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EUROPEAN NETWORK ON INDEPENDENT LIVING BRUSSELS

ENIL

The European Network on Independent Living is a Europe-wide network advocating for the human rights and social inclusion of disabled people.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Pierfrancesco Maran (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Nov 2025 · EU policies on the rights of persons with disabilities

Meeting with Christoph Nerlich (Head of Unit Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)

6 Nov 2025 · Exchange of views on investments in de-institutionalisation in Bulgaria

Meeting with Hadja Lahbib (Commissioner) and

29 Oct 2025 · Proposals for new actions under the European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Meeting with Angelika Niebler (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Sept 2025 · Schutz von Erwachsenen, Inklusive Gesellschaften

ENIL urges EU to support small grassroots disability groups

5 Sept 2025
Topic — This consultation creates a framework to strengthen engagement and protect European civil society.
Message — The strategy must prioritize participation from small groups over large established organizations. Authorities should facilitate accessibility and cover participation costs for underrepresented voices.12
Why — Small groups would gain influence and funding without sacrificing their activist independence.3
Impact — Large confederations could lose their exclusive control over policy dialogue and resources.4
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Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Director Justice and Consumers)

4 Sept 2025 · Discussion on the second phase of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Meeting with Viktoriya Petrikova-Voeten (Cabinet of Commissioner Marta Kos) and Save the Children Europe and

24 Jun 2025 · Recommendations to the EU on the reform of Ukraine’s child protection and care system

Meeting with Giusi Princi (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for opinion)

7 Apr 2025 · Meeting with ENIL on EU Disability Strategy

Meeting with Jana Toom (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

25 Feb 2025 · Protection of Adults

Meeting with Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Feb 2025 · Rights of people with disabilities and vulnerable adults

Meeting with Krzysztof Śmiszek (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Feb 2025 · Supported decision making

Meeting with Katrin Langensiepen (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Feb 2025 · Legislative disability agenda for this year - focus independent living

Meeting with Catarina Martins (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Oct 2024 · Independent living for disabled people

Meeting with Anabela Rodrigues (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Apr 2024 · Presentation of ENIL electoral manifest

Meeting with Gabriele Bischoff (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Feb 2024 · Austausch zu Rechten von Menschen mit Behinderungen

Response to Ex-post evaluation REC and EfC programmes (2014-2020) and interim evaluation CERV programme (2021-2027)

8 Sept 2023

The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a Europe-wide network of disabled people, with members throughout Europe. ENIL is a forum for all disabled people, Independent Living organizations and their non-disabled allies on the issues of Independent Living. ENIL has benefited from the European Union funding for a number of years and this has enabled the organisation to carry out its core work and expand our activities. We currently have a framework partnership agreement under CERV for 2022 2025. In view of this, we value the opportunity to provide feedback on the Rights, Equality, Citizenship and Values programmes and have the following recommendations to the European Commission: Allocate additional funding to support organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) at the European, national and local level. As stated in the evaluation report, only 10,32% of the available programme was allocated to the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, placing disability on rank five out of ten. By increasing the programme budget, more organisations promoting the rights of persons with disabilities could benefit from funding. Increase grants available to organisations of persons with disabilities, so they can in turn provide better working conditions for the staff mem-bers, many of whom are persons with disabilities. At the moment, wages paid in organisations funded by the EU are considered to be uncompetitive in comparison to salaries paid in comparable public service positions in Belgium but also in other countries. That is not only socially unjust but can create problems in staff retention and the quality of work in the NGO sector. Decrease administrative burden of projects, so that more time can be spent on implementing activities. For example, reduce reporting require-ments during the year, or the need to complete repeated surveys or evalua-tions. Encourage organisations to provide reasonable accommodation to staff and volunteers who require these, by ensuring these can be built into project applications. For example, some staff members may need more time to complete the work, take sick leave more often or require more super-vision. The applicants should be encouraged to take this into consideration, rather than be under pressure to increase the number of activities that will be implemented. Change eligibility of costs to include participating in the activities out-side the EU, when they are necessary for the implementation of the work plan. For example, this includes taking part in meetings organised at the United Nations in Geneva or New York, or other key international fora. These are attended by European Union representatives (European Commis-sion, European Parliament etc.), so the same opportunities should be afford-ed to NGOs. Simplify the application process and decrease the amount of co-funding needed (or eliminate altogether), to encourage more grassroots organi-sations to apply and become successful in obtaining EU funding. Ac-cording to the evaluation report, small grassroots organisations face difficul-ties in securing grants under the programme due to the complex application process and the requirement to secure co-financing is challenging. The Commission could also introduce small scale partnerships, similarly to the Erasmus+ programme, targeting grassroots organisations. Reimburse actual costs, rather than unit costs, and take into considera-tion the extra costs and support needs of persons with disabilities. At the moment, the unit costs do not correspond to the real costs, when it comes to travel, accommodation or subsistence. The rise in the cost of living across Europe has not been reflected at all in the funding rules. On top of that, persons with disabilities requiring accessible accommodation, travelling with personal assistants etc., will incur significantly higher costs, for which there is no additional provision in funding. By not being able to recover all c
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Response to European Disability Card

