(10)  To facilitate labour-market participation for primary carers, predominantly women, the 
number of ECEC hours attended should be sufficient to allow parents to meaningfully 
engage with paid work. Attendance should be encouraged, taking into account the best 
interest  of  the  child.  Where  children  do  not  yet  attend  ECEC  full  time,  both  parents 
should  make  use  of  the  rights  to  family  leave  and  flexible  working  arrangements 
granted by Directive (EU) 2019/1158, like part-time work, flexible working hours and 
telework, to ensure that care responsibilities are equally shared, and attendance should 
gradually increase with the age of the child. Given the importance of this dimension, 
the  time-intensity  of  child  participation  should  be  monitored  together  with  the 
participation in ECEC. 

(11)  Furthermore,  women  with  low  professional  skills  and  women  from  low-income 
households with children face more barriers in training and to finding a job and more 
disincentives  to  (re)enter  employment  because  of  financial  and  non-financial 
constraints to their children’s participation in ECEC. Encouraging higher participation 
of  children  in  vulnerable  situation  and  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds  in  inclusive 
ECEC would have a beneficial impact on their mothers’ return to work. The situation 
of  women  with  disabilities  or  women  with  children  with  disabilities  is  especially 
difficult. 

(12)  Participating  in  ECEC  has  multiple  benefits  for  children.  Evidence  shows  that  the 
provision  of  quality  ECEC  plays  a  crucial  role  in  improving  children’s  cognitive, 
social  and  educational  development  from  an  early  age.  According  to  the  Council 
Recommendation  of  22  May  2019  on  High  Quality  Early  Childhood  Education  and 
Care  systems,  ECEC  participation  can  be  an  effective  tool  for  achieving  educational 
equity  for  children  in  a  disadvantaged  situation,  such  as  children  with  disabilities  or 
with  special  needs,  children  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social  exclusion,  children  with  a 
migrant  background,  refugee  children,  Roma  children  and  children  from  other 
minority  groups,  children  living  in  rural  and  remote  areas  with  inadequate  care 
infrastructure and children in alternative care.  

(13)  The  Council  Recommendation  establishing  a  European  Child  Guarantee70  and  the 
Council  Recommendation  on  Roma  equality,  inclusion  and  participation71  highlight 
that equal access to quality and inclusive ECEC is central to breaking the transmission 
of  social  exclusion  and  securing  equal  opportunities  for  children  in  a  disadvantaged 
situation.  The  European  Child  Guarantee  asked  Member  States  to  submit  national 
plans  implementing  the  Recommendation  within  9  months  after  adoption.  However, 
their  attendance  rates  are  considerably  lower,  notably  among  the  youngest  children, 
which may result later in worse educational outcomes and high school drop-out rates, 

70 

71 

Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee, 
OJ L 223, 22.6.2021, p. 14. 
Council Recommendation of  12 March 2021 on Roma  equality, inclusion and  participation, OJ C 93, 
19.3.2021. 

EN 

17 

  EN 

                                                 
in  particular  of  Roma  children  or  children  with  a  migrant  background  as  well  as 
children deprived of parental care. Participation in ECEC is also relevant for children 
fleeing the war in Ukraine, as for other children seeking or benefitting from protection 
in the Union. For all these potentially vulnerable children equal access to mainstream 
inclusive and non-segregated ECEC services should be ensured. 

(14)  Similarly, children with disabilities have the right to participate in mainstream ECEC 
on an equal basis with others. Half of children with disabilities are cared for only by 
their parents. It is therefore important to ensure that ECEC is accessible, inclusive and 
combined with targeted measures that help address specific needs, including through 
measures  tackling  barriers  and  segregation,  equipping  staff  with  the  necessary 
competencies or hiring dedicated staff to address individual needs and individualised 
curricula where needed. 

