Strasbourg, 20/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - At its plenary session on 15 December, the European Parliament adopted the report by British Labour member Robert Evans, recognising the right for people living with a disability or reduced mobility to benefit from services and assistance on the ground and on board when they use air transport. "This vote is a step forward for people living with reduced mobility. We can hope for an agreement at first reading, as the Council has said that it is prepared to adopt the amendments of the European Parliament. This is major progress accomplished under the UK Presidency", said rapporteur Evans after the vote.
The provisions of the regulation will apply not only to people with reduced mobility (people living with a physical disability and the elderly), but also to the visually impaired, blind people, the deaf and hard of hearing and people suffering from mental disorders. All airports which handle over 150,000 passengers a year will have to indicate areas where eligible passengers can go in order to benefit from assistance on departure and arrival, as long as they give 48 hours' notice. The airport management alone will be responsible for the assistance services, which it can carry out itself or use a sub-contractor, but the compromise reached between the EP in the Council recognises the option for airlines also to provide these services. According to the ACI (Airports Council International), this responsibility has gone down well with European airports, as these rules will put an end to any uncertainty and disparity between services currently on offer. In future, airlines will no longer be able arbitrarily to refuse to allow people to board, as low-cost airlines such as Ryanair have been known to do, but even airlines such as Liberia, Lufthansa and Air France, as Greens Eva Lichtenberger (Austria) and Michael Cramer (Germany) pointed out. Only "obstacles to security requirements" or too-small and aircraft can justify refusal, leading to the reimbursement and redirection of the passengers in question. Lastly, the cost of these services will be shared out between air carriers using a given airport, in proportion to the total number of passengers each one transports to and from this airport. "This regulation will change the lives of 50 million people living with a disability or reduced mobility, who will will now have the same rights to freedom of movement and liberty of choice as the other citizens", said British Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Lynne, vice-president of the Intergroup on people living with a disability. In order to guarantee appropriate assistance to the disabled, whatever mode of transport used, the Commission will make a proposal for international coach transport and maritime transport, Jacques Barrot has announced.