Brussels, 19/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - During the second meeting of the European Parliament of Disabled People on 10 and 11 November in Brussels, some 300 delegates adopted a resolution on follow-up to the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 and a manifesto with a view to the next EP elections. Those taking part at the session included EP President Pat Cox, Equal Opportunities Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, Chairman of the EP Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Theo Bouwman, President of the European Disability Forum Yannis Vardakastanis, and many MEPs. The manifesto will set out the main demands of persons with disabilities: - new horizontal legislation necessary for protecting disabled persons from discrimination in every sphere (a request now backed by the EP); - a guarantee that, in the future European Constitution, every legislative measure on non-discrimination of disabled people should be decided by qualified majority, and not by unanimity as is the case today; - and European elections in 2004 that are more open to candidates and persons with disabilities.
During the debate, Pat Cox gave his assurance to the persons concerned saying: "You are not alone. We are at your side". Theodorus Bouwman also pledged that his committee would continue in its effort to fight discrimination based on disability not only on the labour market but also in other fields. Yannis Vardakastanis, for his part, asked: "What better contribution to a social Europe can there be than Community protection of disabled persons against discrimination?" Welsh Green MEP Jill Evans called for a new legislation in this area, saying: "With the European elections coming up next year we must ensure full accessibility for people with disabilities in terms of policies and campaigns, as voters and as candidates". British Liberal Liz Lynne, rapporteur on this subject at the EP, said the European Year has not been very successful. "The Commission's six-year action plan on improving equal opportunities for people with disabilities is committed to little more than enforcing already existing legislation", she crticised, adding: "Commissioner Diamantopoulou still has a chance to turn things around. All she has to do is ensure that the employment directive to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of disability in the workplace in each Member State is fully implemented and declare an intention to introduce an EU-wide Disability Directive as soon as possible". "This needn't even require much work - the European Disability Forum has already produced a draft", the MEP exclaimed.
Closing the work, Anna Diamantopoulou stressed that the Commission sought to integrate the question of disability in the daily activities as in all Community policies. In her view, however, the moment is inappropriate for introducing new horizontal legislation as the problems raised in Member States by the directive on non-discrimination in the workplace must be resolved first.