Help us produce a Roadmap on Independent Living, outlining a plan for an EU directive on personal budgets.
In 2022, ENIL members joined the Task Force on Independent Living to jointly produce our input to the European Commission Guidance on Independent Living. We used ENIL’s proposal to lobby Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and Member State governments. Recently, this Guidance was published and we can proudly say that our work paid off. The Guidance to Member States and countries outside the European Union has been decisively influenced by ENIL.
The outcome of the 2022 IL Task Force
The Commission chose to link its recommendations to the spending of EU Funds. The Guidance applies the definition of institutions set out in the Guidelines on Deinstitutionalisation, including in emergencies. It clearly states that authorities which manage EU funding are supposed to invest in personal budgets, personal assistance and other services conducive to Independent Living such as housing, peer support or income support.
The document was published as a Commission Notice. It is the first time the European Commission issued an official statement, expressing itself in favour of Independent Living. Some managing authorities have expressed interest in the document and might follow it voluntarily. Unfortunately, it is not binding. Also, it doesn’t say anything on how Member States or other countries are to spend funding from their own budgets.
The work needs to continue
For that reason, we need to keep going. Now that we have a helpful Commission Notice on Independent living, we want to continue our work and make an even bigger impact.
Personal budgets hold enormous potential for the expansion of community-based services. They are the primary option to provide disabled people with the resources to purchase personal assistance, because they enable choice and control. If personal budgets allow for the purchase of other services along the 12 pillars of Independent Living, disabled people who might require additional services or other services than personal assistance can benefit too.
The relaunch of the Task Force on Independent Living
At the moment, some countries or regions have personal budgets, others do not. Also, standards vary substantially. It is time to end this patchwork and make sure personal budgets are available everywhere at a high standard.
To achieve this, we will be asking the European Union to adopt a directive on the personal budget, ensuring cash allocations exist everywhere and work according to the highest standard.
We want to pave the way for such a directive by producing a proposal for a draft law. We want to do this together with our members which is why we are relaunching our Task Force on Independent Living.
A roadmap on Independent Living
We will not be able to complete this task within one year, since many questions need to be taken into account. Which countries have personal budgets already and how are they functioning there? What are the strengths and pitfalls? How do they need to be designed to be in line with the UN CRPD? How can they fit within the EU legal order?
To start tackling those questions, we will produce a Roadmap on Independent Living in 2025. The work on producing a draft directive on personal budgets will continue in 2026.
We will hold three joint sessions in which we will talk to experts and discuss among each other. For example, we will explore how personal budgets should be set up, which services should be purchasable and what to take into account when it comes to legal matters.
By joining the Task Force on Independent Living, you can contribute to this process. Our Task Force is open to members of ENIL. You can be an individual member or be affiliated to one of our organisational members.
To join, fill out this application form*
*The application will be open until the 17th of January.
When joining, you should be committed to participate in all three meetings of the Task Force and participate actively.
The Task Force on Independent Living is being run by our policy coordinator, Florian. For questions, send him an email to florian.sanden@enil.eu.
