AnswergivenbyMrsDiamantopoulouonbehalfoftheCommission
(29September2003)
1. The shift in disability policies in recent years from a compensation based approach to equal
participationatalllevelsofsocietyhasledtoareorientationofthefundingstrategyfromvertical,specialprogrammes for specific target groups to a mainstreaming approach, a horizontal consideration ofdisabilityissuesifpossibleinallCommunity-Programmes.
Thismeansthatpeoplewith disabilitiesandtheir needsare takenintoaccountinmanyCommunity
Programmesinalmostallthematicfieldsforexampleeducation,research,informationandcommunicationtechnologies,publichealth,culture,sports,transport,telecommunications,thefightagainstdiscrimination,labourmarketandsocialpoliciesetc.Thereforethetotalamountoffundingavailablefortheareaofpoliciesondisabledpersonsisdifficulttoidentify.
IntheframeworkoftheProgrammetocombatdiscrimination,aboutEUR1millionisallocatedona
yearlybasisforspecificactionstocombatdiscriminationagainstpeoplewithdisabilities.Moreoverthe
Commissionfundspartoftheadministrativecostsofdifferentdisabilitynon-governmentalorganisations
(NGOs)atUnionleveltoallowforabetterpresentationoftheinterestsofpeoplewithdisabilities.
AsapartoftheFP6(SixFrameworkResearchProgramme)DirectorateGeneral(DG)InformationSocietyis
promotingresearchonassistivetechnology.Theobjectiveistoincludealsopeoplewithdisabilitiesintheinformation society, ‘eInclusion’. The budget for 2003 in this research domain will be aboutEUR36million.
GrantsfromtheEuropeanSocialFundaredirectlymanagedbytheMemberStatesinaccordancewiththeir
programming documents approved by the Commission. As it is a priority for the Commission toincorporate disability issues in every aspect of its employment and social policy, projects especiallytargetingpeoplewithdisabilitieshavebeenincludedinalltypeofmeasures(training,re-conversion,elderlyworkers…)sothatitisnotpossible,atCommunityleveltoidentifytheamountspentforthisspecifictargetgroup.
2. For the European Year of People with Disabilities a total amount of EUR13 million has been
allocated. This amount includes EUR272640 for a voluntary participation of European Free Trade
Association (EFTA) States and an amount of EUR780000 which was additionally allocated by theEuropeanParliamentatalaterstage.
3. AsageneralruletheparticipationinCommissionProgrammeshastobeviacallsfortenderorcalls
forproposalsforeachthematicfield.Accordingtothespecificationsforeachcallfortender/proposals,organisations,NGOsorpublicinstitutionsinallMemberStateshavethepossibilitytoapply.InrelationtotheSocialFundseereplytopoint1above.
FortheEuropeanYearofPeoplewithDisabilitiestheFederalRepublicofGermanyhasreceivedatotal
amountofEUR850000whichwasspentinlinewithnationalprioritiesviaanationalcallfortenderwithinaconsistentEuropeanframework.AdditionallyEUR90000wasallocatedforthenationalopeningceremony which took place in February 2003 in Magdeburg. All this funding has been taken upcompletelybytheFederalRepublicofGermany.
(2004/C58E/212) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2704/03
byLuigiVinci(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(11September2003)
Subject:TransposalofDirective2000/78/ECof27November2000intoItalianlaw
On 3July 2003 the Italian Government adopted a draft legislative decree to meet the obligation to
transposeintonationallawtheprovisionsofDirective2000/78/EC,whichlaysdowncriteriaforequal6.3.2004EN C58E/197 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
treatmentinthefieldofemploymentandworkingconditions.Article3(6)ofthatdraftactextends,in
vagueterms,thenotionofjustificationforindirectdiscriminatoryactswhere thesearewarranted‘bylegitimateaimspursuedthroughappropriateandproportionatemeans’.
Theclauseextendingthatjustification,whichdoesnotrefertothespecificreligiousbeliefsearliercited,
doesnotpreciselydetailthevariouscasesforwhichtheItalianGovernmentintendstoestablishapracticeornationallawasprovidedforinArticle4oftheEuropeanDirective,andthereforeleavesemployers
substantialleewayforinterpretation,particularlyintheareaofaperson’ssexualorientation.Theonly
specificdefinitionprovidedinthelegislativedecreeconcernsthelegitimacyofexcludinganyonewhohasreceivedadefinitivesentenceforpaedophiliaorothersexcrimesagainstminorsfrompostsinthefieldofassistance,careandeducationforchildren.ThisspecificdefinitionandthelackofaclearandunequivocaldefinitionofdiscriminatorydifferencesoftreatmenthasinpracticebeenusedbytheRAIheadofficeinVenice to exclude staff who had stated a particular sexual orientation from managing broadcasts oftelevisionprogrammesforchildren.
DoestheCommissionnotconsiderthatthevaguenessofArticle3(6)oftheItalianlegislativedecreecould
giverisetoarbitraryinterpretationsandconsequentlytoapplicationsofthatdecreethatconflictwith
Article4ofDirective2000/78/EC(
1),underwhichtheonlydiscriminatoryactsnottobedeemedassuch
relate to manifest incompatibilities between personal religious beliefs and the tenets of religiousorganisations?
What steps will it take vis-à-vis the Italian Government to ensure that Directive 2000/78/EC of
27November2000istransposedinacorrectandconsistentmannerandthatanyunlawfuldiscriminatoryactconflictingwiththeactualderogationsprovidedforinthatdirectiveispenalised?
(1) OJL303,2.12.2000,p.16.
AnswergivenbyMrsDiamantopoulouonbehalfoftheCommission
(8October2003)
AstheCommissionjustreceivedofficialnotificationfromItalyon4September2003ofthetransposalof
CouncilDirective2000/78/ECof27November2000establishingageneralframeworkforequaltreatmentinemploymentandoccupation(
1),itisnotinapositiontocommentatthisstageonthetextadopted.
InordertoensurethattheDirectiveistransposedfullyandcoherently,theCommissionhasaskedMember
Statestoprovide,insupportoftheirnotification,atableshowingcorrelationbetweentheprovisionscontainedintheDirectiveandthosecontainedinnationallegislation.TheCommissionwillusethistabletoexamineindetailtheprovisionstowhichitrefers,andinparticularthelimitedderogationspermittedbytheDirectives.
(1) OJL303,2.12.2000.
(2004/C58E/213) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2707/03
byRaffaeleCosta(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(11September2003)
Subject:Electronichealthcard
Inwinter2002,theCommissionmadeaproposalfortheintroductionofapersonalelectronichealthcard
carrying allthemedicalandadministrative dataoneach citizen ofaMemberState.ThiscardwouldreplacetheE111formthatisneededtoobtaincoveragefortheexpensesbornebycitizensofaMemberStateintheeventoftheirreceivinghealthtreatmentinanotherMemberStateduringastayasatourist,wouldfullyrespectprivacyandcouldalsobeusedinrelationtopatientmobility.C58E/198 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion