EU lawmakers agreed on Thursday (11 January) on their position for the first EU-wide Disability Card that aims to guarantee a minimum standard of support for persons with disabilities across Europe. 

Around 87 million people in Europe live with some form of disability and regularly encounter barriers when travelling or visiting another member state as their disability status is not equally recognised across the EU.

The public health committee in the European Parliament on Thursday unanimously approved its position on the new directive, which introduces an EU Disability Card and updates the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities.

“This long-awaited piece of legislation will not only simplify travel but also transform the commitment to free movement for all Europeans, outlined in treaties, into a tangible reality. It’s high time to ensure that everyone, including individuals with disabilities, can move freely within the EU,” liberal MEP Lucia Ďuriš, rapporteur of the file in the Parliament, told Euractiv.

In September, the European Commission proposed the initiative, which sought to ensure that both cards facilitate access to the right to free movement for persons with disabilities.

It will ensure that individuals visiting other member states have the same accessibility to special conditions, preferential treatment, and parking rights as those residing in those states.

“That means better opportunities for EU citizens with disabilities and good news for our economy with an increased and more mobile workforce,” stated Maltese Popular MEP David Casa.

Pilot project

This initiative comes after a European Commission pilot project which sought to harmonise already-existing national disability cards from eight countries at the EU level.

Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Malta, Romania, and Slovenia implemented the pilot card scheme between 2016 and 2018. The study analysed the project’s implementation in the eight participating countries while assessing the card’s usefulness and cost-effectiveness across countries.

For the duration of the project, EU Disability Card holders, when travelling, were granted equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment in public and private services, including transport, cultural events, leisure and sports centres and well as museums.

These special conditions can take the form of free entry, reduced tariffs, priority access, personal assistance and mobility aids among others.

The European Disability Forum (EDF) welcomed this initiative in a press release saying that the Parliament’s position “clearly reflects the demands of persons with disabilities” and thanking EU lawmakers for involving civil society organisations while drafting the report.

The EDF highlighted the Parliament’s demand for the European Disability Card to grant temporary access to allowances, support and social security when moving for work and study and the provisions to access support when taking part in the EU Mobility Programmes such as Erasmus+.

“We now ask for a strong and speedy agreement that ensures persons with disabilities can use these Cards as soon as possible,” said EDF’s president Yannis Vardakastanis.

A key aspect now is how the implementation of the Card will take place. Malta’s Casa highlighted that the most important thing is to make sure that EU citizens are aware of their rights.

“Therefore, we call on the Commission to undertake a European awareness-raising campaign and set up an accessible EU website with information on national special conditions, preferential treatment and parking conditions,” he added.

EDF also stressed the need to deliver clear information in multiple languages on how to access the different benefits and discounts in order for them to be truly accessible.

“We would like to deliver the directive and make it a reality for the EU citizens very soon. We cannot disappoint them,” said Ďuriš. With the first trilogue scheduled for the end of January, the Parliament’s top priority is “to swiftly pass the directive within this mandate”, she said.

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]

Source: Euractiv.com