Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Situation of disabled people in the European Union: the European Action Plan 2008-2009 {SEC(2007)1548}
Date: 2007-11-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, European social policy, action programme, disabled person, equal treatment, fundamental rights, human rights, integration of people with disabilities

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 26.11.2007 
COM(2007) 738 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Situation of disabled people in the European Union: the European Action Plan 2008-
2009 

{SEC(2007)1548}

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

5. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

The situation of disabled people .................................................................................. 3 

Facts and figures .......................................................................................................... 3 

The growing economic dimension ............................................................................... 3 

The achievements of the EU Disability Action Plan for 2006-2007 ........................... 4 

The Community and Member States acting together................................................... 4 

Actions at EU level ...................................................................................................... 4 

Developments at national level .................................................................................... 7 

Priorities for 2008-2009 ............................................................................................... 7 

Actions for inclusive participation through accessibility............................................. 7 

Actions towards full enjoyment of fundamental rights................................................ 9 

Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 11 

ANNEXES 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  objective  of  the  Commission’s  disability  strategy  since  20031  has  been  to  make  equal 
opportunities for disabled people a reality. By jointly signing the United Nations Convention 
on  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities2  (UN  Convention)  in  2007,  the  European 
Community and its Member States have confirmed their view that disability is a broad human 
rights issue3 and a matter of law. 

The  EU  Disability  Action  Plan  (DAP)  2003-2010  provides  the  means  to  implement  this 
strategy  by  mainstreaming  disability  issues  within  all  relevant  EU  policies.  Moreover, 
Member States are implementing the 2003 Council conclusions inviting them to proactively 
mainstream disability issues within relevant policy areas4. 

The DAP is developed in two-year phases with policy priorities that respond to the equality 
gaps disabled people face. The purpose of the present Communication is to: 

a) analyse developments in the situation of disabled people; 

b) report on achievements of the second phase of the DAP 2006–2007; 

c) define priorities for 2008-2009 to meet the strategic objectives of the DAP. 

2. 

THE SITUATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE 

2.1. 

Facts and figures 

Analysis of the most recent data5 (Annex 1) confirms the strong correlation between disability 
and  ageing.  It  also  shows  that  disabled  people  continue  to  be  disproportionately  excluded 
from the labour market and that the situation of women with disabilities is worse than that of 
disabled men (Annex 2). Moreover, people with learning or intellectual disabilities are even 
less likely to be in work than those with physical disabilities. 

2.2. 

The growing economic dimension 

The exclusion of people with disabilities from the labour market is a serious concern, from the 
perspective of equal opportunities. There is also an economic dimension to this problem: faced 
with  a  shrinking  workforce  resulting  from  demographic  change,  the  2006  Spring  European 
Council6  highlighted  the  need  to  make  the  most  of  the  untapped  potential  of  many  people 
excluded  from  the  labour  market  and  identified  disabled  people  as  one  of  the  key  priority 
groups. 

1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 

COM/2003/650. 
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/. 
Civil, political, economic, social and environmental rights. 
Council Conclusions on the follow-up to the European Year of People with Disabilities 15512/03. 
“Men and women with disabilities in the EU”, Applica, CESEP and Alphametrics, 2007. 
Conclusion 34. 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
This,  together  with  the  correlation  between  ageing  and  disability,  creates  a  strong  demand 
for  accessibility7.  The  economic  significance  of  the  market  for  accessible  products  is 
increasing  and  has  become  a  driver  for  innovation,  especially  in  the  US  and  Japan  in  areas 
such  as  ICT.  US  legislation  mandating  accessibility  requirements  in  public  contracts 
facilitates  the  accommodation  of  disabled  federal  employees.  Accessibility  can  make  the 
difference between a disabled person being active in the labour market and being dependent 
on social welfare. 

The social services sector is also growing, creating new jobs to meet the increasing demands 
of  an  ageing  population.  In  2004,  the  sector  providing  services  to  people  with  disabilities 
employed more than 8 million people, registering an annual turnover of about €68 000m for 
the EU278, and the figures are expected to increase9. 

3. 

THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE EU DISABILITY ACTION PLAN FOR 2006-2007 

3.1. 