8 Sept 2023

The European Network on Independent Living ENIL welcomes the European Commissions Proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card (2023/0311 (COD). Both cards will reduce barriers to tourism and travelling for disabled people, improve access to the freedom of move-ment and reduce discrimination. In addition, the Directive represents a limited mutual recognition of disability status and assessment procedures between countries. The proposed cards have an important symbolic value for increased European integra-tion in the area of disability policy. ENIL welcomes that the European Disability Card, as proposed in the Directive, would allow disabled people to access special conditions or preferential treatments with respect to services, activities and facilities in the areas of culture, sports, leisure and transport when visiting other Member States. For example, theatres, cinemas, sports centres or amusement parks might offer free access or reduced tariffs to dis-abled people. Priority access, aids, materials in braille might be provided. The Euro-pean Parking would allow access to parking spaces reserved for disabled people or allow for extended parking. To obtain the cards, a person needs to have disabilities officially recognised in an EU Member State. Issuing the cards is at the discretion of authorities in the Member State that granted the disability status. ENIL welcomes the fact that in the areas described, Member States will be obliged to mutually recognise disability status. This limited recognition of disability status is an important innovation in EU disability policy. ENIL welcomes the fact that compared to the pilot project, accepting the European Disability Card will not be voluntary for public and private providers of services, activ-ities and facilities. If special conditions or preferential treatments are offered to hold-ers of a disability status granted within the same country, the same conditions and treatments have to be offered to holders of a European Disability Card, originating from a different EU Member State. Offering special conditions and preferential treatments to disabled people in general will remain at the discretion of providers and subject to national rules. ENIL welcomes the provision of common rules and conditions governing the issu-ance of the European Parking Card for disabled people and the common template to be applied by all Member States. These changes should ensure that the European Parking Card will indeed be recognised in cross-border situations. Currently, Mem-ber States are issuing different types of European Parking Cards, leading to lack of such cross-border recognition. ENIL regrets that there will be no attempt to ensure access to disability specific benefits and services such as personal assistance, housing support or reasonable accommodations in education or at work. It is unfortunate that there will be no at-tempt to coordinate disability definitions and disability assessment procedures. Hold-ers of a European Disability Card will thus be excluded from benefits and services needed if they wish to stay in another Member State for a longer period of time. In such cases, the disabled person will have to undergo the national disability assess-ment procedure of the host country. To access personal assistance, the national eligibility procedure will have to be passed. ENIL considers that the proposed European Disability Card will not substantially improve the freedom of movement of disabled people but understands that there is currently no political majority among the Member States to coordinate disability ser-vices and benefits, as it is done in respect of other benefits under directive 883/2004 (on the coordination of social security systems). Therefore, disabled people will continue facing significant challenges in accessing the required support and services when moving from one Member State to another.
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Meeting with Tilly Metz (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

