The long-standing cooperation of the European Centre with the European Social Network (ESN), has often focused on the relationships of public authorities with providers and users, on the regulatory framework of the EU and on the quality of long-term care in Europe. Latest EU regulations on public procurement as well as the establishment of the European Pillar of Social Rights that includes “the right to affordable long-term care services of good quality”, stimulated the ESN to commission the European Centre with a study on how public procurement in long-term care could contribute to ensure quality and how local authorities have learned to choose providers based on the best price-quality ratio. Based on desk research and a survey among ESN members, we analysed how EU law in general, and the 2014 EU Public Procurement Directive in particular, influence public authorities’ ability to ensure quality LTC services and in what way local authorities are trying to link contracts to the provision of good quality LTC.
ESN – European Social Network