(15)  A high quality of ECEC is essential to ensure that children benefit from participation 
in ECEC. While there is no single way to define and measure the concept of quality in 
ECEC  settings,  its  essence  lies  in  the  quality  of  interaction  between  adults  and 
children, irrespective of the ECEC system in place. Member States should ensure the 
provision of high-quality ECEC, taking into account various dimensions set out in the 
Recommendation  of  22  May  2019  on  High-Quality  Early  Childhood  Education  and 
Care  Systems,  including  access  to  ECEC  services,  the  qualifications  and  working 
conditions  of  staff,  the  pedagogical  curriculum,  monitoring  and  evaluation,  and 
governance  and  funding.  Of  particular  importance  should  be  elements  such  as 
staff/child ratio, staff qualifications and continuous professional training. 

(16)  Quality of ECEC provision  is  also  an important  factor for  establishing trust  between 
parents  and the institutions providing education and care,  and therefore  an important 
factor in facilitating increased participation in ECEC. 

(17)  Accessibility is another important dimension of ECEC provision. It includes adequate 
infrastructure  and  available  reception  capacities  and  opening  hours.  It  further  covers 
adaptation  to  special  needs  of  parents,  and  assistance  in  overcoming  complex 
administrative procedures. Support in navigating administrative procedures should be 
provided  in  various  forms,  including  linguistic  and  digital  support,  especially  for 
groups in a vulnerable situation or from disadvantaged backgrounds who, for example, 
are not able to use or do have access to digital tools. It also includes accessibility for 
persons with disabilities, including children, parents and professionals, in accordance 
with  accessibility  requirements  set  out 
in  Annexes  I  and  III  of  Directive 
(EU)2019/882. 

(18)  Furthermore,  accessibility  includes  the  professionalisation  of  staff  and  specialists  to 
adequately support children with disabilities or with special needs, in mainstream non-
segregated  facilities.  Member  States  should  ensure  that  barriers  to  the  use  of  ECEC 
services are removed and prevented, including for persons with disabilities, and ECEC 
services are truly inclusive. 

(19)  When  addressing  accessibility,  territorial  imbalances  should  be  taken  into  account. 
Long commuting time linked to distance, lack of or limited transport connections and 
traffic  congestion  can  be  a  barrier  to  participation.  Remote  and  rural  areas  are 
particularly  disadvantaged  by  the  lack  of  sufficient  ECEC  services  locally.  Such 
territorial  imbalances  can  add  to  affordability  issues.  It  is  therefore  important  to 
consider the different  profiles of ECEC services  users in  mobility plans, and include 
territorial coverage in data collection for evaluation and monitoring purposes. 

EN 

18 

  EN 

(20) 

In many Member States, the high cost of ECEC is still a strong barrier to participation. 
Eurostat data show that the cost factor plays a significant role in the decision not to use 
formal  childcare  services  in  many  countries,  in  particular  for  households  at  risk  of 
poverty. According to European Union statistics on income and living conditions for 
2016, 13% of parents do not make use of childcare because of its cost72 and 11% have 
moderate  or  great  difficulties  in  affording  it73.  These  percentages  more  than  double 
respectively  to  28%  and  27%  for  households  at  risk  of  poverty.  Scientific  research 
shows  substantial  economic,  social,  educational  and  developmental  benefits  of  high-
quality ECEC. Ensuring affordable ECEC, is therefore beneficial for women’s labour-
market  participation;  and  this  also  has  a  positive  long-term  growth  impact  on 
education from an early age, laying the ground for a positive attitude towards learning 
throughout  lifetime,  going  beyond  the  children  involved  and  extending  to  society  at 
large.  Therefore,  Member  States  should  ensure  that  the  costs  of  ECEC  are 
proportionate  to  the  household  income  and  do  not  constitute  a  barrier  for  taking  up 
ECEC. Moreover, Member States should also take into account other costs related to 
participation  in  ECEC  such  as  transport,  clothing  and  equipment  needed  in  a  care 
situation.  

(21)  One way to ensure adequate provision of accessible and affordable high-quality ECEC 
is by establishing a legal entitlement to ECEC, by which public authorities guarantee a 
place for all children whose parents demand it, regardless of their employment, socio-
economic  or  family  status.  In  most  Member  States,  such  legal  entitlement  already 
exists but the starting age for the entitlement varies significantly. Ideally, there should 
not be a gap between the end of adequately paid family leave and a legal entitlement to 
a place in ECEC.  

