2001/903/EC: Council Decision of 3 December 2001 on the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003
Date: 2001-12-03
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European symbol, disabled person

19.12.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 3 December 2001

on the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003

(2001/903/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(4)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 13 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),

the Governments of

The Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives
the Member States meeting
of
within the Council of 20 December 1996 on equality of
opportunity for people with disabilities (5), and the
Council Resolution of 17 June 1999 on equal employ-
ment opportunities for people with disabilities (6), reaf-
firm the basic human rights of disabled people to equal
access to social and economic opportunities.

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee (3),

(5)

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (4),

the Committee of

the

The conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of 23
and 24 March 2000 call upon Member States to take
greater account of social exclusion in their employment,
education and training, health and housing policies and
to define priority actions for specific target groups, such
as people with disabilities.

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The promotion of a high level of employment and of
social protection, and the raising of the standard of
living and quality of
the
life of
Member
European
Community.

the population of
the

are objectives of

States,

the Fundamental Social
The Community Charter of
Rights of Workers recognises the need to take appro-
priate action for the social and economic integration of
disabled people.

The Resolution of the Council and the Ministers for
Education, meeting within the Council, of 31 May 1990
concerning integration of children and young people
with disabilities into ordinary systems of education
stresses that ‘the Member States have agreed to intensify,
where necessary, their efforts to integrate or encourage
integration of pupils and students with disabilities, in all
appropriate cases, into the ordinary education system’.

(1) OJ C 240 E, 28.8.2001, p. 160.
(2) Opinion delivered on 15 November 2001 (not yet published in the

Official Journal).

(3) Opinion delivered on 17 October 2001 (not yet published in the

Official Journal).

(4) Opinion delivered on 15 November 2001 (not yet published in the

Official Journal).

(6)

(7)

(8)

The European social agenda approved by the Nice Euro-
pean Council meeting on 7, 8 and 9 December 2000 (7)
states that the European Union will develop, in partic-
ular during the European Year of People with Disabilities
(2003),
‘all action intended to bring about the fuller
integration of disabled people in all areas of life’.

The year 2003 will mark the 10th anniversary of the
adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Standard
Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons
enabled considerable
with Disabilities, which have
progress to be made in an approach to disability in
accordance with human rights principles.

This Decision respects fundamental rights and observes
the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of
Fundamental Rights of the European Union (8). In partic-
ular, this Decision seeks to promote application of the
principles of non-discrimination and integration of
people with disabilities.

(5) OJ C 12, 13.1.1997, p. 1.
(6) OJ C 186, 2.7.1999, p. 3.
(7) OJ C 157, 30.5.2001, p. 4.
(8) OJ C 364, 18.12.2000, p. 1.

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(9)

the Economic and Social
The European Parliament,
Committee and the Committee of the Regions have all
urged the Community to strengthen its contribution to
efforts in Member States to promote equal opportunities
for people with disabilities, with a view to their integra-
tion into society.

(10) On 10 May 2000 the Commission adopted a communi-
cation entitled ‘Towards a barrier-free Europe for people
with disabilities’, in which it commits itself to developing
and supporting a comprehensive and integrated strategy
to tackle social, architectural and design barriers that
unnecessarily restrict access for people with disabilities
to social and economic opportunities. The Parliament
has unanimously adopted a similar resolution.

The general framework in favour of equal treatment in
employment and occupation provided for by Directive
2000/78/EC (1) and the Community action programme
to combat discrimination in order
to support and
supplement
legislative measures at Community and
Member State level set up by Decision 2000/750/EC (2)
aim at changing practices and attitudes by mobilising
the players involved and fostering the exchange of infor-
mation and good practice.

Since exclusion from the labour market of people with
disabilities is inextricably linked to problems of attitude
and a lack of information about disability, it is necessary
to increase society's understanding of the rights, needs
and potential of disabled persons, and a joint effort by
the different partners is required to develop and
all
promote a flow of information and an exchange of good
practice.

Raising awareness relies primarily on effective action at
Member State level which should be supplemented by
concerted efforts at Community level. The European
Year could act as a catalyst in raising awareness and in
building momentum.

and

complementarity

Consistency
other
Community action is needed, in particular with action to
combat discrimination and social exclusion, and to
promote human rights, education, training and gender
equality.

with

The joint statement of 20 July 2000 provides for the
budget authority to deliver an opinion on whether the
new proposals with budgetary implications are compat-
ible with the financial framework, without any reduction
in existing policies.

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

sion should be made for participation, on the one hand,
by the candidate countries of central and eastern Europe,
in accordance with the conditions established in the
Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols and in
the decisions of the respective Association Councils, on
the other hand, by Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, funded by
additional appropriations in accordance with the proced-
ures to be agreed with those countries.

