“This Guidance gives a very clear message to Member States and managing authorities that we need to be more ambitious.” Lilith Alink, Policy Officer, EASPD.

EU funds must support deinstitutionalisation across Europe. That was the motto of the first reactions webinar organised jointly by EASPD, the European Disability Forum (EDF), the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL), Inclusion Europe, COFACE Families Europe and Eurochild. On 11 December, we presented and discussed the European Commission’s newly published Guidance on Independent Living and Inclusion in the Community.

Released on 20 November, the Guidance outlines actionable recommendations for Member States to facilitate the transition from institutional care to community-based support, ensuring independent living of persons with disabilities through the effective utilisation of EU funds.

Following EASPD’s press release on the Guidance, the event successfully brought together over 90 participants which unanimously shared positive feedback, welcoming the Guidance’s clarity, comprehensive approach, and strong commitment to the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

EDF described the content as “very promising, in line with the UNCRPD”. ENIL highlighted the value of the self-assessment tool included in the Guidance, which offers practical support for monitoring project compliance with the UNCRPD. Eurochild, underlined the complementary of the Guidance with existing EU policies on childcare, such as the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the EU Child Guarantee.Meanwhile, COFACE Families Europe stressed its transformative potential if followed by public authorities, schools, workplaces, care and support services, and civil society. In this regard, the Guidance is a vital resource for service providers as it provides a comprehensive overview of what independent living and inclusion in the community means for people with disabilities and other age groups, such as the elderly. It is an instrument that can be helpful in national and regional advocacy efforts to public authorities for the transition towards person-centred, community-based services for persons with disabilities.

Despite the optimism, the speakers stressed the need for concrete actions from Member States and managing authorities. While not legally binding, the European Commission must monitor the implementation of this Guidance to ensure that EU funds effectively support independent living initiatives. Inclusion Europe notably recalled that the Guidance suggests that countries develop a deinstitutionalisation strategy with clear timelines, needs-based analysis, staff training, time targets, indicators, and dedicated financial resources, including funds for individual independent living plans.

The European Commission acknowledged that it is still too early to define specific actions stemming from the Guidance but reaffirmed its commitment to disability inclusion and rights. They further recalled that Commissioner for Equality, Lahbib clarified that the focus of the new Commission will remain on inclusion through employment and independent living, with key deliverables still under development in these areas.

What’s next? Moving forward, it is critical to widely disseminate the guidance and ensure its uptake. Additionally, we will push for the sharing and publication of the practices which had been collected by the European Commission and inspired the development of the guidance. Looking ahead, we will also advocate for the inclusion of the Guidance in the funding regulations of the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034).

Our work for independent living and inclusion in the community continues! Together, we need to ensure that EU funds drive meaningful change in the lives of persons with disabilities across Europe.