(22) 

Increasing  availability  of  high-quality,  accessible  and  affordable  ECEC  for  families 
and  improving  working  conditions  and  salaries  in  the  sector  is  expected  to  have 
economic benefits. At the same time, fiscal sustainability of investing in ECEC can be 
optimised by evaluating the impact on public finances and by regularly monitoring and 
continuously  improving  cost-effectiveness,  building  on  best  practices,  including  an 
the  overall 
efficient  design  of  funding  mechanisms 
sustainability of public finances.  

that  are  coherent  with 

(23)  Easy access to adequate online and offline information on ECEC is of key importance 
for  parents.  This  pertains  to  information  on  the  entitlements  to  and  availability  of 
suitable  services,  access  modalities  and  the  eligibility  for  financial  support,  where 
applicable. 

(24)  The  lack  of  awareness  of  parents’  and  children’s  rights  as  regards  ECEC  and  its 
relevance  for  future  educational  achievements  is  an  additional  hurdle  for  taking  up 
services  which  impacts  women’s  labour-  market  participation.  Informing  parents 
correctly  and  thoroughly,  should  lead  to  well-considered,  informed  decisions  about 
care options. 

72 

73 

Data  source:  EU-SILC  ad-hoc  module  2016  on  Access  to  services,  ilc_ats04  “Children  by  household 
type, income group, degree of urbanisation and main reason for not meeting needs for formal childcare 
services” (date of extraction 20/06/2022). 
Data source: EU-SILC ad-hoc module 2016 on Access to services, ilc_ats03 “Children receiving formal 
childcare  services  by  household  type,  income  group,  degree  of  urbanisation  and  level  of  difficulty  to 
afford formal childcare services” (date of extraction 20/06/2022). 

EN 

19 

  EN 

                                                 
 
(25)  ECEC suffers from staff shortages in many countries. This can be addressed through 
multiple  strategies,  such  as  improving  working  conditions,  career  prospects  and 
adequate  remuneration,  regular  up-  and  reskilling  possibilities,  developing  creative 
recruitment  strategies,  and  calling  on  different  under-represented  groups  to  join  the 
ECEC  workforce,  such  as  men  or  people  with  various  cultural  backgrounds,  e.g. 
migrants and refugees. A simple and rapid qualifications recognition mechanism could 
help  address  shortages.  For  instance,  the  Commission  Recommendation  (EU) 
2022/55474  addresses  the  access  of  those  fleeing  the  war  in  Ukraine  to  regulated 
professions.  

(26)  The  promotion  of  fair  working  conditions  for  staff  in  ECEC  should  contribute  to 
attracting new workers and at the same time help ensure that those who are working in 
this sector are willing and able to remain in their job until retirement. It may equally 
contribute to tackling gender segregation in the sector. In this context, the ILO policy 
guidelines on the promotion of decent work for early childhood education personnel75 
give  guidance  on  the  possible  implementation  of  recommendations  concerning 
professional  and  career  development,  appropriate  remuneration,  including  equal  pay, 
sustainable  employment  and  working  conditions,  as  well  as  the  promotion  of  social 
dialogue in this sector. 

(27)  Care  for  children  does  not  stop  when  they  go  to  primary  school.  Care  needs  for 
children as of primary school age can also limit mothers’ labour-market participation 
and working  times if there are no adequate, quality  and affordable solutions  for care 
after-school and during holidays, in the context of national school systems. If no care 
possibilities are available for older children, availability of ECEC for younger siblings 
will not allow labour-market participation of the parents, which might in turn impact 
on the uptake of ECEC for younger siblings. Member States should therefore provide 
for  adequate,  quality  and  affordable  out-of-school  care.  This  should  include,  where 
relevant,  an  offer  for  the  supervision  of  and  support  for  homework,  particularly  for 
children from disadvantaged backgrounds.  

(28)  Work-life  balance  remains  a  great  challenge  for  many  parents,  in  particular  women. 
The  difficulty  of  balancing  work  and  care  responsibilities  is  a  major  obstacle  that 
contributes to the underrepresentation of women in the labour market. In this context, 
gender  stereotypes  often  influence  the  roles  of  women  and  men  with  regard  to  care. 
The imbalance between caretaking by women in comparison to men in turn reinforces 
gender stereotypes in both men’s and women’s occupations and roles. 

