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Parliamentary question - E-003765/2015Parliamentary question
E-003765/2015

Personal assistance for persons with disabilities

Question for written answer E-003765-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Tonino Picula (S&D)

Children and adults with disabilities account for 15% of our population. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRDP) recognises the right of all persons with disabilities to live independently and to be included in the community, with choices equal to others. However, those choices are very often limited owing to a lack of organised support and assistance.

While personal assistance is mentioned as a right in Article 19 of the CRDP, in a large number of Member States the provision of such services falls within the competence of municipalities and local authorities, which are often unable to support it financially, or service providers, which are not affordable to patients.

1. What funds does the Commission intend to use in order to ensure that persons with disabilities are granted access to personal assistants?

2. Structural Funds are considered one of the primary EU financial instruments for implementing the CRPD and should be used to facilitate transition from institutional care to community-based care in Member States. In what way could Structural Funds be used to provide personal assistance to persons with disabilities?