The European Commission has published in March of 2021 the long-awaited European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, which aims to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights by 2025.

In light of the recently published document, the EEG has written a reaction highlighting the progress brought up by the Action Plan in bringing people out of institutional care, as well as the points in which the Plan could has aimed at more ambitious targets.

An important point to raise is that the Action Plan does not include any reference to the continuation of deinstitutionalisation. Given that more than 1,4 million people still live in institutions, the EEG calls for the continuation of the processes of transition from institutional to family and community-based care.

The Action Plan touches upon several areas that are connected to deinstitutionalisation, namely employment, annual training of staff, and poverty and social exclusion, the work-life balance, homelessness and investments in health and care workforce.

As for the Revised Social Scoreboard, the EEG welcomes indicators regarding the ‘disability employment gap’, the ‘housing cost overburden’, and ‘the at-risk-of-poverty rate or exclusion for children (0—17) indicator’. We regret, however, that a ‘deinstitutionalisation indicator’ has not been added to the Action Plan.

The EEG will keep its commitment to monitor and assess both the implementation of the Action Plan as well as the use of EU funds. We want to ensure no money is spent on building new institutions or ‘greening’ existing institutions for adults and children. Rather, social rights will be fulfilled by the development and the deployment of qualitative affordable, accessible community-based services.

Read the full statement here.