EASPD have commented on the High-Level Taskforce on Investing in Social Infrastructure in Europe who presented their report on how to boost investment in healthcare, long-term care, education and social housing in the European Union, in January. The taskforce highlighted important underinvestment in these areas and recommends practical steps the European Union and relevant stakeholders should take to meet the funding gap.
The main findings of the report are that investments in Social Infrastructure have decreased by 20% since 2009 in the EU and that the investment gap is estimated at €150 billion per year for the next ten years.
The report recommends to:
- set-up geographic and/or thematic investment platforms for social sector investments to help bundle projects
- create new financial instruments, suitable to the specificities of the sectors (social outcome contracts, social bonds, etc)
- develop far-reaching systems of technical assistance to build capacity at local, national and EU level
- improve data collection for Social Infrastructure
- Facilitate and simplify the blending of resources in the EU 28 (public, private, local, national EU)
The report can be had here; Boosting Investment in Social Infrastructure in Europe
References: ECDN Update 13 Newsletter.
