11/09/2026 Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Europe is facing its “largest cohort of veterans since the Second World War”, mainly as a result of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, which has created more than two million veterans, PACE’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development has said. The committee stressed that strong veteran policies are essential for protecting human rights, dignity, social cohesion and stability.
Adopting the draft resolution based on the report by Lesia Zaburanna (Ukraine, ALDE), the committee called on European countries to act now to develop and co-ordinate comprehensive, whole-of-life support for veterans and their families, covering physical and mental health, rehabilitation, employment, education, housing, social protection and recognition.
Among other measures, the committee called on member states to guarantee a comprehensive minimum support package, including a recovery period of at least three years following discharge from military service, establish a single national contact point for veterans, develop digital single-window services ecosystem and veterans’ registries, and provide dedicated funding for mental health and trauma services, prosthetics and rehabilitation.
The committee also urged states to facilitate veterans’ return to work, ensure the portability of veterans’ rights across borders and provide specialised support for former prisoners of war and survivors of torture. It called for strengthened international co-operation. It called on member states to support Ukraine in consolidating its veteran system.
The report is due to be debated by the full Assembly on 30 September during its forthcoming plenary session jointly with Jan Filip Libicki’s report on “The need for systemic support to Ukrainian soldiers who became disabled as a result of hostilities”.