WRITTEN QUESTION E-0793/03

by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 March 2003)

Subject: European Year of People with Disabilities 2003

The EU's population currently includes some 37 million people with disabilities among them workers, consumers, taxpayers, politicians and students who, despite having the same rights as those without disabilities, often fail to receive equal treatment. The EU's citizens must be made aware of the need for real equality of rights, so as to avoid all forms of social exclusion for this sector of the population.

In this context, the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 has as its objectives to increase awareness in the interests of full equality of rights and to promote analysis, debate and exchanges of views on the most effective forms of action.

The budget earmarked totals EUR 12 million, for the funding of the following activities: organisation of meetings and events; information and promotion campaign; cooperation with the media; and surveys and studies.

Measures having a Community-wide scope may be subsidised up to a maximum of 80 %, while those of a local, regional, national or transnational nature may be cofinanced from the general Community budget up to a maximum of 50 % of total cost.

1. Given that each Member State is asked to name the bodies which will participate in the European Year and to which candidates are to send their projects so that they can submit requests to the Commission for the cofinancing of local, regional, national and transnational actions, what is the deadline for naming those national bodies and ensuring the necessary publicity?

2. What are the deadlines for the publication of the calls for expression of interest and the associated procedure, and what media will be used for publicisation?

3. In view of the Commission's recognition of the need for a coherent global strategy with a view to ensuring a proper development- and inclusion-oriented policy for persons with special needs, what measures has the Commission taken, and what measures does it intend to take in this context? Will the Commission promote a fully transversal strategy encompassing employment, education and training, access to public buildings and services, etc, and how will such a strategy be implemented in practice?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(14 April 2003)

The Honourable Member might be already aware that in accordance with Article 5 of the Council Decision establishing the European Year of People with Disabilities(1), all participating countries in the European Year are required to establish a national co-ordinating body to co-ordinate and manage activities in support of the aims of the European Year.

All Member States and Norway and Iceland have established such bodies and contact information for these bodies is updated regularly on the web-site of the European Year (www.eypd2003.org). It is the responsibility of these bodies, and not that of the Commission, to publish the availability of Community co-funding for projects during the European Year (national, regional, local and transnational).

It is also the responsibility of the national co-ordinating bodies to designate the exact procedures and timing of submission of bids for co-funding, and to make the final selection of eligible projects. All participating countries have either completed or are in the process of completing this exercise.

The national co-ordinating bodies are responsible for ensuring that projects receive a maximum of 50 per cent funding from the Community budget to cover eligible costs for each project. As soon as the budget line for the European Year was opened in 2003, the Commission proceeded with the process of making the necessary financial engagement and signing an agreement with each participating country. Agreements are underway now for almost all Member States.

The Commission considers disability as a rights issue. Emphasis has, therefore, moved entirely away from protection and institutionalisation to full social and economic integration the so-called social model. Therefore, the Commission focuses on the removal of the many barriers within the existing social environment that are faced by people with disabilities who seek to carry out the usual activities of everyday life and to participate in the full range of activities in society. This perspective has important implications, be it at Union or national level, the way in which policy and law in relation to disability are developed and interpreted, as well as for their substantive content.

In our view, supporting citizens with disabilities to become an effective part of the economic and social mainstream means participation in the mainstream for everyone for whom this is possible and in every area where this is possible rather than segregation into disability-specific arrangements. This applies especially to the mainstream into employment policies and social inclusion processes which has both social and economic advantages, not only for people with disabilities but also for society in general. Mainstreaming also goes beyond the area of Community social policy into education, transport, research and new technologies. For that reason, the Commission looks at all aspects of mainstreaming with a view not only to ensuring that people with disabilities and the issues of concern to them are at the top of the agenda but also to emphasise the need for greater synergy between related issues in the various policy fields.

Improvements for people with disabilities can very often improve conditions for society as a whole, particularly where the Design for All concept is adopted. Improving accessibility to buildings for example will benefit everybody, including the elderly and people with reduced mobility. Accessibility is, therefore, an area where the Commission is determined to achieve improvements, notably in relation to the built environment. The competent service in the Commission has set up an independent expert group to examine the current state of legislation in the Member States and look at how current Union policies affect, or may affect, the overall design of the built environment. This group will report to the Commission during the second semester of 2003.

(1) OJ L 335, 19.12.2001.