EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/409

(2004/C 84 E/0476)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0471/04

by Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 February 2004)

Subject: Misuse of the model European disabled person's parking card

In many European towns and cities, the disabled person's parking card exempts disabled persons from parking charges (more accurately, the parking tax). With the introduction of the model European disabled person's parking card, the printing of the related car registration number on the card is no longer permitted, on the grounds that the card should be able to be used as widely as possible by and for disabled persons.

In towns and cities with high parking rates, the possession of a disabled person's card (not bearing a car registration number) is very useful (for the able-bodied as well) for avoiding the payment of parking charges.

Accordingly, there is, in practice, widespread abuse of the card system, and large numbers of cards are stolen from disabled persons' vehicles. The assumption that the cards are being used fraudulently may be supported by the fact that the 27 September 2003 edition of De Telegraaf, a Dutch newspaper, carried an advertisement in which a stolen card was offered for sale. The current computerised systems make it virtually impossible to establish the desired connection between enforcement of the law after a declaration of theft and registration of the stolen cards. As a result, the desired positive effect of the cards, namely assistance for disabled persons, is nullified.

1. Is the Commission aware of this problem?

2. With a view to preventing abuse of the system, would the Commission be prepared to authorise the printing on each European disabled person's card of the personal details of the driver of the vehicle, unless the holder of the card expressly declines the opportunity to do so (for example, in the case of a disabled passenger who is obliged to use various cars for travelling)? If not, why not?

3. In the event of its declining to pursue the proposal set out above, is the Commission prepared to investigate alternatives? If so, what might those alternatives be?

Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2004)

Council Recommendation 98/376/EC of 4 June 1998 on a parking card for people with disabilities (1) recommends that Member States introduce a parking card for people with disabilities and issue it in accordance with the respective national provisions, on the basis of a standardised model.

The Recommendation also provides for mutual recognition of parking cards based on the standardised European model, so that cardholders may benefit from the associated parking facilities available in the Member State in which they happen to be.

According to the principle of subsidiarity, the Commission cannot intervene in national legislation. It is up to Member States to introduce mutuai recognition of parking cards in accordance with the national, regional and local laws and regulations (highway code, provisions and arrangements for application) specific to each Member State.

The Commission has not been directly informed of the incident mentioned by the Honourable Member, but it is aware of the situation (theft and resale of parking cards) in several Member States.

It therefore intends to discuss these problems (monitoring activities, also with a view to the enlargement process) with the senior representatives of Member States taking part in the meetings of the High Level Group on Disability Matters, which assists the Commission in this area.

(1) OJ L 167, 12.6.1998.