Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Equal opportunities for people with disabilities
Date: 2007-01-17
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: disabled person, drafting of EU law, equal treatment, facilities for people with disabilities, integration of people with disabilities, social policy

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The total amount of compensation per year must not

4.4
exceed:

a) Azores

Madeira
and
———————————————-
———————

b) Canary

Islands
———————————————-
—————————————

c)

French
——————————————

Guiana

and

Réunion

EUR 4 283 992

EUR 5 844 076

EUR 4 868 700

4.5
For the period 2007-2013 an annual budget of around
EUR 15 million is envisaged (the same as for the previous
period), covered by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund.

4.6
These changes in relation to the previous regulation are
in line with the recommendations made by the EESC in its
earlier opinion, and the EESC therefore endorses them.

Brussels, 17 January 2007.

Support

is limited to fishery products harvested and
4.7
processed in accordance with the rules governing the Common
Fisheries Policy.

4.8
The list of fishery products not eligible for compensation
specifically excludes those caught by ‘fishing vessels that fly the
flag of Venezuela and operate in Community waters’. The EESC
believes that if any agreement between the EU and Venezuela
allows vessels from that country to benefit from the proposed
compensation scheme then this should be expressly stated, and
mention should be made of the Community waters in the outer-
most region in which the country's fishery products are eligible
for said compensation.

4.9
Lastly, each Member State is to submit an annual report
on the implementation of compensation, and the Commission
is to submit a report, before 31 December 2011, to the Euro-
pean Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and
Social Committee on this implementation, accompanied,
if
necessary, by legislative proposals.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Equal opportunities for people with
disabilities

(2007/C 93/08)

On 24 May 2006, the Austrian presidency decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee
under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community on Equal opportunities for people with
disabilities

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 19 December 2006. The rapporteur was Mr Joost.

At its 432nd plenary session, held on 17 and 18 January 2007 (meeting of 17 January 2007), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 152 votes, with one vote against and
with one abstention:

1. Introduction

(with its subsequent impact on programming and priority defi-
nition) in two years time.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
1.1
to draw up an
welcomes the Austrian presidency's request
opinion on equal
people with disabilities.
Promoting equal opportunities for people with disabilities must
be seen as an ongoing process that should feature high on the
work programme of every EU Council presidency.

opportunities

for

1.2 With the current opinion the EESC wants to look ahead
and start outlining the challenges that the Commission will have
to face on the disability front during the second half of its
current mandate and even beyond. The present opinion should
also be framed in the wider context of the identification of prio-
rities for the last phase of the Disability Action Plan (2008-
2009), as well as the re-opening of the budgetary discussions

1.3
People with disabilities make up 15 % of the total popu-
lation — a figure that is rising as the population ages. This
means that, in the enlarged EU, more than 50 million people
are currently living with disabilities (1). They therefore represent
a very significant share of EU citizens and providing them with
equal opportunities is a social, ethical and political imperative,
which should be at the top of the EU's agenda. Furthermore,
there is a clear business case for the integration of people with
disabilities and for making services and goods fully accessible to
them.

(1) According to Eurostat figures for 2002, 44.6 million people in the 16-
64 age group — i.e. one in six (15.7 %) — stated that they had a long-
standing health problem or disability (LSHPD).

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In efforts to secure equal opportunities for people with
1.4
disabilities, the EESC considers it vital to draw fully on all the
activities planned under the European Year of Equal Opportu-
nities for All
in 2007. Disability associations must also be
involved in these activities, as they were during the European
Year of People with Disabilities in 2003. Furthermore next year
should be the opportunity for the European Union and Member
States to reinforce policies and legislation promoting equal
opportunities for disabled people.

People with disabilities do not

1.5
form a homogeneous
group. There are different needs for different disabilities, which
can only be accommodated if society recognises the require-
ments of people with disabilities and has as comprehensive a
range of relevant information at its disposal as possible. The
disability movement plays a key role in this regard.

