How The European Union Can Help People With Disabilities

Written by Liz Lynne MEP and published in Report to the European Union on Wed 18th Sep 2002

Liz Lynne MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament All-Party Disability Intergroup and Rapporteur for the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 sets out what the European Union does to help people with disabilities.

HOW THE EU CAN EFFECT CHANGE

Between them, the Council of Ministers and European Parliament agree directives to which all Member States must conform. These directives cover a wide range of areas from social policy to employment rights, consumer rights to the environment and most of them affect disabled people to a lesser or greater degree. So the EU has it within its power to greatly affect the daily lives of people with disabilities.

Some directives are better than others and they depend on close scrutiny.

THE ALL-PARTY DISABILITY INTERGROUP

Liz Lynne is vice-chair of the European Parliament Disability Intergroup, an informal grouping of MEPs from all nationalities and major political groups which aims at mainstreaming the rights of disabled people in all EU legislation. The Intergroup works closely with the European Disability Forum, the umbrella organisation for disabled people's NGO's across the EU. It holds regular meetings on different topics (transport, free movement, EU building standards, civil society) and coordinates the activity of the MEPs.

RIGHTS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE EU

Article 13 from the Treaty of Amsterdam gave for the first time to the EU the competence to take appropriate action to combat discrimination on grounds of disability, among others. Liz Lynne was the Liberal Democrat shadow for the Directive on discrimination in employment, the first EU legislation to provide specific rights to disabled people. It covers direct and indirect discrimination and promotes the notion of reasonable accommodation for disabled people in the work environment. The Directive is due to be implemented by Member States in their national legislation by 2003, with a possible extension of 3 years. The UK has announced that it plans to implement the directive in 2004. In her report on the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003, Liz asked the Commission to present during the year a proposal for a directive specific for disabled people's rights.

Liz Lynne also drafted the opinion of the Employment Committee on the Action Programme to combat discrimination. The programme was aimed at providing Community support for projects examining the reasons for discrimination, not only related to employment and to raise awareness of the Community action against discrimination.

The European Parliament adopted a report on the Commission Communication "Towards a Barrier-free Europe for People with Disabilities", a non-binding commitment made by the European commission to promote initiatives across Europe which contribute to a barrier free environment for disabled people. Up to 46 concrete proposals have been included, ranging from various modes of transport, access to build environment, access to the Information society.

Liz Lynne was the ELDR shadow for the EU Strategy against social exclusion and poverty. This was aimed at gathering statistical indicators to measure social exclusion in each country and to provide relevant information regarding the situation of disabled people.

SPECIFIC ISSUES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

Transport

Following a long battle over many years, the EU finally adopted the "Buses and Coaches" Directive, which included amendments from Liz Lynne. It requires obligatory fitting of ramps or lifts to all urban buses operating in the EU. The directive also includes provisions such as priority seating for persons with reduced mobility, space for a guide dog in the vehicle and provisions for colour contrasting for visually impaired persons. Member States are now required to implement the terms of the directive, by 13 February 2004.

The EU is also active in the field of air passenger rights, urban transport, maritime transports, railway where different working groups, which now include the representatives of disabled people's organisations have been set up to complement and ensure the implementation of the legislation in this field.

Products Designed for All

On 17 January 2002, the European Parliament approved at first reading the integration of social criteria, such as the employment of disabled people, in the award criteria for public authorities when they purchase products and services. Liz Lynne tabled amendments to this directive and the Parliament voted in favour of ensuring Design for All requirements in the technical specifications of products and services to be tendered. Public procurement market represents 14% of the EU Gross Domestic Product (1 billion Euras). It has great economical relevance and could have huge potential impact on employment and integration of discriminated and disadvantaged groups into the labour market.

The Information Society: ensuring access for all

The European Parliament also adopted a non-binding report calling on all public websites of the EU institutions and Member States to comply with the internationally acknowledged Web Accessibility Initiatives Guidelines by 2003. In the conclusions of the Telecommunications and Information Society Council held in February 2002, the Ministers specifically called for the accessibility to all kinds of electronic services for people with disabilities and elderly people.

The Framework regulation on Telecommunications Directive included recognition of the need for closer co-operation between network operators and terminal equipment manufacturers, in order to facilitate access by disabled users to electronic communication and telecommunication services. In addition, increased emphasis was placed on the need to ensure equality of access, choice, price and quality for disabled users. It also secured greater emphasis to the access needs of disabled users in general such as access to public telephones and emergency services.

Tourism

The European Parliament organised in February 2002 a public hearing on Tourism to respond to the European Commission strategy paper "working together for the future of European Tourism". It is important that the criteria for defining accessibility of tourist accommodation and facilities are harmonised across Europe.

HUMAN RIGHTS

The European Union can have much more influence than Member States alone in ensuring the rights of disabled people are respected all over the world.

An initiative on a UN convention for the Rights of Disabled People was formally launched in November 2001. The European Union can play an important role in this Convention.

The European Union must also ensure that the rights of disabled people are respected in candidate countries. Liz Lynne put forward amendments to the Parliament Report on the progress towards accession highlighting the particular problems of disabled people in each applicant country. These problems must be addressed before formal accession.

EUROPEAN YEAR OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 2003

On 3 December, the Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs unanimously adopted the Commission proposal to declare 2003 the European Year of People with Disabilities.

A 12 million Euro budget was approved for the Year to finance wide-ranging involvement and initiatives. &euro4 million will serve to finance preparatory activities for the Year, in 2002. 8 million Euro will finance projects and activities in 2003.

Liz Lynne drafted the opinion of the Parliament on this decision, unanimously adopted by the MEPs. The report underlined the importance of the representation of disabled people's organisation in all the committees and bodies set up to co-ordinate and organise the European Year.

The European Year of People with Disabilities will be undertaken at European level, and most important, at national, regional and local level. To ensure a good co-ordination a European Advisory Committee has been appointed. On the other hand, Member States have been asked to establish national co-ordinating bodies. These national committees must be representative of a wide-range of disability organisations and other relevant stakeholders.

For more information, refer to the website www.eypd2003.org.