WRITTEN QUESTION E-1216/01

by Joke Swiebel (PSE) to the Commission

(24 April 2001)

Subject: Statistics of disabled people employed by the European institutions

Article 3(1)(a) of Directive 2000/78/EC(1) establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation was tightened up by a European Parliament amendment and subsequently in the version adopted by the Council so as to extend the requirement of equal treatment to the European institutions as well. Does the Commission have statistics available (for both before and after the entry into force of the Directive) showing how many disabled people - broken down by disability - are on its staff? If so, would it be prepared to publish these figures when answering this question?

(1) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2001)

Member States are required to implement the provisions of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation by 2 December 2003, with the possibility of an extension of three years, up to 2 December 2006, for the implementation of the provisions relating to age and disability.

The Commission adopted a Code of Good Practice for the employment of people with disabilities(1) in 1998. The Code provides clear statements of the European Institutions' policy in relation to the employment of people with disabilities and gives guidelines on recruitment, career structure (mobility, training, retention of staff), working environment (accessibility of buildings and office equipment and furnishings) and information and awareness training for the members of selection boards.

In recruitment competitions for employment in the Commission, candidates are invited to advise the Commission of any special facilities they require in order to participate, such as examination papers in Braille, dictation of their responses to written papers, presence of a carer, or any other specific arrangement.

Following recruitment, the Commission does not maintain separate records of employees who have disabilities, because it is considered that recording such information could conflict with the personal interests of the relevant people. The Commission underlines that the same career path is open to all employees.

To provide general information for guidance, a non-exhaustive survey was conducted in 1999 and it showed that around 40 people with disabilities (ranging from perception to motor disabilities) were employed at that time in the Commission.

In its consultative Document on Improving Working Arrangements and Career Prospects for People with Disabilities(2), published in the context of the current strategic Reform, the Commission says that it should offer its staff at least the same opportunities and levels of protection in these areas as apply in Member States. In addition to a strong commitment to respect the 1998 Code, further measures are foreseen including broadening the scope of the Staff Regulations to ensure equal treatment for people with disabilities in relation to recruitment and employment, and mainstreaming the principle of non-discrimination throughout the entire personnel policy.

The period of consultation with staff and staff representatives on this and associated documents will end in the near future and the Commission will then adopt its policy, taking account of the constructive suggestions for development of policy that have been submitted. It is to be hoped that, where changes in the Staff Regulations are needed in order to ensure modernisation and improvement in policy, the support of the other Institutions, including Parliament, will be forthcoming.

(1) SEC(98) 1559/2.

(2) SEC(2000) 2084/4.