The Community and Member States acting together 

The common European approach to  disability has had a major  impact on  the  content of the 
UN  Convention,  which  recognises  disability  as  an  evolving  concept,  thus  reflecting  the 
European  social  model  of  disability.  Furthermore,  the  main  elements  of  the  EU  approach, 
which combines non-discrimination, equal opportunities and active inclusion, are at the core 
of the UN Convention. 

The Member States and Commission agreed at an informal ministerial meeting on disability 
issues  in  June  2007  to  work,  together  with  civil  society,  on  a  coherent  and  coordinated 
approach for the implementation of the UN Convention. They agreed that the EU Disability 
High Level Group should identify common challenges and solutions to meet them and report 
on progress to future ministerial disability meetings. 

3.2. 

Actions at EU level 

The  2006-2007  DAP  focused  on  four  areas  to  promote  independent  living:  encouraging 
(economic) activity, quality support and care services, accessibility of mainstream goods and 
services, and increasing the EU’s analytical capacity10. 

•  Encouraging activity 

Low participation of disabled people in the labour force can be due to both discriminatory and 
non-discriminatory  obstacles.  This  calls  for  a  combination  of  instruments  to  fight 
discrimination, provide active support and remove accessibility barriers. 

The Employment Equality Directive11 has been transposed into national laws in all Member 
States and a report on its implementation will be ready by early 2008. A European Court of 
Justice ruling on the concept of disability12 has emphasised the differences between sickness 

7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_situation/studies_en.htm. 
According to the European Association of Service Providers to Disabled Persons.  
OECD, 4/4/2007, health paper 26, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/13/8/38343783.pdf.  
COM 2005/604 of 28.11.2005. 
Directive 2000/78/EC of 27/11/2000. 
Case C-13/05 Chacon-Navas versus Eurest CSA. 

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
                                                 
and  disability  in  the  application  of  the  Directive.  A  ruling  is  pending  on  discrimination  by 
association against the carers of disabled people13. 

The  Commission  is  finalising  a  new  state  aid  block  exemption  regulation14  which  will 
simplify the rules on employment and training aids for disabled people and exempt certain aid 
schemes from prior notification to the Commission. 

Cohesion Policy plays an important role in supporting the employment and social inclusion of 
disabled persons, as well as accessibility, through the operational programmes prepared and 
implemented  by  Member  States,  regions  and  the  wider  partnership  in  cooperation  with  the 
Commission,  and  funded  by  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF)  and 
European Social Fund (ESF).The General Regulation for the 2007-2013 period provides that 
'accessibility  for  disabled  persons  shall  be  one  of  the  criteria  to  be  observed  in  defining 
operations co-financed by the Funds and to be taken into account during the various stages of 
implementation15. 

•  Access to quality care and support services 

The  Disability  High  Level  Group  (D-HLG)  16  has  issued  a  position  paper  on  the 
mainstreaming of disability under the streamlined Open Method of Coordination (OMC) on 
social inclusion, social protection and long-term care. It addresses good practices and makes 
recommendations  for  a  coherent  approach  through  strengthened  mainstreaming  at  national 
level.  The  specific  risks  of  discrimination  faced  by  disabled  people  in  a  situation  of  great 
dependency or with complex needs are currently the subject of a study17.  

The D-HLG has agreed a practical framework at EU level for the quality of Social Services of 
General  Interest  (SSGI)  18  for  disabled  people,  based  on  human  rights  and  total  quality 
management.  The  framework  provides  an  understanding  of  what  quality  of  these  services 
means and defines common features and corresponding criteria. It stresses their diversity and 
particularities, and the need for quality indicators. The European Social Protection Committee 
will  examine  this  initiative,  which  will  be  taken  into  account  for  the  forthcoming  European 
Strategy on quality of SSGI. 

Community  Based  Services  (CBS)  provide  better  opportunities  for  independent  living  than 
institutionalisation19.The results of a study20 on the costs of CBS (care, health and support), 
due at the end  of  2007, will feed into the  dialogue  with  the  Council  of  Europe21 on the  de-
institutionalisation of children with disabilities. 

