The European Parliament must draft legislation to enable people with disabilities to fully exercise their right to vote in the European Union, according to a draft report by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) presented on Tuesday 12 March.
Prepared by Krzysztof Pater, this report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the electoral rights situation of people with disabilities in the EU. The aim is not to identify the Member States with the most serious shortcomings in this area, but to identify existing good practices across the EU.
By presenting many possible solutions to be implemented in accordance with national electoral traditions, the report aims to encourage Member State authorities to join forces to explore ways to ensure the full exercise of the political rights of some of their most vulnerable citizens, said Mr Pater.
The obstacles to the exercise of the right to vote by people with disabilities in the Union highlighted are numerous. These include legal obstacles, such as the automatic suspension of the right to vote of persons under guardianship, and technical obstacles, such as polling stations, ballot papers and information not adapted to the needs of disabled persons.
According to the report, around 800,000 EU citizens in 16 Member States are legally deprived of their right to vote in European elections due to physical disability or mental health problems. And several million Europeans with disabilities are technically unable to participate in the electoral process.
Finally, while the vote on Mr Pater's report is scheduled for the EESC's plenary session on 20 and 21 March, the Committee considers that the European Parliament should take the lead in drafting legislation to make the voting rights of people with disabilities a reality throughout the EU.
Consult the report: https://bit.ly/2VXC41L (Damien Genicot - intern)