(29)  This  persisting  gender  care  gap  should  be  tackled,  in  particular  through  encouraging 
uptake  by  fathers  of  family  leave  and  flexible  working-time  arrangements,  where 
relevant,  coupled  with  more  equal  sharing  of  care  responsibilities  within  couples  as 
regards  paid  and  unpaid  work.  The  implementation  of  Directive  (EU)  2019/1158 
should enhance the rights of workers with care responsibilities to family leave and to 
request  flexible  working-time  arrangements.  Further  action  should  focus  on  raising 

74 

75 

Communication  Recommendation  (EU)  2022/554  on  the  recognition  of  the  qualifications  for  people 
fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, OJ L 107, 6.4.2022, p. 1-8.  
International  Labour  Organisation,  ‘Meeting  of  Experts  on  Policy  Guidelines  on  the  promotion  of 
decent 
at: 
childhood 
https://www.ilo.org/sector/Resources/codes-of-practice-and-guidelines/WCMS_236528/lang--
en/index.htm 

personnel’, 

education 

available 

work 

early 

for 

EN 

20 

  EN 

                                                 
 
awareness of these new rights and monitoring whether workers can fully make use of 
these rights without experiencing unfavourable treatment at work. 

(30) 

In order to better understand care needs and constraints, Member States should ensure 
the availability of adequate data with a sufficient degree of granularity, reliability and 
comparability.  Given  that  Directive  (EU)  2019/1158  does  not  contain  specific 
provisions  on  data  collection,  this  data  should  include  the  take-up  of  family  leaves, 
taking  into  account  the  methodological  manual  for  the  work-life  balance  indicator 
framework  developed  by  the  Employment  Committee  and  the  Social  Protection 
Committee to support the proper monitoring and evaluation of the Directive.  

(31)  Progress in implementing this Recommendation should be regularly monitored in the 
context  of  the  European  Semester,  the  annual  report  on  gender  equality  in  the 
European  Union  and  the  Gender  Equality  Strategy  Monitoring  Portal.  To  this  end, 
Member  States  should  notably  support  the  Commission  in  the  development  and 
calculation  of  an  indicator  for  measuring  the  gender  care  gap,  which  means  the 
difference in time devoted to care by women and men, the gender pay gap, and the use 
of time in paid and unpaid work, to better understand the interdependencies between 
these  elements  with  a  view  to  supporting  the  development  of  evidence-based  gender 
equality and social policies. Member States should also continue their efforts to design 
and  implement  reforms  in  the  area  of  ECEC  making  best  use  of  the  Commission’s 
support,  including  via  the  Technical  Support  Instrument,  through  exchange  of  good 
practices,  appropriate  processes  and  methodologies,  data  collection,  stakeholder 
involvement  and  more  effective  and  efficient  inter-institutional  coordination  and 
human  resources  planning,  allocation  and  professional  development  in  the  ECEC 
sector.  

(32)  The term ‘early childhood education and care’ should be understood as defined in the 
Council  Recommendation  on  High  Quality  ECEC,  as  referring  to  any  regulated 
arrangement  that  provides  education  and  care  for  children  from  birth  to  the 
compulsory primary school age — regardless of the setting, funding, opening hours or 
programme content — and includes centre and family day-care; privately and publicly 
funded provision; and pre-school and pre-primary provision. 

(33) 

In  order  to  assess  the  impact  of  this  Recommendation,  the  Commission  and  the 
Member States should monitor its progress and regularly report on it. 

HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE 

1. 

This Recommendation aims to encourage Member States to increase participation in 
early  childhood  education  and  care  in  order  to  facilitate  women’s  labour-market 
participation  and  enhance  the  social  and  cognitive  development  of  children,  in 
particular for those in vulnerable situations or from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

2. 

This Recommendation concerns early childhood education and care for all children. 

REVISION OF THE BARCELONA TARGETS 

3. 

