The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European Parliament has tabled amendments to the draft report on advancing a care society, calling for binding legislative measures and dedicated financial tools for a European Care Deal, as well as structural tax reforms to eliminate penalties on second earners. The amendments, submitted on 12 May 2026 to the report by rapporteur Eleonora Meleti, target what the group sees as the draft's lack of concrete, enforceable mechanisms to address the gender care gap.
The proposed changes come as the European Parliament prepares to debate the own-initiative report (A10-0083/2026) on the gender care gap. The S&D amendments are the only ones tabled, implicitly diverging from the likely positions of the European People's Party (EPP), Renew Europe, and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which tend to favour voluntary coordination and fiscal restraint. The S&D position aligns with the Greens/EFA and The Left in advocating for a more interventionist, rights-based approach.
Two substantive changes are proposed. Amendment 5 introduces a new call for the European Commission and Member States to eliminate tax arrangements that penalise second earners, framing this as a gender equality issue that creates disincentives for women's labour market participation. Amendment 6 transforms the original text's passive welcome of a European Care Deal into a demand for binding legislative and non-legislative measures, financial tools, and increased investments to improve working conditions in the care sector.
The amendments signal that the S&D considers the current Commission's approach insufficiently ambitious. The report is scheduled for a plenary vote later in 2026, after which the European Commission will be expected to respond to Parliament's recommendations. The Council has not yet taken a formal position on the European Care Deal.