1.6
In the European Union there is a significant number of
people with disabilities who are excluded from full participation
and inclusion in society and from exercising fundamental
human and civil rights. Full
inclusion of disabled children
should be highlighted.

The EESC welcomes the UN Convention on the Rights of

1.7
Persons with Disabilities adopted in December 2006 (2).

2. Conclusions and recommendations

The EESC urges that the 2007 European Year of Equal
to the fullest possible use in

2.1
Opportunities for All be put
securing equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

The EESC urges the Commission to submit a proposal
2.2
for comprehensive legislation on disability issues that extends
anti-discrimination protection for people with disabilities into
areas other than employment and also consolidates the principle
of mainstreaming disability policy. Such legislation would
ensure a minimum level of protection against discrimination in
all areas of life across the EU. As it would cover the area of
access to goods and services, it would also contribute to a more
efficient single market and to the achievement of the Lisbon
Strategy.

The EESC urges the Commission and Member States to
2.3
go further
in focusing on disability — moving from the
Disability Action Plan (DAP) to a broad-scale EU strategy for
people with disabilities.

The EESC invites Member States and the Commission,
2.4
within their
to continue efforts to
ensure full inclusion and participation in society of people with
they have equal rights vis-à-vis
disabilities, recognising that

respective competences,

(2) United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,

New York, 2006.

other citizens; to examine possible alternatives to existing insti-
tutions where people with disabilities live segregated from the
community, sometimes in undignified or inhuman conditions;
and progressively to set up such alternatives.

2.5
The EESC reiterates the priorities necessary to focus on
in order to achieve equal opportunities for people with disabil-
ities: raising awareness of the rights of people with disabilities;
disability access to public buildings; access to the information
society and to modes of transport; drafting of new national
legislation; and support for families, priorities which should
exist in every society. It is especially important to focus on chil-
dren with disabilities and to provide them with appropriate
education,
thus helping them to
become more active members of society and reducing their
dependence on social security.

integration and support,

2.6
The EESC urges the European Commission and the
Member States to be prepared to do considerably more to
support the disability movement. The philosophy of ‘Nothing
about disabled people without disabled people’ can only be
enforced if governments realise the need to support the network
of disability organisations. In June 2004, just after the last enlar-
gement of the European Union, the national councils of disabled
people's non-governmental organisations from the 10 new
Member States and Bulgaria and Romania adopted the Budapest
resolution (3) on that issue.

2.7
The EESC calls on the Commission and the Member
States to make information available on best practices and effec-
tive approaches (such as the Agenda 22 method) so as to
involve disability representatives in drawing up local authorities'
thereby also securing equal opportunities for
action plans,
people with disabilities at local
level. The EESC calls on the
member states to follow the High Level Group on Disability
guidelines on mainstreaming disability in different policy
areas (4).

The EESC welcomes the Commission's determination to
2.8
launch a European Initiative on e-Inclusion in 2008 and calls
for it to be as far-reaching and ambitious as possible and a defi-
nitive step towards the mainstreaming of e-Accessibility in all
relevant EU policies.

2.9
At a more concrete level, the EESC calls for the new
regulations (currently in discussion) setting out the new elec-
tronic communications framework and the TV without frontiers
directive to mainstream accessibility in order to make sure that
people with disabilities can fully benefit from such important
means of communications.

(3) See for instance:

http://www.eudnet.org/update/online/2004/jun04/edfn_02.htm.

(4) Discussion Document for the meeting of the High Level Group on

Disability, 18–19 March 2004.
Concept paper on ‘Mainstreaming disability in different policy areas’,
High Level Group on Disability.

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The EESC calls

strengthening of Directive
a
2.10
2001/85/EC (5) in order to bring it into line with new EC legis-
lation on the rights of disabled air passengers.

for

2.11
The EESC calls on the Commission and the Member
States to devote all necessary efforts and resources to make sure
that Council Directive 2000/78/EC (6), which provides a legal
framework for equal treatment in employment,
is effectively
implemented.

2.12
The EESC believes that the transition from institutions
for disabled people to high quality, community-based alterna-
tives for everyone is indispensable to allow inclusion and partici-
pation of disabled people in the life of society, and calls on the
European Commission to include this issue in the future initia-
tives on social services of general interest, and as a priority for
EU structural funds.

2.13
The EESC calls on the Commission and Member States
to place emphasis on social services and personal assistance for
people with disabilities, keeping in mind that supportive services
will make it possible for people with disabilities as well as carers
to lead a normal life and contribute actively to society.

2.14
In the context of the Commission's initiative on ‘better
regulation’, the EESC calls for impact assessment in preparation
of new draft legislation, taking into account the specificities and
needs of people with disabilities. In addition, all ICT tools used
to improve the quality, adoption, transposition and enforcement
of EU legislation should fully respect accessibility requirements.

2.15
Families which include one or more persons with
disabilities, have a higher risk of finding themselves in situations
of poverty, as disability involves greater family spending, which
can amount up to EUR 30 000 per year (7). This justifies the
adoption of positive discrimination measures, such as allow-
ances (in cash or in kind) or tax incentives.

2.16
The EESC calls on the Member States to enforce and
monitor relevant legislation which influences the equal opportu-
nities for people with disabilities. The EESC notes that directives
on air and rail transportation only apply to international trans-
leaving people with disabilities without any accessible
port,
means of transportation at regional and local level.

3. Equal opportunities for people with disabilities —

taking stock in various fields

3.1 Awareness and education

The awareness and visibility of disability was strongly
3.1.1
emphasised during the European Year of People with Disabilities

(5) See Directive 2001/85/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 20 November 2001 relating to special provisions for vehi-
cles used for the carriage of passengers comprising more than eight
seats in addition to the driver's seat, and amending Directives
70/156/EEC and 97/27/EC.

(6) See Directive for equal treatment in employment and occupation,

2000/78/EC of 27.11.2000.

(7) The ‘Study on the economic inequality of people with disabilities in
the city of Barcelona. The overstrain economic effort provoked by
disability’ carried out by the Local Institute of People with Disabilities
of Barcelona City Council in March 2006 has revealed that family
spending derived from the disability of any of the members of the
family could amount up to EURO 30 000 per year, depending on
the social protection level and the type of disability. (
http://w3.bcn.es/fitxers/baccessible/greugecomparatiueconmic.683.
pdf).

2003. Enabling real changes in securing equal opportunities for
people with disabilities, and information on disability should be
incorporated into the provision of education. High quality
media coverage of the problems faced by people with disabilities
should be seen as an essential means of changing social attitudes
to disability; schools and media should both work together in
order to achieve this goal.

3.1.2 Without inclusive education provided for disabled chil-
dren and youth, integration into the labour market would be
difficult to achieve. Improving access to education for people
forthcoming
with disabilities should become a priority for
action plans and strategies for people with disabilities.

3.1.3
Although the EESC recognises that progress has been
made since the Madrid Declaration and the European Year of
People with Disabilities, there is still a long way to go. To cite
just one example, over 80 % of public websites, including those
the European institutions, are generally not accessible to
of
people with disabilities. Furthermore it
that all
websites providing services to the general public are also acces-
sible.

is critical

3.1.4
The EESC calls in particular for making standards
which are agreed by the European standardisation bodies
mandatory for public procurement of goods and services, and
for legislation on access to ICT goods and services.

The 'Design for All' concept should be promoted
3.1.5
among all interested parties i.e. designers, manufacturers, those
responsible for devising standards as well as the users them-
selves, namely people with disabilities, who have the right to a
wide choice of goods and services that meet their needs.

The EESC welcomes the Riga Ministerial Declaration on
3.1.6
ICT for an inclusive society and it hopes that it will be an
important milestone in the e-Inclusion of people with disabil-
ities. ICT, apart from being an important driver of growth and
for the integration of
employment,
people with disabilities.

is also a powerful

tool

3.1.7
Ahead of the revision of the existing regulations for
state aid for the training and employment of people with
disabilities, the EESC calls on the Commission to maintain its
current approach in the forthcoming block exemption regu-
lation.

