WRITTEN QUESTION E-1850/03 by Angelika Niebler (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU funds for people with disabilities from 2004.
Date: 2003-06-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European cultural event, European social policy, action programme, discrimination based on disability, integration of people with disabilities

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/179

(2004/C 33 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1850/03

by Angelika Niebler (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: EU funds for people with disabilities from 2004

(3 June 2003)

The European Commission declared 2003 the ‘Year of People with Disabilities’. Numerous projects, events
and initiatives promoting the integration of disabled people are being given financial support by the EU to
mark the occasion. The deadlines for submitting suggestions for projects were in March.

No specific EU programme currently exists to promote the integration of disabled people.

What plans has the Commission made in this area?

What programmes and actions will be maintained by financial support for work with disabled people after
the end of the ‘Year of People with Disabilities’?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2003)

The Commission cannot commit itself to introducing a specific action programme at the moment. One of
the objectives of the European Year of People with Disabilities will be to identify new challenges to address
and to pave the way for new initiatives at Union level. In consultation with the various actors, the
Commission will evaluate the European Year and consider relevant initiatives to propose in order to move
the Union disability agenda forward. Moreover, account has to be taken by the fact that disability issues
are currently directly addressed in several new programmes which have just started such as the non-
discrimination programme, the EQUAL Community initiative or in the Commission’s actions to promote
In the context of the non discrimination programme, a series of disability-specific
social
activities are undertaken: national
information days, support to disability organisations, award for all
design and some transnational projects specifically dealing with disability discrimination issues.

inclusion.

In the Commission’s view, supporting citizens with disabilities to become an effective part of the economic
and social fabric of society means participation in the mainstream whenever it is possible and taking
account of their needs in all relevant policy areas: herein lies full social integration. The Commission
therefore aims to do this under all its relevant funding programmes, allowing access to these for disabled
people and the organisations which represent them, and thereby promoting an approach based on
mainstreaming and integration, rather than segregation into disability-specific arrangements.

(2004/C 33 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1853/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 June 2003)

Subject: Community funding in Greece and intermediary agencies

For some time now reports have been appearing in the Greek press expressing concern at the loss of
funding from the Community Support Framework (CSF). The leader of the ND Party Mr Karamanlis was
justifiably critical of the Greek Government for its handling of these funds under the second CSF, resulting
in a loss to Greece of EUR 468 m. It is also known that the agencies concerned select undertakings for
such funding and that certain regions are of particular importance to Greece, that is to say the Aegean
border areas and regions along the land border such as Ipirus, central and western Macedonia and Thrace.