News Details

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council conclusions - 2 December

Updated : 07/02/2025

The image contains the logo of the Council of the European Union. The design includes a stylized graphic element, with gray horizontal lines. On its right side is the flag of the European Union, followed by the text

At the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council meeting on 2 December 2024, Labour Ministers endorsed, under the Hungarian Presidency, the Council Conclusions on promoting the social inclusion of persons with disabilities through employment, reasonable accommodation and rehabilitation “Council Conclusions on fostering social inclusion of persons with disabilities through employment, reasonable accommodation and rehabilitation”.

The conclusions continue the momentum of recent developments at EU level related to the rights of persons with disabilities, including the recently adopted directives on the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities.

The EU Disability Strategy recognises the importance of quality jobs to ensure that persons with disabilities are independent and can maintain a decent quality of life. In addition, employers also benefit from the employment of persons with disabilities, as diversity in workplaces can have a positive impact on workers’ performance and productivity.

However, 2021 data show that only around half of persons with disabilities and aged 20-64 were in employment, compared to almost three quarters of persons without disabilities, with women with disabilities being particularly affected. In addition, both women and men with disabilities earn on average less money than non-disabled women and men.

The Council highlighted the benefits of participation in employment as a way to facilitate the social inclusion of persons with disabilities.

To this end, the Council invited Member States to promote the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, in particular by:

✓ taking measures, including setting national employment targets, to improve the employment rates of persons with disabilities;

✓ promoting a non-discriminatory approach in policies that takes account of individual needs;

✓ strengthening and promoting access to social and support services;

✓ promoting employment in the open labour market, including by promoting equal treatment and supporting flexible working arrangements;

✓ strengthening, where necessary, national reasonable accommodation frameworks;

✓ the development and improvement of rehabilitation services;

✓ Improved data collection and exchange of best practices.