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3.2 Employment

to be complemented, when needed, with binding legislation to
make accessibility standards compulsory.

3.2.1
The EESC is aware that, on the employment front,
significant disparities remain between disabled and non-disabled
people.
In 2003, Eurostat confirmed that significantly more
people with disabilities are economically inactive: 78 % of the
severely disabled are outside the labour force as opposed to
27 % for those without long-standing health problems or no
disability (8).

3.2.2
The EESC welcomes the resolute steps taken by the
European Commission to monitor the transposition and imple-
mentation of the employment directive (9). Monitoring should
be carried out jointly with the social partners and the non-
governmental organisations active in this field. The EESC feels
that better monitoring creates better conditions for making
workplaces more disability-friendly, creating new jobs suitable
for people with disabilities and encouraging the establishment
of support services.

3.2.3
The EESC hopes for greater involvement by national
disability associations in drawing up the reform plans. The
revised Lisbon agenda requires broader civil society involvement
in order to achieve the planned objectives, which will not be
attained if people with disabilities (15 % of the EU's population)
are left out or their needs are not adequately considered and
catered for.

3.2.4
Following ongoing discussions on employment, growth
and flexible labour market (inter alia at the informal EU summit
that took place in Lahti on 20 October 2006), the EESC calls on
the Commission to analyse the impact and exploit possible
synergies that flexible working and supportive measures may
create for increasing the employment rate of people with disabil-
ities.

3.2.5
The EESC also supports the European Social Fund (ESF)
initiatives to integrate people with disabilities into the labour
market. The EQUAL initiative has proven very effective in
fostering equal opportunities among people with disabilities. As
the separate initiative of EQUAL will cease to exist, the EESC
calls on the Commission to integrate its approach and philo-
sophy adequately into the new ESF mechanisms.

The new framework of

3.2.6
the European Social Fund
should emphasise that investment in people cannot succeed
unless it is, at the same time, accompanied by investment in
improved facilities and improved accessibility.

3.3 A barrier-free society

The EESC believes

3.3.1
that establishing a barrier-free
society is vital to making equal opportunities for people with
disabilities a reality. A barrier-free society means an environment
that is adapted at a technical level to the needs of people with
disabilities and in which barriers to communication and partici-
pation are being torn down.

The EESC believes that

3.3.2
information must be made
available in digest form on disability measures in place in the
Member States and on specific national legislation in this field.
It calls on the Commission to bring the requisite information
together in its future biennial report on the situation of people
with disabilities in Europe.

3.3.3
One major obstacle to securing equal opportunities is
the difficulty experienced by people with disabilities in gaining
framework
access to education. Although the employment
directive bans any discrimination with regard to vocational
training (including higher education), people with disabilities
still have limited access in this area. The reasons for this include
an environment that is unsuited to the needs of people with
disabilities, a shortage of appropriate facilities, poor communica-
tion, lack of information and consultation, as well as the educa-
tion provided to children and young people with disabilities,
which in practice often deprives them of educational opportu-
nities right from the start.

3.3.4
The EU Structural Funds make a crucial contribution to
integration provided due account is thereby taken of the princi-
ples of non-discrimination and accessibility for people with
disabilities. The EESC welcomes the recent approval of the new
Structural Fund Regulations, which are a step in that direction
and will preclude EU-funded projects from creating new barriers
to people with disabilities. The EESC calls
for other EU
programmes and initiatives, in particular those that are better
funded, to take the same approach, and to play a crucial role in
meeting the Lisbon Strategy goals.

The EESC still believes that an adequate policy frame-
3.2.7
work which provides financial incentives to companies to make
their premises and services accessible is required and calls for it

(8) Statistics in Focus, Theme 3: Employment of disabled people in Europe

2002 Eurostat 26/2003.

(9) Directive 78/2000/EC, 27 November 2000.

