“Disabled people have waited fifteen years for this moment and we will do everything we can not to disappoint them”, Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová (Renew Europe, Slovak) told EUROPE on Thursday 11 January, following the vote in the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) on the European Disability Card Directive, for which she is rapporteur. The MEPs unanimously adopted - by 39 votes - their position on this text, which also strengthens the European parking card for disabled people.
This initiative, proposed by the Commission in September 2023 (see EUROPE 13244/1), aims to make it easier for the people concerned to travel within the EU, by ensuring that their rights are recognised in the various Member States for stays not exceeding 3 months. A supplementary proposal opened up these cards - intended for EU citizens whose disability is recognised by the Member State of residence, as well as their families and carers - to third-country nationals residing in the EU.
MEPs are proposing that disability cards be issued or renewed within 60 days of application, and parking cards within 30 days. A major innovation is the possibility of a digital version of the parking card, ready in 15 days.
These cards, which are available free of charge, must be accompanied by rules and conditions of use that are accessible in a variety of formats, including sign languages and Braille.
The changes made to the initial proposal are therefore aimed at guaranteeing access to benefits and social assistance for those moving to work or study in another Member State, by ensuring temporary recognition of their disability status, including for participants in EU mobility programmes such as Erasmus+.
MEPs are also calling for better public information on these cards, in particular via a multilingual website.
The European Disability Forum warmly welcomed the MEPs’ position, calling for a “rapid, ambitious and unwavering” agreement to implement the directive. Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the Forum, said that this position “clearly reflects the demands of persons with disabilities” and also thanked Ms Nicholsonová and the Members of Parliament for their support.
Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová expressed her optimism about future negotiations with the EU Council - which validated its position at the end of November (see EUROPE 13301/2) - highlighting the extent of support for this legislation.
Once the draft position has been approved at the January plenary session, the inter-institutional discussions can begin. The first meeting is scheduled for 25 January, while the second, expected to be the last, is scheduled for 8 February.
The draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/acb (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)