Brussels, 04/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - By adopting, by 467 in favour, 3 against and 15 abstentions, the report by Marie-Therese Hermange on the disabled (which was for the first time interpreted in the EP through sign language and is available in Braille), the European Parliament underpinned the need to take specific measures in relation to the disabled while facilitating their integration into society and the labour market, and calls for new directives and improvements on certain specific aspects relating to the life of the disabled (see EUROPE of 2&3 April, pp.16-17).
In addition, by adopting certain amendments, the EP calls for: 1) "the declaration linked to Art. 95 of the EC Treaty, by which EC institutions are held to take account of the needs of people suffering from disabilities regarding measures linked to the establishment and functioning of the single market, to be fully incorporated in the Treaty"; 2) "appropriate support measures to be provided both for households which have disabled in their charge and for households in which members of working age have had to stop work prematurely following a work accident or for other reasons having led to serious incapacity"; 3 ) be maintained "a specific research chapter into the disabled in the 6th R&TD framework-programme, by, notably, including research into information technologies and into actions relating to the quality of life (amendment adopted by 293 in favour, 195 against and 4 abstentions).