3.3.5
The EESC feels that more needs to be done to create an
environment that is suited to the needs of people with disabil-
ities — particularly in terms of access to public transport and to
an obstruction-free urban environment. Many sections of
society benefit from an environment that is suited to the needs
of people with disabilities — families with small children, older
instance, people with temporary mobility
people and,
problems as a result of physical injury.

for

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Action is urgently needed to change attitudes. Human
3.3.6
rights must be the basic premise for securing equal opportu-
nities for people with disabilities:
i.e. the principle that every
person has the right to take an active part in society. It is very
important
to ensure that support services are in place for
people with disabilities — including measures to promote
employment, such as facilitating sheltered and supported work
as a pathway into the open labour market.

3.3.7
The Member States should achieve conformity in the
particular processes and methods for securing equal opportu-
nities. With equal opportunities in practice we have to under-
stand the wide scale of realistic possibilities for each individual.
This proposed change to strengthen the truly individual
approach towards people with disabilities will in the medium
term require higher expenditures from public sources as well as
from the Structural Funds. This leverage principle will result in
stable long-term savings on social expenditure.

Social economy enterprises are crucial

3.3.8
to securing
equal opportunities for people with disabilities. Such companies
help integrate people with disabilities into society and the
labour market and promote the mainstreaming of disability
policy with the use of the self-help principle which is much
used by cooperatives.

The EESC is still convinced that the new EU directives
3.3.9
on public procurement offer a good tool
to promote the
employment of disabled people, the accessibility of public trans-
port and the built environment, as well as the production of
accessible goods and services, and calls on all public authorities
(local, regional, national and European) to use them for that
purpose. Exchange of best practices should be supported by the
European Commission.

3.4 Involvement in the decision-making process

3.4.1
European disability organisations are actively working
to mainstream disability issues. The EESC welcomes these activ-
ities and feels that compliance with the mainstreaming principle
is the key to achieving the desired results. Mainstreaming can
only succeed if disability organisations are involved in the deci-
sion-making process at an early stage.

3.4.2
The European Commission has developed effective
participation procedures, which the EESC feels play a crucial
part in securing equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

in conjunction with legislative
Promoting mainstreaming can,
measures, produce results in areas such as accessible transport
and housing suited to the needs of people with disabilities, and
access to goods, services and information.

3.4.3
The European Year of People with Disabilities (2003)
was a milestone on the road to greater participation. It was, in
the main, a success, thanks to the bottom-up approach that
allowed European disability groups to be very much involved in
the preparatory work and to continue to play a role throughout
the entire year. Mindful of the mainstreaming principle, steps
were also taken to work together with a broad spectrum of deci-
sion-makers.

3.4.4
It is also of vital importance that equal opportunities
for people with disabilities become an integral part of those
European Union procedures that are subject
to the open
method of coordination. This is particularly important since
many decisions relating to disability policy are still the responsi-
bility of the Member States.

3.5 Legislative measures to improve equal opportunities for people

with disabilities

3.5.1
A number of political moves have been made at Euro-
pean level to secure equal opportunities for people with disabil-
ities. During the European Year of People with Disabilities in
2003, the Council adopted resolutions on employment and
vocational training, the accessibility of cultural activities and
training, and e-accessibility (10). Other EU institutions also
launched initiatives on access (11) and employment.

3.5.2
The 2006-2007 EU Disability Action Plan is now
being implemented. The EESC is pleased that the objectives
remain geared towards basic issues facing people with disabil-
ities. The primary objective of the second phase of the action
plan is the active integration of people with disabilities. This
builds on the ‘citizens' concept’ of disability (12), i.e. that disabled
people have the same choices and control in their everyday lives
as non-disabled people.

3.5.3
The EESC feels that additional legislation is needed to
combat discrimination in all EU areas of activity. The Committee
awaits with interest the findings of the feasibility study on addi-
legislative initiatives in the field of non-discrimination.
tional
The Committee also firmly believes that a proposal
for a
disability directive must be submitted with all possible speed.

