The EU calls for strengthening the inclusion of people with disabilities through public procurement

Incorporating people with disabilities is an opportunity to create more diverse, fair and enriching work environments Source: Fundesplai

The European Parliament calls for the use of public procurement and state aid to promote the employment inclusion of people with disabilities and guarantee greater accessibility in public policies.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the European Union strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities after 2024, highlighting the potential of public procurement as a tool to promote the social and labour inclusion of this group. The text was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on 29 April 2026.

The resolution urges the European Commission to develop guidelines and specific support programmes so that member states can better make use of public procurement procedures and state aid to improve access to the labour market for people with disabilities.

Towards a more inclusive employment

The European Parliament argues that these measures should facilitate the transition from sheltered employment to the regular labour market. It also highlights the need to promote good working conditions and guarantee the protection of the labour rights of people who carry out their activity in sheltered environments.

Accessibility, a criterion to take into account

The resolution also calls for accessibility requirements to be integrated into both European Union funding instruments and public procurement practices of administrations.

This approach reinforces the social dimension of public procurement and can generate new opportunities for entities that work in the field of disability, especially in the promotion of labor inclusion and the defense of the rights of this group.

Boosting accessibility and inclusion criteria

For social entities, the resolution consolidates the idea that responsible public procurement can become a strategic tool to move towards a more inclusive society. The European text reinforces the incorporation of social criteria in public policies and opens the door to future measures that favor the participation of people with disabilities in the regular labor market.

If a non-profit organization has questions or needs help with its management, it can access advisory and support services .