At their plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday 7 July, MEPs debated the European Union’s action plan for deinstitutionalisation and the development of family – and community-based care.
The aim – in line with Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – is to guarantee all disabled or dependent persons the right to live in the community, with the same free will as other citizens.
“Living independently is not a luxury, it is a right”, said the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, recalling the commitment of the EU’s 2021-2030 strategy and the guidelines adopted by the Commission in November (see EUROPE 13528/21).
While the MEPs welcomed this ambition, they also pointed to the obstacles that still stand in the way.
“Deinstitutionalisation is not a formal political reform. This is a profoundly human need”, said Eleonora Meleti (EPP, Greek), who called for support for family carers and the professionals involved on a daily basis.
Estelle Ceulemans (S&D, Belgian) stressed that it was urgent to put an end to a system that “hides vulnerable people or locks them up in inhumane conditions”, calling for “paradigm shift and an end to austerity policies”.
“If we are still financing these institutions with European funds, I don’t want to hear any more about how far we have already come”, complained Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/EFA, German).
Catarina Martins (The Left, Portuguese) sounded a similar note: “If the Commission wants to fight institutionalisation, then it should stop funding it”.
As the European strategy enters its second phase, MEPs urged the European Commission to make firm budgetary choices to ensure that autonomy ambitions are realised. They addressed the issues of access to housing, training for carers, inclusion in employment, education and health as areas where inclusion is still lacking.
These demands are in line with those regularly put forward by associations defending the rights of people with disabilities, such as the European Network for Independent Living (ENIL) and the European Disability Forum (EDF) (see EUROPE 13176/23, 13649/4). (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)