EU ministers responsible for disability issues noted progress in implementing the Disability Rights Strategy 2021 and 2030 at a French EU Council Presidency ministerial conference on Wednesday 9 March, although there is still a long way to go to create a truly inclusive environment.
The French Secretary of State for People with Disabilities, Sophie Cluzel, and the European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, told a press conference that they were pleased with the progress made since the strategy was presented last year (see EUROPE 12670/4).
They were particularly pleased with two projects currently under development. The first project concerns the European Disability Card. In this respect, Ms Cluzel indicated that the pilot project involving various Member States (Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Malta, Romania) was underway. Although the introduction of this European Disability Card is voluntary, the ministers have talked about its generalisation, the Secretary of State said.
The card gives disabled people access to cross-border benefits, mainly in the areas of culture, leisure, sport and transport. It is mutually recognised between the countries participating in the system. Based on this experience, the Commission intends to propose a European Disability Card by the end of 2023 so that it is recognised in all Member States.
Emphasis was also placed on the ‘employment of persons with disabilities’ package currently being prepared. This package is expected to be presented later this year. The discussions between the ministers focused on best national practices that could be generalised and the content of the exchanges will feed into the content of the package, Ms Dalli said.
The package will consist of a series of practical measures to improve the integration of people with disabilities into the labour market, combating stereotypes, ensuring reasonable accommodation, but also ensuring health and safety at work to prevent possible accidents that could be disabling. The package will encourage the implementation of adaptation programmes in case of chronic diseases.
Research on autism and neurodevelopmental disorders was also discussed during the working lunch. The construction of a European research area on autism and neurodevelopmental disorders was discussed, including the ERA-net NEURON project, to support the funding of multinational research in the field, and the Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI), to support personalised medicine approaches for autism spectrum disorders. The AIMS-2-TRIALS project, a European research programme to develop new clinical treatments, was also discussed. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)