16 Feb 2023 · Stakeholder Exchange on COVID

Response to European Disability Card

6 Jan 2023

The European Network on Independent Living welcomes the initiative to introduce a European Disability Card. The European Disability Card must not only facilitate, but legally and de-facto achieve the mutual recognition of disability status between EU Member State. Disability status granted anywhere in the EU must be automatically recognised by the Member State in which a disabled person takes up residence. Such recognition must grant access to all benefits and services available to holders of nationally granted disability status. The full portability of disability status must in-volve the full portability of access to personal assistance. To make this possible, we advocate for a comprehensive reform and harmonisation of national procedures for the recognition of disabilities and assessments for eligibility for and need of personal assistance. Procedures and assessments need be fully brought in line with the UNCRPD and the General Comments. Recognition of the European Disability Card needs to be legally binding for providers of services in the areas of culture, leisure, sports and transportation to the same degree as recognition of a national disability card is compulsory in a given country. Holders of a European Disability Card must be granted the same preferential access conditions as holders of a nationally granted disability card.
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Meeting with Stelios Kympouropoulos (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

1 Apr 2022 · European Care Strategy

Response to Proposal for a Council Recommendation on long-term care

29 Mar 2022

The European Network on Independent Living - ENIL welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for the European Care Strategy, as means of ensuring improved access to community-based support and services for all persons with support needs, as well as improved early childhood education and care for children (ECEC). Our response to the Call for Evidence - see attachment - focuses on the long-term care component of the initiative, rather than ECEC. The aim of our submission is to ensure full compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in particular the right to live independently and being included in the community, ratified by the European Union and all Member States.
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Meeting with Eva Gerhards (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli), Silvan Agius (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli) and

22 Mar 2021 · Exchange of Views on the Transition from institutional to Community-based Care.

Response to Union of Equality: European Disability Rights Strategy

12 Nov 2020

The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a Europe-wide network of disabled people, with members throughout Europe. ENIL is a forum for all disabled people, Independent Living organisations and their non-disabled allies on the issues of Independent Living. ENIL represents the disability movement for human rights and social inclusion based on solidarity, peer support, deinstitutionalisation, democracy, self-representation, cross disability and self-determination. ENIL’s mission is to advocate and lobby for Independent Living values, principles and practices, namely for barrier-free environment, provision of personal assistance support and adequate technical aids, together making full citizenship of disabled people possible. The recent European Commission’s Roadmap on the 2021-2030 Disability Strategy rightly states that “all persons with disabilities have a right to decent quality of life and to living independently”. The right to Independent Living, as defined in Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD) and General Comment 5, is key for unlocking the full enjoyment of Human Rights for disabled people across Europe. Recognising the right of disabled people to control their lives and have equal and real choices on where, with whom and how to live is a prerequisite for full inclusion. Against this background, the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL), highlights 3 essential shifts which are crucial for a successful post 2020 European Disability Strategy (EDS). First, the shift from segregation to inclusion; secondly, the shift from disabled subjects to disabled citizens; and finally, the shift from integration to human rights. Within each of these shifts, this position paper will identify concrete actions to advance the right to independent living and the other specific goals set out in the roadmap. For additional information, please contact: Frank Sioen, Advocacy and Policy Coordinator, ENIL, frank.sioen@enil.eu
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Meeting with Nora Bednarski (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli), Silvan Agius (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli) and Disability Rights International

29 Jan 2020 · DRI and ENIL's views on EU disability policy and deinstitutionalisation.

Meeting with Baudouin Baudru (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen) and European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities and

24 Apr 2018 · MFF

Meeting with Sarah Nelen (Cabinet of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and AGE Platform Europe and Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union

24 Mar 2017 · Work-Life Balance