WRITTEN QUESTION E-0535/04 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Recognition of disability status across the European Union.
Date: 2004-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: competence of the Member States, disabled person, facilities for people with disabilities, free movement of persons, integration of people with disabilities, legal status, simplification of formalities, social-security harmonisation

C 84 E/426

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

be taken in the event of a radiological emergency, the Commission takes the view that the Directive
applies equally to ionising radiation arising from the use of nuclear energy for miliary purposes, including
submarine propulsion reactors.

Italy has adopted measures transposing the abovementioned Directive which provide for ‘external
emergency’ plans for military port
the implementation and diffusion of which is the
responsibility of the provincial authority.

installations,

The Commission is currently assessing the conformity of the national legislation with the provisions in
Directive 89/618/Euratom, particularly with regard to public access to information on emergency
measures.

The Commission has received no complaints following the incident
in question, and according to
information provided by the Italian environmental protection authority (APAT), no indication of
radioactive contamination was found when monitoring the water and the air following the incident
described by the Honourable Member.

(2004/C 84 E/0496)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0535/04

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 February 2004)

Subject: Recognition of disability status across the European Union

In the interests of promoting the free movement of persons with disabilities such as blindness, can the
Commission advise on the current situation regarding the recognition of blindness and other disability
certification from one Member State in other parts of the Community?

What steps are being taken towards harmonising criteria, certification and categorisation of disability to
allow citizens moving between Member States to qualify for the same health and social welfare status
across the EU without undergoing further testing?

Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission

(1 April 2004)

The decision concerning the definition of disability as well as the modalities for assessment and
certification (disability cards) are taken at national level. The situation is complicated by the fact that often
several definitions exist at national level, depending in which context the definition is used. There is no
general mutual recognition of certification/disability cards or a certain disability status entitling holders to
the various concessions available in Member States other than the one that issued the card.

It should nevertheless be mentioned that for individual purposes (access to special services, reductions for
travel or entry to cultural
issued in another Member State might be
recognised. Moreover, through the voluntary system of blue parking cards initiated by the Commission,
which gives entitlement to special parking concessions for those entitled under national rules, there is (cid:1) in
this particular case (cid:1) general mutual recognition of the blue parking cards issued in one Member State
and used in another.

sites, etc.) a document

The Commission has recently commissioned and published a study, ‘Definitions of Disability in Europe:
A comparative Analysis’ (1), that will be presented for discussion to the Member States at one of the next
meetings of the High Level Group Disability.

(1) The study can be downloaded from the following Website:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/index/7002_en.html