World Down Syndrome Day at the European Parliament: From Projects to Policies

Brussels, March 21, 2025 – On March 19, 2025, EU voor trisomie 21 marked World Down Syndrome Day in the European Parliament with a powerful, two-part event titled “From Projects to Policies: Including People with Down Syndrome in Europe.” The day highlighted both the visibility and leadership of individuals with Down syndrome and the need for concrete EU policy action.

The morning began with Coffee & Socks, an awareness initiative by EU voor trisomie 21, hosted inside the Parliament by MEP Miriam Lexmann, who welcomed individuals with Down syndrome to serve coffee in the Forum and Hemicycle Bars. MEPs were invited to join for a coffee and take a photo wearing mismatched socks—a global symbol of inclusion. We thank all the MEPs who stopped by to connect with our servers—including President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

At 11:45 AM, the event officially opened with a ceremony hosted by MEP Miriam Lexmann, who welcomed fellow MEPs and supporters.

The afternoon conference in Room ASP 1H1, co-hosted byMEPs Romana Jerkovic and Paolo Inselvini, brought together a wide range of speakers to explore key issues around inclusion, self-advocacy, health, and EU policy. The first session was co-hosted by Antonio Rosique en Ivan Kos, and featured Fiona and Katrina Lambart, Dinka Vukovic, and MEP Katrin Langensiepen (TBC). The second session, hosted by Marie-Claude Potier, included presentations by Prof. Brigitte Fauroux, Pier Vincenzo Piazza, Guillaume Duriez, and MEP Romana Jerkovic, and concluded with remarks from José Gutiérrez.

Learn more about the projects featured during the event:

• European Self-Advocacy Project Overview

• Respire 21 Project Overview 

• ICOD Project Overview

• GO-DS21 Project Overview

• From Projects to Policies Summary

We thank all the MEPs who participated, spoke, or supported our initiatives. This event was part of our #31DayCelebration campaign and a milestone for the European Self-Advocacy Project, co-funded by Erasmus+.

Together, we are moving from projects to policies—and building a more inclusive Europe.

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