WRITTEN QUESTION E-0793/03 by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European Year of People with Disabilities 2003.
Date: 2003-03-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European citizenship, European cultural event, equal treatment, integration of people with disabilities, project management, public awareness campaign

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/235

Unicef (e.g. Appui au renforcement de l’Indépendance vaccinale (cid:1) ARIVA (cid:1) West-Africa), aimed at
strengthening capacities towards higher national and regional independence in vaccination programmes.
Support for immunisation activities in complex emergencies is also provided through the European
Humanitarian Aid Office. Furthermore, the Commission is contributing through regional funds (African
malaria Vaccine Network), the special budget line (AIDS vaccine preparedness programmes) and the 5th
Research Framework, to the development of new and more effective vaccines against the main poverty-
related diseases.

(1) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998.

(2003/C 222 E/265)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0793/03

by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: European Year of People with Disabilities 2003

(14 March 2003)

The EU’s population currently includes some 37 million people with disabilities (cid:1) among them workers,
consumers, taxpayers, politicians and students (cid:1) 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
they can submit requests to the
Year and to which candidates are to send their projects so that
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.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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18.9.2003

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
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).

the European Year (www.eypd2003.org).

It

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 (cid:1) 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 (cid:1) 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.

(2003/C 222 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0841/03

by Carlos Coelho (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 March 2003)

Subject: Health

Obesity is turning out to be one of the major epidemics of the century, and Portugal and the other EU
countries have seen a massive increase in the number of people suffering from obesity.