EDF Statement on a ‘Social Investment Package’
to the European Council
22-23 November 2012
The economic crisis is now
a human rights crisis
·
Whereas 80 million persons with disabilities live in the
European Union (16% of the population), and that one in four Europeans has a family member with
a disability;
·
Acknowledging
that persons with disabilities and their families have been hit
disproportionately hard by the crisis leading to the worsening of their living
conditions and endangering their social
rights, including cuts in benefits and services;
·
Regretting that the economic crisis hit the most
vulnerable citizens across Europe, which are at higher risk of poverty and
discrimination.
·
Deploring
the lack of long term vision of national reforms focused on immediate
increasing tax burden hitting in particular low and middle income, as jeopardizing
social services, and thereby undermining the European social model based on
social inclusion;
·
Recalling
that investing in welfare plays an important role in stabilising incomes and
protecting the most vulnerable groups at times of crisis;
·
Acknowledging
that recovery measures have up to now neglected the important contribution for
growth and employment that could be brought by persons with disabilities
themselves and by the development of services which they receive and manage;
·
Recalling
that all the EU member states are parties to the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and that they have a legally binding
obligation to progressively improve, in a systematic way, universal access to
essential goods and to services such as
healthcare, education, housing and social security as well as to ensure just
and favourable working conditions, without any discrimination, in accordance
with established international norms;
·
Highlighting
that the EU and its Member States have sealed a strong Pact with citizens with
disabilities by signing and ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities;
·
Remembering
that persons with disabilities do not enjoy human rights on an equal basis as
others despite the adoption of the UN CRPD, but yet they are subject to the
same obligations as any other citizen;
·
Stressing
the moral obligations that fall upon the European Union after winning the Nobel
Peace Prize 2012, for the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and
for democracy and human rights;
·
Noting the
EU commitment to making the EU a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy
through the delivery of high level employment, productivity and social
cohesion;
·
Acknowledging
however how far away reality is from this vision and the Europe 2020 Strategy targets;
·
Stigmatising
the limited references, both in the Annual Growth Survey and the National
Reform Programmes, to policy actions to promote the rights of persons with
disabilities;
Noting that the
upcoming European Council on 22 - 23 November will focus on the
Multiannual Financial Framework, the European Disability Forum calls on:
- the
European Council,
- the
European Commission,
- the
European Parliament,
- the
European Central Bank,
- and
all the heads of State and Government:
·
To adopt a
strong multiannual financial framework that includes social investments in
order to overcome the current economic and social crisis and to produce long
term investments including adequately resourced Structural Funds and accessible
public procurement procedures;
·
To ensure
that the future structural funds regulation sets among its priorities
accessibility, capacity building and full and equal participation of persons
with disabilities and their representative organisations, as well as capacity
building;
·
To invest
in research that actively involves persons with disabilities that will boost
access of goods, infrastructure and services for persons with disabilities producing
benefits to all EU citizens and developing the potential of EU SMEs;
·
To support
investment in accessible Trans-European Networks and Infrastructure projects;
·
To develop
a 'Social Investment Package' founded on human rights and non-discrimination principles;
·
To base
the above 'Social Investment Package' on a long term programme investing in
social policy and services that will help building a more inclusive,
participative and prosperous society;
·
To
integrate the 'Social Investment Package' within Europe 2020 Strategy through
specific measures to protect and promote rights of citizens with disabilities. To
ensure that period at this time of crisis the European Union meeting its
obligations as a State Party to the UN CRPD
·
To
recognize and implement the right of persons with disabilities to adequate
resources and support by means of
consistent and comprehensive measures to fight social exclusion;
·
To tackle
poverty and social exclusion by labour market attainment through investing in
labour participation of persons with disabilities, including those who require
more intensive support as well as those with psychosocial disabilities, also using state aids for employment and
training;
·
To provide
adequate support for persons with disabilities to enter or re-enter and
maintain employment in a way that best relates to their capacity to work;
·
To invest
in social protection measures to compensate
for lack of work-related income ensuring affordable access to healthcare
and long-term care as well as support to families to ensure the choice of daily living and personal
assistance arrangements;
·
To include
non-discrimination and accessibility for persons with disabilities as priority
areas in the 2013 Annual Growth Survey, which should be translated into policy
actions in the National Reform Programmes;
·
To take a
strong political decision to put in place all necessary instruments and
guarantees that will effectively protect persons with disabilities from the consequences
of the economic crisis.
·
To support
the Social Protection Floor, as developed by the International Labor
Organisation, which sets “core human
rights obligations” including inter alia
the provision of essential social transfers, in cash and in-kind, to persons
with disabilities, which are at higher risk of poverty than non-disabled
citizens, as well as the provision of a minimum income security and the access
to essential support services including health care, taking into account the
specific language needs of certain groups;
·
To put in
place a system of social guarantees as defined by the UN and the World Bank,
through the development of a concrete operational framework for the design and
monitoring of public and private services according to principles of equity and
redress, including the realization of social and economic rights of persons
with disabilities;
·
To develop
specific indicators on disability and the collection of consistent data in
order to achieve a better knowledge of the social groups affected by the consequences
of the crisis in order to develop customized solutions.
