European Commission unveils Enhanced EU Disability Strategy

European Commission unveils Enhanced EU Disability Strategy

On 6 May, the European Commission published the Communication* “Enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030”. This Communication sets out new actions within the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. 

The European Commission also published a Mid-term report of the Union fo Equality Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 evaluating the progress achieved in the first five years (2021-2025) of the European Disability Strategy.

EPR welcomes the initiatives included in the Enhanced Disability Strategy, namely:

• The upcoming publication of the framework for social services of excellence for persons with disabilities, to which EPR provided feedback in the past (EPR input to the framework of social services of excellence for persons with disabilities available here). However, no information has been provided about the timing of publication of the Framework, which has been delayed since 2024.
• Initiatives under the EU Alliance on Independent Living, which includes setting up an alliance of policymakers and stakeholders to facilitate the creation of national and local centres for independent living; monitoring the deinstitutionalisation process in Member States and providing a cost-benefit analysis and conducting an independent living implementation dialogue.
• The revamped Disability Employment Package, with, potentially**, legislation to “support the activation of persons excluded from the labour market”, upcoming guidances and studies addressing supported employment, AI and assistive technologies at the work place, transitions from education to employment, employment of women with disabilities, reasonable accommodation, national employment targets for persons with disabilities, and a cost-benefit analysis of employment of persons with disabilities. EPR looks forward to contributing with our members’ expertise.
• Work on social protection, including collecting data on the extra cost of living with a disability.
• Initiatives on AI and assistive technologies, including an EU-level dialogue to facilitate ‘from lab to market’ transitions of technologies; and a study to assess obstacles to accessing assistive technologies and AI for persons with disabilities.
• On access to education we welcome the 2027 action on accessibility in higher education and for the 2030 Roadmap on the future of digital education and skills to consider accessibility.
• We welcome the actions linked to the Preparedness Union Strategy, including accessible guidance on what to do in an emergency and training for first responders, on which EPR has provided feedback, as well as the gaps analysis and stakeholder mapping of the situation of persons with disabilities in terms of disaster response and preparedness.
• Intersectionality is included in the communication although the recently published Gender Equality Strategy does not reference directly women and girls with disabilities. This makes it unclear how they will interact.
• We welcome the Union of Equality Campaign to raise awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities. 

Nevertheless, some key aspects are missing from the communication:

• Funding: Without a standalone and strong European Social Fund, it will be difficult to materialize many of the objectives included in this Disability Strategy. 
• The Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee has not been included within the flagship initiatives, which is a missed opportunity to further ensure that persons with disabilities are fully supported in accessing employment, education and training opportunities.
• We would have liked to see a stronger link between the Disability Strategy and the Union of Skills, to ensure that all actions of the Union of Skills consider the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
• Although the Communication mentions that “Commission will seek to consider the occupational safety and health risks faced by workers with disabilities in the forthcoming Quality Jobs Act proposal”, the Quality Jobs Act risks not to address ensuring quality jobs for persons with disabilities, since only Social Partners have been included in consultations.
• Revamping the Equal Treatment Directive (in negotiation in council for more than a decade), has not been included in the new actions, and has only been addressed in the mid-term report of the Strategy. This is a missed opportunity to ensure EU-wide protection against discrimination beyond employment.

* An EU Commission Communication is a non-binding policy instrument that can take many forms: it may include policy evaluations, commentary or explanations of action-programmes or brief outlines on future policies or arrangements concerning details of current policy. 

** The Communication does not explicitly state that a Directive or Regulation will be published. Instead, it states “the Commission will consult European social partners on the possible direction of EU action to support the activation of persons excluded from the labour market”. Under Article 154 TFEU, the Commission must consult EU-level social partners in two stages before proposing legislation in the employment or social policy field. The first-stage consultation asks social partners about the possible direction of EU action—which is exactly the wording you quoted. If the Commission concludes that EU action is needed, it can then launch a second-stage consultation on the content of a possible initiative. If social partners do not decide to negotiate an agreement themselves, the Commission may proceed with preparing a legislative proposal. More information available here.

More information about the Enhanced Disability Strategy available here.