Member  States  should  encourage  female  labour-market  participation  by  providing 
high-quality  early  childhood  education  and  care  (ECEC)  services  in  line  with 
national patterns of provision, ensuring that by 2030: 

EN 

21 

  EN 

(a) 

(b) 

at least 50% of children below the age of 3 participate in ECEC76; and  

at  least  96%  of  children  between  the  age  of  3  and  the  starting  age  for 
compulsory primary education participate in ECEC77. 

INTENSITY OF PARTICIPATION 

4. 

5. 

Member States should encourage a time intensity of children’s participation in ECEC 
that is compatible with meaningful labour-market participation of parents, especially 
mothers.  

Member  States  are  invited  to  ensure  that  ECEC  services  are  available  to  allow 
participation of children, which could gradually increase with the age of the child, of: 

(a) 

at least 25 hours per week for children below 3 years of age; and 

(b) 

at least 35 hours per week for children from age 3. 

INCLUSION  OF  CHILDREN  FROM  DISADVANTAGED  BACKGROUNDS, 
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES OR WITH SPECIAL NEEDS 

6. 

Member States should: 

(a) 

have targeted measures in place to enable and increase participation in ECEC 
of  children  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds,  including  children  at  risk  of 
poverty or social exclusion, as well as children with disabilities or with special 
needs; 

(b) 

close  the  participation  gap  in  ECEC  between  children  at  risk  of  poverty  or 
social exclusion and the overall population of children. 

QUALITY 

7. 

Member States should ensure that: 

(a)  ECEC services for all children are of high quality, in order to increase parents’ 
trust  in the services, and contribute to  the healthy  physical,  social, emotional, 
cognitive and educational development of the child; 

(b) 

the  national  quality  frameworks  which  Member  States  are  encouraged  to 
develop  in  line  with  the  Council  Recommendation  on  High  Quality  Early 
Childhood  Education  and  Care  Systems  include  provision  of  services  for 
children of both age groups covered by this Recommendation. National quality 
frameworks should notably provide for: 

– 

– 

adequate staff-child ratios and group sizes, taking into account the age of 
children and any disability or special needs they may have; and 

support the professionalisation of all ECEC staff, including by increasing 
the  required 
initial  education  and  ensuring  continuous 
professional  development  through  adequate  and  life-long  training 
opportunities. 

level  of 

76 

77 

Data  source:Eurostat,  EU-SILC  2020  operation,  “Children  in  formal  childcare  or  education  by  age 
group  and  duration  -  %  over  the  population  of  each  age  group  -  EU”,  online  data  code: 
[ilc_caindformal]. 
Data  source:  Eurostat,  UOE  data  collection,  “Pupils  from  age  3  to  the  starting  age  of  compulsory 
education  at  primary  level  -  %  of  the  population  of  the  corresponding  age”,  online  data  code: 
[educ_uoe_enra21]. 

EN 

22 

  EN 

                                                 
TERRITORIAL DISTRIBUTION 

8. 

Member States should address challenges for children and their families in accessing 
a  suitable  education  and  care  facility  by  providing  sufficient  territorial  coverage  of 
ECEC provision. To this end, Member States should in particular: 

(a) 

organise ECEC provision adequately across urban and rural areas, affluent and 
disadvantaged  neighbourhoods  and  regions,  taking  into  consideration  specific 
features of areas such as the density of the child population, the distribution of 
children  by  age,  whereas  this  should  be  fully  in  line  with  desegregation  and 
non-discrimination  principles  and  take  place  in  close  cooperation  with  local 
and regional authorities; 

(b) 

take  into  account  the  need  for  reasonable  commuting  times,  in  particular  by 
public transport, when deciding on locations for ECEC services. 

AFFORDABILITY 

9. 

For children other than those covered by the Council Recommendation establishing a 
European  Child  Guarantee,  who  should  enjoy  free  and  effective  access  to  ECEC 
services,  Member  States  should  ensure  that  the  net  cost  of  ECEC  is  reasonably 
proportionate to other household expenses and disposable income, paying particular 
attention to low-income households. In particular, Member States are encouraged to:  

(a) 

limit the out-of-pocket expenses for parents; 

(b)  where  applicable,  introduce  sliding-scale  fees  proportionate  to  family  income 

or a maximum fee for ECEC. 

ACCESSIBILITY 

10. 

Member  States  should  continuously  remove  obstacles  to  access  to  ECEC.  In  this 
context, particular attention should be given to:  

(a) 

offering  solutions  for  parents  with  atypical  working  hours  to  better  reconcile 
work and private life; 

(b) 

addressing the needs of single parents; 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

ensuring access to ECEC regardless of the labour market status of the parents 
in manner coherent with providing incentives to work; 

ensuring  the  accessibility  of  buildings,  infrastructure  and  transport  as  well  as 
learning material and digital tools for parents and children with disabilities or 
with special needs; 

offering effective support and appropriate information and communication for 
children  and  parents  with  disabilities  or  with  special  needs,  and  addressing 
linguistic  and  cultural  barriers,  to  enable  their  participation  in  mainstream 
inclusive and non-segregated facilities; 

proactively providing clear information  about  the benefits  of attending ECEC 
and  about  existing  opportunities,  eligibility  rules,  and  administrative 
procedures for access to ECEC services; 

(g)  providing  administrative  support  for  enrolment,  with  particular  attention  to 

parents in a vulnerable situation or from a disadvantaged background. 

11. 

Member States should introduce a legal entitlement to ECEC. When determining the 
starting  age  for  the  legal  entitlement,  Member  States  should  take  into  account  the 

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availability  and  length  of  adequately  paid  family  leave,  aiming  at  avoiding  gaps 
between the end of such leave and the start of ECEC.  

OUT OF SCHOOL CARE 

12. 

In  addition  to  ECEC,  Member  States  should  ensure  a  comprehensive  approach  to 
care  for  children,  taking  into  account  care  needs  for  children  of  different  ages, 
including  primary  school  age,  by  facilitating  affordable  and  high  quality  out-of-
school  care  for  all  children  in  primary  school  (after-school  and  holiday  cover), 
including  those  with  disabilities  or  with  special  educational  needs,  taking  into 
account the national organisation of school and holidays. This should include support 
for  homework,  especially  for  children  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds  or  in 
vulnerable situations. 

AWARENESS OF RIGHTS 

13. 

14. 

Member States should ensure that parents are aware of their rights, including, where 
applicable,  of  the  entitlement  to  a  place  in  ECEC,  bearing  in  mind  that  different 
traditions  and  backgrounds  might  influence  the  knowledge,  perception  and  trust  in 
the ECEC system. 

Member States are encouraged to proactively inform parents about the possibilities, 
benefits, costs and, where in place, financial support for using ECEC. Consideration 
should be given to: 

(a) 

the parents’ needs for information on ECEC taking into account their diversity 
of skills, capabilities, socio-economic background, and any disability; 

(b)  making  information  easily  accessible  online  as  well  as  offline,  taking  into 

account different language needs and the availability of digital tools. 

15. 

Member  States  should  put  in  place  effective,  impartial  and  accessible  complaints 
procedures to report issues or incidents to the competent authorities. 

STAFF WORKING CONDITIONS AND SKILLS 

16. 

Member  States  should  ensure  fair  working  conditions  for  ECEC  staff,  in  particular 
by  promoting  social  dialogue  and  collective  bargaining  and  by  supporting  the 
development  of  attractive  wages  in  the  sector,  while  respecting  the  autonomy  of 
social partners. 

17. 

Member  States  should  address  skill  needs  and  worker  shortages  in  ECEC,  in 
particular by: 

(a) 

improving  initial  and  continuous  education  and  training  to  equip  current  and 
future ECEC workers with the necessary skills and competencies; 

(b)  building  career  pathways  in  the  ECEC  sector,  including  via  upskilling, 

reskilling and information and guidance services; 

(c) 

(d) 

offering attractive professional status and career prospects to ECEC workers; 

implementing  measures  to  tackle  gender  stereotypes  and  gender  segregation 
and to make the profession attractive to both men and women. 

GENDER CARE GAP 

18. 

