On 7 July, at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the European Commission reaffirmed its commitment to promoting independent living for persons with disabilities. Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, stated: “Promoting independent living remains a top priority for me personally and for the Commission as a whole.” 

This strong political signal comes at a pivotal moment. As the Commission prepares the second phase of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, expectations are rising to place deinstitutionalisation (DI) high on the agenda. The Danish government, which holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the next six months, has also included independent living in its programme. 

Commissioner Lahbib highlighted areas where the EU can make a difference. Building on the Guidance on independent living, she highlighted the need to support deinstitutionalisation in the Member States by investing in services, infrastructure and workforce development through Cohesion Policy funds. She also stressed the importance of ensuring full respect of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The Commission will also work to equip care workers with the soft skills needed for person-centred support, and will continue EU-level social dialogue in the care sector. 

The Parliament’s discussion following Commissioner Lahbib’s statement echoed some of EASPD’s advocacy points:   

• Investment in human-sized, community-based structures, to provide personalised support for persons with disabilities. 
• Guarantees of affordable and adapted housing as a driver for deinstitutionalisation. See our contribution to the upcoming European Affordable Housing Plan.  

• A strong European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) with real resources, as advocated in our latest Joint Statement “Keep what works: 8 success factors for a future ESF+”. This statement was led by EASPD and co-signed by 45 European networks.  

As the Commission prepares its next steps towards the second phase of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, EASPD’s Secretariat will be watching closely to see whether Commissioner Lahbib’s commitments are matched with real actions and outcomes.