(17) A financial reference amount within the meaning of
paragraph 34 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6
May 1999 between the European Parliament,
the
Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline
is
and improvement of
included in this Decision without thereby affecting the
powers of the budgetary authority as they are defined by
the Treaty.

the budgetary procedure (3)

(18)

Since the objectives of the proposed action aimed at
generating at European level awareness of the rights of
people with disabilities, cannot be adequately achieved
by the Member States on account, inter alia, of the need
for multilateral partnerships, the transnational exchange
of information and the Community-wide dissemination
of good practice, and can therefore be better achieved at
Community level, the Community may adopt measures,
in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set
out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the
principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article,
this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary to
achieve those objectives.

(19)

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down
the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers
conferred on the Commission (4),

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Establishment of

the European Year of People with

Disabilities

The year 2003 shall be designated as the ‘European Year of
People with Disabilities’.

Article 2

Objectives

The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA
Agreement) provides for closer cooperation in the social
field between the European Community and its Member
States, on the one hand, and the countries of the Euro-
pean Free Trade Association participating in the Euro-
pean Economic Area (EFTA/EEA), on the other. Provi-

The objectives of the European Year of People with Disabilities
shall be:

(a) to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities
to protection against discrimination and to full and equal
enjoyment of their rights;

(1) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16.
(2) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 23.

(3) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

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(b) to encourage reflection on and discussion of the measures
needed to promote equal opportunities for people with
disabilities in Europe;

(c) to promote the exchange of experience of good practice
and effective strategies devised at local, national and Euro-
pean level;

(d) to reinforce the cooperation between all parties concerned,
namely government, the social partners, NGOs, the social
services, the private sector, communities, voluntary sector
groups, people with disabilities and their families;

(e) to improve

communication regarding disability

and

promote a positive image of people with disabilities;

(f) to raise awareness of the heterogeneity of people with

disabilities and of the various kinds of disability;

(g) to raise awareness of the multiple discrimination facing

people with disabilities;

(h) to pay special attention to awareness of the right of chil-
dren and young people with disabilities to equality in
education, so as to encourage and support their full inte-
gration in society and to promote the development of
European
professionally
between
involved in the education of children and young people
with disabilities,
in order to improve the integration of
pupils and students with special needs in ordinary or
specialised establishments and in national and European
exchange programmes.

cooperation

those

Article 3

Content of measures

The measures designed to meet the objectives set out in
1.
Article 2 may entail the development or the provision of
support to:

(a) meetings and events;

(b) information and promotional campaigns throughout the

Member States;

(c) cooperation with broadcasting and media organisations;

(d) surveys and studies on a Community-wide scale;

People with Disabilities. To that end, the Commission shall
make the relevant information available to these representa-
tives. The Commission shall inform the Committee established
under Article 6(1) of their opinion.

Article 5

Cooperation and implementation at national level

Each Member State shall be responsible for the coordina-
1.
tion and implementation at national
level of the measures
provided for in this Decision, including the selection of projects
under Part B of the Annex.

To this end, each Member State shall establish or designate a
national coordinating body or an equivalent body to organise
the participation of the Member State in the European Year of
People with Disabilities. This body shall ensure that it is repres-
entative of a range of organisations representing people with
disabilities and other relevant stakeholders.

2.
The measures required to determine global grants to be
allocated to the Member States to support actions at national,
regional and local level shall be adopted in accordance with the
procedure referred to in Article 6(2). Global grants shall be
awarded only to public-law bodies or bodies which have a
public-service mission guaranteed by the Member States.

The procedure for the use of global grants shall be subject
3.
to an agreement between the Commission and the Member
State concerned.

The procedure shall detail in particular, in compliance with the
Financial Regulation of 21 December 1977 applicable to the
general budget of the European Communities (1):

(a) the measures to be implemented;

(b) the criteria for choosing beneficiaries;

(c) the conditions and rates of assistance;

(d) the arrangements for monitoring, evaluating and ensuring

the financial control of the global grant.

Article 6

Committee

The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee, (here-

1.
inafter referred to as ‘the Committee’).

Details of the measures referred to in paragraph 1 are set

2.
out in the Annex.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 4

Implementation at Community level

Article 7

Financial arrangements

The Commission shall ensure the implementation of
the
Community actions covered by this Decision in conformity
with the Annex.

It shall conduct a regular exchange of views with representa-
tives of people with disabilities at Community level on the
design, implementation and follow-up of the European Year of

1. Measures which are Community-wide in nature, as
described in Part A of the Annex, may be subsidised up to
80 % or give rise to procurement contracts financed from the
general budget of the European Communities.

(1) OJ L 356, 31.12.1977, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regula-

tion (EC) No 762/2001 (OJ L 111, 20.4.2001, p. 1).

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2. Measures which are local, regional or national, possibly
with a transnational dimension, as described in Part B of the
Annex, may be co-financed from the general budget of the
European Communities up to a maximum of 50 % of the total
cost.

Article 8

Application and selection procedure

Decisions on the financing and co-financing of measures
1.
under Article 7(1) shall be adopted in accordance with the
advisory procedure referred to in Article 6(2). The Commission
shall ensure a balanced distribution among the different fields
of activity involved.

Requests for

2.
financial assistance for measures under
Article 7(2) shall be submitted to the Member States. On the
basis of the opinion expressed by the national coordinating
bodies, Member States shall select beneficiaries and allocate
financial assistance to the applicants selected in accordance
with Article 5(3).