Member States should encourage equal sharing of care for children between parents 
by: 

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(a) 

combating gender stereotypes and encouraging a balanced involvement of both 
parents  in  care  responsibilities  on  an  equal  footing,  including  through 
communication campaigns; 

(b)  promoting and supporting family-friendly working-time arrangements and the 

uptake of family leave by both parents, especially men, over the life course.  

GOVERNANCE AND DATA COLLECTION 

19. 

Member  States  should  ensure  sound  and  effective  policy  governance  in  early 
childhood education and care, in particular by: 

(a) 

ensuring  strong  cooperation  between  different  policy-making  institutions  and 
ECEC  services,  and  supporting  cooperation  with  other  policy-making 
institutions  and  services  in  charge  of  early  childhood  development  and 
education; and 

(b)  mobilising  and  making  cost-effective  use  of  appropriate  and  sustainable 
funding  for  early  childhood  education  and  care,  including  by  making  use  of 
Union  funds  and  instruments,  and  by  pursuing  policies  conducive  to  the 
sustainable  funding  of  childcare  services  that  are  coherent  with  the  overall 
sustainability of public finances. 

20. 

Member States should develop or improve data collection on: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

participation  of  children  in  ECEC,  on  an  annual  basis  and  with  adequate 
sample  size  surveys,  including  with  reference  to  children  in  vulnerable 
situations or from disadvantaged backgrounds;  

the differences in time use in paid and unpaid work between women and men 
with care responsibilities, preferably by using time use surveys on the basis of 
the standard set by the Harmonised European Time Use Surveys; 

take-up  of  family  leaves  by  gender,  from  administrative  data  in  an  EU-
harmonised  way  and  endorse  the  work-life  balance  indicator  framework 
developed by the joint subgroup of the Employment Committee (EMCO) and 
Social Protection Committee (SPC); 

(d)  working conditions of staff in ECEC, covering notably the aspects referred to 

in Recommendations 16 and 17; 

(e)  ECEC shortages, accessibility, affordability and quality of ECEC on a regular 
basis at least every 6 years; and on territorial distribution of ECEC, notably to 
assess territorial disparities, including in remote and rural areas. 

21. 

Member States should scale up efforts to ensure that data are comparable at EU level 
with sufficient granularity. 

IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

22. 

Member  States  should  inform  the  Commission  on  measures  to  implement  this 
Recommendation by [1 year after adoption]. 

23. 

Member States should cooperate with the Commission as regards its intention to:  

(a) 

improve regular data provision by making available on the Eurostat website as 
well as on the Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal: 

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(1) 

(2) 

a further breakdown by age of children participating in ECEC, the 
time-intensity of participation and the participation rate for children 
at risk of poverty or social exclusion; 

confidence  intervals  for  the  EU-SILC  main  indicator  “Children  in 
formal  childcare  or  education”  and  other  relevant  indicators 
alongside  the  participation  rates  to  ensure  comparability  across 
years and countries; 

(3)  more comprehensive explanatory information on the data collected, 
in particular as for ECEC programmes covered by the definition of 
the indicators. 

(b)  mobilise Union funding to support national reforms and investments in ECEC; 

(c)  monitor  the  implementation  of  this  Recommendation  in  the  context  of  the 
annual  report on gender  equality in  the Union and  of the European Semester, 
including, where appropriate, by issuing  country-specific recommendations to 
the Member States, and report to the Council within five years on progress in 
relation to this Recommendation;  

(d) 

(e) 

facilitate  the  development  of  further  indicators  in  the  Social  Protection 
Committee  and  the  Employment  Committee,  of  exchange  of  good  practices 
and  mutual  learning  among  Member  States  as  well  as  technical  capacity-
building  activities,  and  continue  supporting  Member  States  in  their  efforts  to 
design and implement reforms in the area of ECEC  notably  via the European 
Education Area Strategic Framework and the Technical Support Instrument; 

encourage Union agencies such as the European Institute for Gender Equality 
and  Eurofound  to  collect  data  regularly,  develop  indicators  and  carry  out 
analyses on the gender care gap, the gender pay gap, and the use of time in paid 
and unpaid work, individual and social activities by women and men with care 
responsibilities and on work arrangements throughout their working life. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

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