In Europe there is a growing demand for carers, persons who are in the first line of support for those dependent on care. According the EC Green paper, the demographic dependency ratio will rise from 49% in 2005 to 66% in 2030. (COM 2005: 94)Despite this, there is an important vacuum for carers, from education and training until recognition of formal competencies. Still 75% of dependent persons are cared within the family context, mainly by family members (www.bmsk.gv.at 2007) mostly without basic knowledge in care. In most of European country a current discussion on quality and financing of caring can be observed. Full professional services mostly exceed the financial resouces of the families and the public bodies, partly legalised ways (caring persons from East European countries) challenge juridical system regarding basic standards of laws on labour and social security. Empowering informal carers regarding the quality and efficiency of caring processes has an impact, both on the affordibility of care and the psychological health of carers (e.g. in terms of prevention of burn out).The aim of the project is to set up an education and support system specifically geared toward those looking after people dependent on care, providing answers to informal carer’s needs in their support work as well as for their own emotional well-being. The project will design the content materials according a definition of basic competences for informal carers. These requirements will be discussed together with the coordinator of the running Leonardo da Vinci project “ECL-European Care Licence” that is designing a basic entry certificate in the care sector and that could become recognized and accepted across Europe.The design and production of the training material and the discussion on the requirement for an effective ECL will be carried out by the 4 European universities and expert enterprises that count with several professionals in the health field. These results will be evaluated during an international conference with experts in the caring sector and with experience in development of European competences passports. Partners of the Consortium have been always very active in the research of the care sector and there are several National and European project that will be used as basis for this proposal.