Towards a common approach for autism in Europe
April 23 @ 15 h 00 min - 17 h 00 min
When: 23 April 2025, 15.00 – 17.00
Where: European Parliament room JAN6Q1, Brussels
In September 2024, the European Commission President announced a commitment to work towards a ‘common approach’ to autism at the EU level as indicated in the portfolio of the European Commissioner for Health. It echoes Autism-Europe’s longstanding call for a coordinated and strategic response to address the needs of autistic people at EU, national and regional levels. The European Parliament has also expressed support, with the adoption in 2023 of a resolution to harmonise the rights of autistic people across Europe. In April 2025, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) also issued concluding observations calling for further action at the EU-level to realise the rights of autistic people.
It is, therefore, a timely opportunity to reflect on the needs of the autism community as well as take stock of major initiatives at the EU level, such as AIMS-2 Trials (the largest autism research grant awarded). AIMS-2-TRIALS is an ongoing 15-year international collaborative research programme, funded by public private partnership that brings together academic institutions, representatives of the autism community and industry partners from across Europe and beyond. The overall goal of the project is to improve health outcomes and wellbeing for autistic people by matching therapies to individual needs. The project has also surveyed the more general needs of the autism community, notably regarding access to services.
During this high-level conference, co-organised with Autism-Europe and hosted under the auspices of the Disability Intergroup, autism community representatives and researchers will share insights about the priorities and needs of autistic people across Europe. We want to initiate a dialogue between key stakeholders about necessary next strategic steps for investment in policy and research, services and infrastructure to improve the lives of autistic people across the European Union.