on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

Implementation Plan

Accompanying the proposal for a

DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services

1.INTRODUCTION

The objective of this Directive is to improve the functioning of the internal market for specific accessible products and services, while facilitating the work of industry and serving the needs of consumers, especially those with disabilities.

Currently, there is a divergence in national legislation containing accessibility requirements related to products and services. The national accessibility requirements that Member States have put in place differ both as regards their coverage and their level of detail. Concerning certain products or services, some Member States have established detailed technical rules whereas in other Member States there are no such rules. In the future this divergence is expected to increase. This Commission proposal for a Directive aims to remove and prevent fragmentation.

In order to ensure an effective and consistent implementation of the Directive's accessibility requirements in all Member States, Commission services will envisage specific actions based on an analysis of the challenges relating to the implementation of this present Directive. Well-structured explanatory documents will facilitate the tasks of monitoring the transposition and support the achievement of the implementation process.

This implementation plan will be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, adapted. Both the risks relating to external actors (Member States, businesses and citizens) and risks related to the actions to be taken by the Commission services in the transposition of the Directive are assessed in this document.

2.GENERAL ASSISTANCE BY THE COMMISSION

Under the proposed Directive, Member States will have to ensure that the provisions on accessibility requirements of selected products and services are properly regulated and implemented within the prescribed deadline. The Commission is conscious that cooperation with national authorities must be developed at an early stage to reach this goal. The following general actions should be put in place as soon as possible after the adoption of the proposal to guide Member States:

(a) Provide a contact point for Member States to facilitate the dissemination of information regarding the new Directive as well as transposition procedures (e.g. a functional mailbox); and

(b) Update DG Employment's website with relevant information on the new Directive.

3.DETAILED RISK ASSESSMENT AND PROPOSED ACTIONS

Concerning the specific risks three categories have been identified:

(i) Providing full coverage within the timeframe

The proposed Directive aims at ensuring that similar accessibility requirements are in force for some selected products and services in all Member States of the European Union. For that purpose, Member States need to make sure that the Directive is properly transposed in national legislation within two years and that application is from six years after the entry into force of the Directive.

In order to ensure smooth implementation and address potential risks linked to this element of the proposed Directive, the Commission will consider the following actions: