Brussels, 25/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU needs to get more people with disabilities into jobs and include provisions on disability in more of its other policies. This wish was expressed by MEPs meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday 25 October when they adopted the report on the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020.
The rapporteur, Adam Kosa (EPP, Hungary), pointed out during the debate that the EUROPE 2020 strategy target of 75% of the population aged 20-64 in EUROPE 2020 obtaining work cannot be achieved unless it includes people with some form of disability. People with disabilities account for around 16% of the total population but their current employment rates are only 45%.
In addition to the problem of employment, the EP highlights the fact that it is a global problem that affects all people with disabilities, with unemployment for them meaning a rupture in their contact with the rest of society and a worsening in their living conditions. People with disabilities are therefore more likely to fall into poverty. It is thus both a general objective involving employment, as well as the need for solidarity within European societies.
MEPs have therefore called for a European committee for people with disabilities to be set up. This would help with the coordination, follow-up and evaluation on a regular basis of progress made in the European strategy for helping people with disabilities at a level of the European institutions and within a context of national policies. Measures contained in the 2014-2020 cohesion policy are deemed insufficient. MEPs call on the Commission to strengthen provisions on the fight against the discrimination of people with disabilities. Member states are called on to adopt sign language as an official language. After a close-run vote (362 votes in favour, 273 votes against, with 23 abstentions) MEPs called on states to reach an agreement on the Council draft directive for implementing the principle of equal opportunities irrespective of religion, belief, disabilities, age or sexual orientation. (JK/transl.fl)