Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'Expert Group on De-Instititionalisation (DI)'.


Ref. Ares(2013)3217522 - 10/10/2013
 
19 January 2010
REGULAR MEETING 
CHLG
Ad Hoc Expert Group on Transition from Institutional to  
Rue Royale 35, Brussels 
Community-based care 
 
 
 
 
Jan Pfeiffer (CHLG, Children’s High Level Group, chairman) 
Linnéa Arvidsson, from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, was welcomed 
Carmen Epure (CHLG) 
Geert Freyhoff (Inclusion Europe) 
Participants:  Silvio Grieco, DG EMPL, Unit G3 - Integration of People with Disabilities  
Josée van Remoortel (Mental Health Europe) 
Céline Simonin (COFACE, Confederation of Family Organisations in the EU) 
Luk Zelderloo (EASPD, European Association of Service Providers) 
Minutes 
Subject 1: Purpose and operation of the Ad Hoc Expert Group on transition from institutional to 
community-based care 
•  The Ad Hoc Expert Group on transition from institutional to community based-care ( “the Group”) remains 
an informal independent structure, focused on the implementation of the Recommendations of the Report 
and mainstreaming de-institutionalisation into relevant EU policies and structural funds;  
•  The strength of the Group consists in bringing together 4 subsectors of the social sector: children, persons 
with disabilities, ageing and mental health sectors. It is a wide cross-sectoral coalition, where families and 
service providers are main stakeholders and that promotes de-institutionalisation as part of creating an 
inclusive society. The members of the Group are maintaining their commitment to work together and CHLG 
was invited to continue acting as a liaison and support organisation, and also in representation capacity. 
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also expressed its commitment to support 
the group. Eurochild is welcome to joining the Group. However it was decided not to further enlarge the 
group for the time being; 
•  European Coalition for Community Living is a cross-disability initiative that promotes community based 
services as an alternative to de-institutionalisation; it brings together disability organisations, academic 
networks and has a coordinating role. ECCL continues to be financed by Open Society Institute only until 
the middle of the year, due to a shift in financing priorities. The important role played by ECCL was 
emphasised. A possible scenario was suggested where the Group could take on some of ECCL’s functions 
for short time if needed. The subject remains opened to further discussion as it is too early to assess the 
situation at this stage;  
•  The Ad Hoc Expert Group is still an initiative in the making, and its members are going to openly explore its 
functions further while keeping a strong focus on the purpose for which it was set.  
 
Subject 2: Current stage of work and further action 
 
An update from Mr. Silvio Grieco: 
•  A new Disability Strategy for 2010-2020 is going to be adopted in July. Between February and March the 
views of the stakeholders will be gathered in a large consultation exercise. De-institutionalisation will be 
included in the Disability Strategy and further contact and work is foreseen with the Group. There are two 
possibilities to involve the Group: 1) to organise a specific meeting (in February/March); 2) to invite one or 
more representatives of the Group at the Stakeholder Workshop to be organised in mid-February. Mr. 
Grieco will later communicate the alternative chosen; 

 
 Ad Hoc Expert Group on Transition from Institutional to Community-based care 

•  However, the purpose of the Group is far more ambitious, it targets all relevant policy fields and structural 
funds. The innovative proposal was to use the positive experience of Bulgaria and raise awareness among 
desk officers dealing with Structural funds in the countries. A more comprehensive awareness-raising effort 
was also envisaged, consisting in a training seminar, where DG REGIO, DG EMPL, AidCo, DG AGRI are 
all present (envisaged for February – March 2010). However at the moment nobody in the EC has taken 
the lead of organising the training seminar;  
•   The Call for proposals on social experimentation is an opportunity to get EC’s support for projects that 
promote de-institutionalisation; the members should consider potential proposals. The limits of the 
definition of “Social experimentation” and the difficulty to propose projects to operate within these limits 
were mentioned. A brief presentation on the social experimentation and previous Call for proposals 
organised by the Commission was made.  
The discussion has focused on the following:  
•  The importance of keeping and boosting the EC’s Commitment on de-institutionalisation at the same time 
with gaining parliamentary support; to carefully consider the role of the European Parliament while keeping 
the ownership of the initiative on de-institutionalisation with the Commission;  
•  Promoting the Report on de-institutionalisation by organising a joint event European Commission -
European Parliament with Commissioner’s support in March 2010.  
Future meetings:  
The next meetings of the Ad Hoc Expert Group are set for:  

9 February, at 14h00;  

2 March, at 10h00.  
Action Points and Conclusions:  
1.  To contact the secretariats of the Parliamentary Intergroups: 1) Disability, 2) Ageing and 
Intergeneration Solidarity; 3) Family and the Rights of the Child and invite them to the next meeting 
of the EU Ad Hoc Group of 9 February 2009 for co-organising the launching event of the Report on 
de-institutionalisation; At the same time to establish contacts with the members of the new 
Cabinets;  
2.  CHLG is mandated by the Group to meet DG REGIO, DG EMPL and other relevant directorates or 
units as well as members of Parliament; 
3.  To raise awareness on de-institutionalisation and the Report at the event organised by Eurochild at 
the Parliament on the theme of children without parental care on 27 January, where Jan Pfeiffer 
and Jan Jarab are panellists; 
4.  Silvio Grieco expressed the wish to involve the Group in the preparation process of the disability 
strategy. The contribution of the Group will be asked either during a focused meeting with the 
Disability Unit or during a general Stakeholder Workshop to be organised by the Disability unit in 
February, where one or more representatives of the Group will be invited; 
5.  To gather ideas from the members of the Group on potential proposals to be submitted under the 
upcoming Call for proposals on social experimentation. 
 
 
 
 

 
 Ad Hoc Expert Group on Transition from Institutional to Community-based care 

Document Outline