(10) Council Resolution of 15 July 2003 on promoting the employment
and social integration of people with disabilities (2003/C 175/01).
Council Resolution of 6 May 2003 on accessibility of cultural infra-
structure and cultural activities for people with disabilities (2003/C
134/05).
Council Resolution of 5 May 2003 on equal opportunities for
pupils and students with disabilities in education and training
(2003/C 134/04).
Council Resolution of 6 February 2003 on ‘eAccessibility’ —
improving the access of people with disabilities to the knowledge-
based society (2003/C 39/03).

(11) 2010: A Europe accessible for all: report by a group of accessibility

experts:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/index/7002_en.html.
(12) Under Article 26 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Euro-
pean Union, the Union recognises and respects the right of persons
with disabilities to benefit from measures designed to ensure their
independence, social and occupational integration and participation in
the life of the community.

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4. The EESC's role in promoting equal opportunities for

people with disabilities

there. The other EU institutions should take a lead from this
example.

4.1
The EESC recalls that the role of the social partners is
vital for the full integration of people with disabilities. There are
many examples of good practice among employers both in
employing disabled people and in designing their goods and
services in an accessible way. The EESC is committed to
fostering progress in that area within its competences.

4.2
In addition, the EESC encourages employers and trade
unions to make use of social dialogue mechanisms to propose
new initiatives for the employment of disabled people, including
job retention.

4.3
The EESC is committed to securing equal opportunities
for people with disabilities. To help enhance the success of the
European Year of People with Disabilities in 2003, the EESC set
up a task force on disability issues, made up of Committee
members and officials. Its job was to prepare and execute EESC
activities undertaken as part of this special European year.

The EESC opinion on the European Year of People with
4.4
Disabilities (2003) (13) gives a clear overview of EESC activities
to promote disability issues. Although the EESC has made great
efforts and considerable progress in mainstreaming disability in
all its relevant opinions, the Committee is fully committed to
multiplying those efforts during 2007 (European Year of Equal
Opportunities for All) and beyond.

4.5
The EESC has adopted a range of opinions dealing speci-
fically with disability issues, as the one adopted in 2002 titled:
‘The integration of disabled people in society’ (14) which
presented a global approach of the disability issue for the first
time and the one on the situation of disabled people in the
enlarged European Union. Other opinions too have called for
equal opportunities for people with disabilities. These include,
for instance, the opinion on ‘eAccessibility’ (15), the opinion on
the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007) (16)
and that on the mental health green paper (17). The issue was
also touched on in the opinion on social tourism (18).

4.6
The new EESC headquarters building, which opened in
2004 is fully accessible for people with disabilities. Disability
associations have thus been able to attend and hold seminars

(13) EESC opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the
European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation,
results and overall assessment of the European Year of People with
Disabilities 2003, 14 February 2006 (CESE 236/2006), rapporteur:
Mrs Anča. OJ C 88 of 11.4.2006.

(14) EESC opinion on Integration of disabled people in society, (Own-initia-
tive opinion), 17 July 2002 (CESE 853/2002), rapporteur: Mr Cabra
de Luna. OJ C 241 of 7.10.2002.

(15) EESC opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the
Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — eAccessibility,
15 March 2006 (CESE 404/2006), rapporteur: Mr Cabra de Luna. OJ C
110 of 9.5.2006.

(16) EESC opinion on the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parlia-
ment and the Council on the European Year of Equal Opportunities for
All (2007) — Towards a Just Society, 14 December 2005 (CESE 1507-
/2005), rapporteur: Mrs Herczog. OJ C 65 of 17.3.2006.

(17) EESC opinion on the Green Paper Improving the mental health of the
population — Towards a strategy on mental health for the European
Union, 17 May 2006 (CESE 739/2006), rapporteur: Mr Bedossa. OJ C
195 of 18.8.2006.

(18) EESC opinion on Social tourism in Europe (own-initiative opinion), 14
September 2006 (CESE 1155/2006), rapporteur: Mr Mendoza Castro.

