Whether they care for their elderly parents, for relatives with disabilities or for other dependent relatives, family carers carry a big share of the burden when it comes to providing the care and help needed by those who depend on them. The role of family carers often go unrecognised and unsupported, with many adverse consequences (disrupted employment and loss of income, poor health, stress, risk of social exclusion, and last but not least, lesser quality of the care provided). The COFACE-Handicap European Charter for Family Carers makes several proposals to the policy makers in this field. As its follow up the seminar aims to:

• look at the panorama of national contexts across Europe, outlining today's crying challenges with an emphasis on good practices;
• identify with the support of the representatives of the EU institutions and European NGOs the role of the European policy in support of the family carers.