Article 9

Consistency and complementarity

The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, shall
ensure consistency between the measures provided for in this
Decision and other Community actions and initiatives.

The Commission shall also ensure that appropriate efforts are
made to enable people with disabilities to participate equally in
Community programmes and initiatives.

It shall also ensure optimal complementarity between the Euro-
pean Year of People with Disabilities and other existing
Community, national and regional
initiatives and resources,
where these can contribute to fulfilling the objectives of the
European Year of People with Disabilities.

Article 10

Participation by the EFTA/EEA countries, the associated
countries of central and eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta and
Turkey

The European Year of People with Disabilities shall be open to
participation by the following countries:

(a) EFTA/EEA countries in accordance with the conditions

established in the EEA Agreement;

(b) the candidate countries of central and eastern Europe
(CCEE) in accordance with the conditions established in the
Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols and in the
decisions of the respective Association Councils;

(c) Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, their participation being funded
by additional appropriations in accordance with procedures
to be agreed with those countries.

Article 11

Budget

The financial reference amount for the implementation of

1.
this Decision is hereby set at EUR 12 million.

2.
The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the
budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspec-
tive.

Actions aimed at preparing the launching of the Euro-
3.
pean Year of People with Disabilities may be financed as from
1 January 2002.

Article 12

International cooperation

Within the framework of this Decision, the Commission may
cooperate with relevant international organisations.

Article 13

Monitoring and evaluation

The Commission shall submit, by 31 December 2004 at the
latest, a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment
of the measures provided for in this Decision,
including an
the measures. The
assessment of
Commission shall ensure that
is drawn up in
formats accessible to people with disabilities.

the long-term effects of

the report

Article 14

Entry into force

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

It shall take effect on the day of its publication.

Done at Brussels, 3 December 2001.

For the Council

The President

F. VANDENBROUCKE

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ANNEX

NATURE OF THE MEASURES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3

A. Community-wide actions

1. Meetings and events:

(a) organisation of meetings at Community level;

(b) organisation of events to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities, including the conferences to

open and close the European Year of People with Disabilities.

2. Information and promotional campaigns involving:

(a) the development of a logo and of slogans for the European Year of People with Disabilities, for use in

connection with any activity linked thereto;

(b) an information campaign on a Community-wide scale;

(c) the production of tools and aids accessible to people with disabilities throughout the Community;

(d) appropriate initiatives by European disability NGOs aimed at disseminating information on the European Year
tailored to the needs of people with specific or multiple disabilities in particular and/or of people with
disabilities facing multiple discrimination;

(e) the organisation of European competitions highlighting achievements and experiences on the themes of the

European Year of People with Disabilities.

The Commission shall ensure that organisations for people with disabilities are involved in the preparation of
messages and images developed during the information campaign.

3. Other actions:

Cooperation with broadcasting and media organisations as partners for spreading information about the European
Year of People with Disabilities for using new tools allowing easier access to this information (such as subtitling for
the hearing impaired and image description for the visually impaired), and to other programmes as far as possible
and for improving communication about people with disabilities.

Surveys and studies on a Community-wide scale, including a series of questions intended to assess the impact of
the European Year of People with Disabilities, to be included in a Eurobarometer survey and an evaluation report
on the effectiveness and impact of the said Year. This study must also evaluate the efforts made to integrate these
persons into the Community,

in particular through programmes promoting an autonomous way of life.

4. This funding may be in the form of:

— the direct purchase of goods and services,

in particular in the field of communication, via open and/or

restricted calls for tenders,

— the direct purchase of consultancy services, via open and/or restricted calls for tenders,

— subsidies allocated to cover the expenses of special events organised at European level to highlight and raise

awareness of the European Year of People with Disabilities; such funding shall not exceed 80 %.

B. Actions at national level

Action at local, regional, national or transnational level may qualify for financing from the Community budget up to a
maximum of 50 % of the cost, depending on the nature and content of what is proposed. These may include:

1. events connected with the objectives of the European Year of People with Disabilities, including an event to launch

the said Year;

2.

information campaigns and measures to disseminate examples of good practice, other than those described in Part
A(2) of this Annex;

3. the organisation of awards or competitions;

4. surveys and studies other than those mentioned in Part A(3).

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C. Action for which no financial aid from the Community budget is available

The Community will offer its moral support, including written authorisation to use the logo and other material
associated with the European Year of People with Disabilities,
for initiatives undertaken by public or private
organisations, where those organisations can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Commission that the initiatives
involved are or will be in progress during the year 2003 and are likely to contribute significantly to achieving one or
more of the objectives of the said Year.

For implementation of this Decision, the Commission may, for the mutual benefit of the Commission and of the
beneficiaries, have recourse to technical and/or administrative assistance as regards the identification, preparation,
management, monitoring, audit and control of the measures set out in Article 3.

The Commission may also carry out studies, organise meetings of experts, conduct information campaigns and launch
publications directly related to the objective of this Decision.