On 15 March 2023, the European Parliament approved a text calling on the European Commission to propose legislation establishing an adequate minimum income in the European Union. The Parliament has outlined its views on the need to modernise and strengthen national minimum income schemes in EU countries, noting that an EU directive on an adequate minimum income would make minimum income schemes more accessible and effective. In addition, the text calls for countries to regularly evaluate and updates their national schemes to ensure an adequate level of support that reflects the national at-risk-of-poverty (AROPE) threshold, to establish a social safety net guaranteeing a minimum standard of living.
In relation to disabilities, the text:
• Recognises increasing poverty gaps for persons with disabilities in the EU
• Highlights the extra cost of living and insufficient social security support for persons with disabilities
• Calls on the Commission to provide Member States with more flexible resources to help reduce the unemployment rate among persons with disabilities and other excluded communities.
The text was adopted with 336 votes in favour, 174 against and 121 abstentions. The full text is available at:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0076_EN.html
