AGE Platform Europe, the European Public Service Union and the European Disability Forum, have called for a European investigation into the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the long-term care sector. A wealth of evidence is emerging about the risk to which staff and beneficiaries of long-term care have been exposed to, given the lack of protective equipment, adequate working conditions and access to testing and treatment. The call was directed to European PArliament President David Sassoli, as the only directly representative European institution should be the one investigating abuses to EU Fundamental Rights on an EU scale.

The call was supported by a group of 88 MEPs accross the political spectrum:

“We, as Members of the European Parliament, believe that it is absolutely necessary to examine what happened at European level with all the means at our disposal, in order to have comprehensive data in front of us and to identify political and management responsibilities, so that we can change course immediately.

We are committed to ensuring that the European Parliament has the will and strength to discover and reconstruct what has happened, strengthen attention on these facilities, find alternatives of group housing and avoid other mistakes and tragedies.”

Supporting statement by MEPs for investigative action on long-term care and COVID-19

More information

• Joint press relsease of AGE Platform Europe, EPSU and EDF: A call for the EU Parliament to investigate the tragic impact of COVID-19 on long-term care accross the European Union
• Joint letter: EU Parliament to use all its powers to investigate the tragic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care across the European Union
• Statement of 88 MEPs: Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on long-term care facilities