A European initiative on independent living and inclusion in the community. 4 May 2023, 16:00-18:00, at European Parliament, Brussels Belgium. By ENIL, EPP Group and Co-funded by the European Union

This event will take place on the occasion of the European Independent Living Day 2023. It is hosted by Member of the Parliament (MEP) Stelios Kympouropoulos. This event aims to hold a discussion between members of the European Parliament, members of the European Commission and various disability organisations about independent living in the European Union.


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Background Note


We are in the process of the implementation of the European Commissions´ key policy framework on disability, the European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 (ESRPD). A key deliverable of the ESRPD is the publication of Guidance to Member States on Independent Living. The European Network on Independent Living, ENIL; is Europe-wide network of disabled people , advocating for services and legislation that support Independent Living. As such we have prepared detailed recommendations to strengthen this policy initiative and support the implementation of the ESPRD und the UNCRPD. Our recommendations provide concrete suggestions for policy change in the fields of 1. Deinstitutionalization, 2. Personal Assistance, 3. Employment and income, 4. Healthcare, 5. Housing, 6. Assistive devices, 7. Disability Assessments. We will work with policy makers to put our recommendations into practice.


Agenda


  16:00Welcome to the event and introduction to the topic   Stelios Kympouropoulos, MEP Nadia Hadad, Co-Chair ENIL  
16:10Nora BEDNARSKI Member of Commissioner Dalli’s cabinet in charge of the rights of persons with disabilities 
16:20Stock taking of situation in Member States and steps they need to take – Example 1 Spain Cesar Gimenez (member of Task Force)  
16:30Stock taking of situation in Member States and steps they need to take –  – Example 2 Belgium Katrijn Ruts, Policy Advisor, GRIP vzw
16:40ENIL’s Proposal for the European Commission Guidelines on Independent Living Florian Sanden, ENIL Policy Coordinator
16:50 Independent Living and the EP resolution “Towards Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities” – Recommendations to member states Anne-Sophie Pellier, MEP The Left
17:00Independent living through resolutions and Guidance? What can the European Parliament do to advance disability rights. Katrin Langensiepen, MEP, the Greens (TBC)
17:10Comments from the European Commission Katarina Ivanković-Knežević, Director of European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion  
17:20Questions to the speakers and discussion
17:50Closing Remarks Stelios Kympouropoulos, MEP

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This event has received funding from the European Union.