4.7
The Committee notes that disability associations now
have stronger representation on the Committee. Moreover, a
number of representatives of social economy organisations and
of the social partners have been working hard to help secure
equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

4.8 With a view to foster the exchange of best practice, the
EESC proposes to organize a seminar during 2007 European
Year of Equal Opportunities, with particular emphasis on
disability and multiple discrimination issues.

4.9
The EESC calls on the national Economic and Social
Councils or similar bodies to use 2007 as a platform to
promote disability mainstreaming in their work. In addition, the
EESC could explore the possibility of commissioning a study on
best practice on disability mainstreaming amongst social part-
ners.

5. Towards a barrier-free Europe: targeted action

5.1
The EESC notes that, so far, Europe has been without
broad-based anti-discrimination legislation covering all areas of
EU activity.

5.2
the
Disability issues must be put on the agenda of
various EU strategies. Consideration must also be given to the
impact this has on securing equal opportunities for people with
disabilities. The disability issue must continue to be given high
priority, not least since the question is, for instance, no longer
addressed in the revamped Lisbon strategy or in the national
reform plans submitted in 2005. The EESC thus welcomes the
working document on disability mainstreaming in the European
Employment Strategy and asks the European Commission to
carry out an impact assessment of this document.

5.3
The EESC would stress the need to again take up the
proposal put forward during the UK presidency to hold an
annual ministerial meeting on disability issues so as to take the
debate forward at a high political
level, with input from the
appropriate disability organisations. The public has not, so far,
been sufficiently aware of this initiative.

C 93/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

27.4.2007

The EESC stresses once again the need for a common
5.4
European definition of disability, which will make EU disability
policy more effective. By the same token, more exhaustive data
on the situation of people with disabilities in the EU would also
contribute to a better informed and targeted policy-making.
Therefore the EESC calls on the Commission, Eurostat and
Member States to devote more resources to the elaboration of
statistics analysing aspects such as the employment situation,
the economic weight of disabled people, their role as consumers
or the access to services of people with disabilities.

and this has even resulted in further obstacles in access to
goods and services.

5.6
The EESC is also keeping a close eye on the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
adopted in August 2006 and calls on EU Member States to
ratify it. The Committee also calls the Commission to ensure
that
the principles enshrined in the UN Convention are
promoted and followed at EU level.

5.5
Under the Amsterdam Treaty, the European Community
is committed to taking account of the needs of people with
disabilities when drawing up measures relating to the single
market. Regrettably, Declaration 22 has not been implemented,

5.7
The EESC hopes that the EU action plans to secure equal
opportunities for people with disabilities will be the catalyst for
more new measures in this field that will in turn produce quan-
tifiable results.

Brussels, 17 January 2007.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Communication from the
Commission to the Council,
the European Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Promoting decent work for all — The EU contribu-
tion to the implementation of the decent work agenda in the world

the European Parliament,

COM(2006) 249 final

(2007/C 93/09)

On 13 July 2006 the European Commission decided to consult the European Economic and Social
Committee, under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned
proposal.

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 19 December 2006. The rapporteur was Mr Etty.

At its 432nd plenary session, held on 17 and 18 January 2007 (meeting of 17 January 2007), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 128 votes to 3 with 11 abstentions.

1. Conclusions and recommendations

1.1.2
tors for assessing the implementation of
Agenda by the EU.

It requests the Commission to develop adequate indica-
the Decent Work

The EESC welcomes the Commission Communication. It
1.1
is confident that the Commission in close cooperation with the
Member States, will make a major contribution to the realisation
of Decent Work, both within the EU and in third countries.

The Committee shares the view of the Commission that the
endorsement of social objectives must not be used for protec-
tionist purposes.

1.1.1
The Committee urges the Commission to involve the
EESC in the preparation of the follow-up report to the Commu-
nication to be presented by the summer of 2008.

1.1.3
The Commission should give a clear indication of the
financial implications of its contribution to the promotion of
decent work, both within and outside the EU. This should
include information on the way it intends to support the ILO in
the execution of its Decent Work Agenda.