EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/301

(2004/C 78 E/0303)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3595/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(1 December 2003)

Subject: Disability

I have been asked by a number of London-based disability NGOs, including SCOPE London, based in Islington, about possible progress towards a horizontal directive on disability.

Also, could the Commission please give its view on the success of the European Year of People with Disabilities, as we move towards its completion?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(7 January 2004)

The Commission understands the calls for a new directive in areas other than employment, but it believes for a number of reasons that it would not be appropriate at this time for the Commission and the Member States to launch themselves into the process of a new piece of legislation.

Its current focus must remain the correct transposition and implementation by Member States of the provisions of the Equal Treatment in Directive 2000/78/EC (1) into their national legislation. The deadline for this was 2 December 2003. This Directive will involve major changes to existing rules in certain Member States and, when correctly transposed, will provide people with disabilities with a very clear legal framework to protect them from unfair treatment.

Any new initiative needs to be the result of a wider reflection on the various instruments which already exist at Community level to achieve equality in practice. In this regard, the Commission intends to launch a public consultation (Green Paper) in Spring 2004 on the Future Strategy to combat discrimination. This paper will take stock of progress made in Union anti-discrimination policy and will raise issues/questions regarding future policy development. It will also address the new challenges posed by the enlargement of the Union and will help to map out the way ahead for Union action on its policies against discrimination over the next five years or more.

The Commission has asked Member States, in the context of the reports on the application of the Directive which they must provide to the Commission by December 2005, to examine the issue of disability discrimination outside the employment field.

The European Year of People with Disabilities (EYPD) itself was designed as a very inclusive process and structured in a unique way so that disabled people themselves were able to input into defining the concept of the Year, and their organisations had a critical role in shaping the corresponding campaign at Union and national levels, through their involvement in national co-ordinating bodies, designing the key messages of the EYPD, choosing its logo and slogan, etc.

Overall, the awareness-raising campaign that was a key objective for the EYPD has had very positive effects, not least among employers and the media. One notable success in this context, was an initiative taken by the Greek Presidency, in co-operation with the Commission and organisations of people with disabilities. This was the organisation of a European Year conference on the critical issue of overcoming stereotypes of disabled people. As a result of this event, a ‘European Declaration on Media and Disability’ was approved in June 2003. The decision was also taken to establish a European network on media and disability to continue improving the image of disabled people in the media, the levels of employment, and access to the media.

Thousands of events have been held throughout the participating countries to promote the rights of people with disabilities and to raise awareness of the barriers they face daily in society. Actions took place simultaneously at European, national, regional and local level involving a great diversity of stakeholders: people with disabilities, their families and their representative organisations, non-disabled people, decisionmakers at all levels, the social partners and relevant stakeholders from the public and private sector.

The exceptional mobilisation of stakeholders throughout the Year has demonstrated a broad desire for a change of gear in achieving equal opportunities and the EYPD has induced a new political impetus to promote the further integration of people with disabilities. Apart from the transposition of the Community Directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation, new policy developments have been announced and are currently taking place in the Member States. These do not only concern the updating of existing laws and the passing of new ones, but also promote new approaches, innovative methods and positive measures.

On 30 October 2003, the Commission adopted a communication entitled ‘Equal opportunities for people with disabilities: a European Action Plan’ (2), which sets out how the Commission plans to follow up on the EYPD (Action Plan, mainstreaming, biennial report, etc.). The communication describes, inter alia, the main achievements of the Year so far.

(1) Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation, OJ L 303, 2.12.2000.

(2) COM(2003) 650 final.