Deinstitutionalisation and community care development have been absent from the public debate for quite some time. The process initiated in the 1960s in more developed European countries has been considered as complete and dropped as a priority. However, the European Year of People with Dissabilities in 2003 brought institutional care back into the European agenda. Three major research projects commissioned afterwards left no doubt about the current situation: big residential services are still common in Europe.

Consequently, the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations’ General Assembly in 2006, and its ratification by the majority of the EU member states, proved that there is a shared belief among Europeans that everyone ‘has the right to live independently and be included in the community’ (art.19).

Additionally, the Charter on Fundamental Rights of the EU, agreed in 2000 entered into force on December 1st 2009, guarantees equality among EU citizens and everybody’s right to independent living in their community.

The implementation of these rights has not been accomplished so far. Recent reports published by Eurochild and Mental Health Europe provide more detailed information about the numbers of children and mentally ill still residing in institutions.

The ESN Members’ survey in 2009 showed that people with intellectual disabilities or mental health problems, children and older people, are often living in large institutions with an average capacity of 120 residents.

Aware of the continuing and troubling prevalence of large institutions, former European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Špidla, set up an ad-hoc group which presented a report in October 2009. The report highlights the ”partial and fragmented” nature of available data and calls on the European Commission to work with Member States to address the issue of institutional care reform without further delay.

ESN supports the transition from institutional to community care and is working with its members to deliver change. Read about the discussions of the ESN working group on Developing Community Care at their working meetings in Brighton, Dublin, Venice and Sofia.