•  Accessibility of goods and services 

13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 

19 
20 
21 

Case C-303/06 Coleman versus Attridge Law. 
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/state_aid/reform/reform.cfm. 
Council Regulation 1083/2006/EC, Article 16. 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/index/hlg_esf_nsrf_en.pdf 
Call for Tender VT/2006/014, final report 2008. 
Further information on SSGI 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_protection/questionnaire_en.htm. 
Study Included in Society, http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/index/socinc_en.pdf. 
Call for Tender VT/ 2006/021, final report 2007. 
Disability Committee (CDPRR). 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
The 2006 Regulation on the rights of disabled people and people with reduced mobility when 
travelling by air22 is the first European legislation to put disabled persons on an equal footing 
with non-disabled persons. It imposes obligations on the airport authorities to provide free-of-
charge assistance and accommodation and to ensure accessibility. Similar obligations for the 
international rail sector have been adopted. 

Accessibility to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been fostered, in line 
with  the  e-Accessibility  Communication23.  A  standardisation  mandate  has  been  issued  to 
develop European accessibility requirements for public procurement of products and services 
in the ICT domain, addressing the issue of conformity assessment. A study on Member State 
legislation  on  the  accessibility  of  electronic  communications  has  pointed  to  the  need  to 
strengthen European accessibility provisions24. There has been considerable investment in the 
research and development of accessible ICT and assistive technologies25. 

A dialogue with the US authorities, with the support of users and the ICT industry, is focusing 
on standards and the benefits of global markets for accessibility. The Commission participates 
in the US Access Board Committee for the revision of the standards of section 508 of the US 
Rehabilitation Act. Information has also been exchanged on the use of accessibility standards 
for the built environment. 

The Commission has supported several pilot projects and research on accessibility to the built 
environment. The results include a guide for public administration to consider accessibility in 
public  tendering  for  buildings,  training  materials  on  accessibility  for  professionals,  and  the 
creation of a European network on accessible tourism26  

•  Increasing the EU’s analytical capacity 

More data on the situation of disabled people are still needed for better informed and targeted 
policy making. Eurostat has increased its efforts in the European Statistical System to further 
develop Community statistics relating to disabled people. 

Annex 3 reports on Commission activities in developing disability statistics. 

•  Other relevant developments 

The  Progress  Programme  2007-201327,  adopted  in  2006,  provides  support  for  the 
implementation  of  the  disability  strategy,  among  other  things  through  co-financing28  of  the 
running costs of key European disability organisations. 

Discrimination,  including  on  grounds  of  disability,  is  also  being  highlighted  in  the  EU  and 
national initiatives under the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. 

Annex 4 provides details of the implementation of the DAP in 2006-2007. 

22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 

28 

Regulation 1107/2006 of 5.07.2006. 
COM(2005) 425 final of 13.09.2005. 
INCOM Inclusive Communication group report. 
Over €60m under the 6th EU Research Framework Programme. 
Annex 1 of COM/2005/604 
European  Parliament  and  Council  Decision  No  1672/2006/EC  establishing  a  Community  Programme 
for Employment and Social Solidarity.  
Over €1.2 million in 2007. 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
                                                 
3.3. 

Developments at national level  

Most  Member  States  identify  disabled  people  among  the  most  disadvantaged  social  groups. 
They have developed actions and programmes reflecting the EU priorities29 to improve their 
employability  in  the  open  labour  market.  Positive  measures  are  increasing,  but  are  not  yet 
sufficiently  linked  to  broader  employment  strategies  as  reflected  in  the  National  Reform 
Programmes. 

Member  States  also  report  progress  on  disability-related  legislation,  educational  and 
rehabilitation programmes, targeted actions for the removal of accessibility barriers, support 
facilities  for  disabled  people,  including  measures  for  the  independent  living  through  local 
community  and  home  care,  and  redress  mechanisms  to  ensure  actual  access  for  disabled 
people to their rights. Several Member States have established obligations to public bodies to 
promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. 

Annex 5 reports on Member State actions. 

4. 

PRIORITIES FOR 2008-2009 

Analysis  of  developments  in  the  situation  of  disabled  people  and  consultations30  with  their 
representatives,  Member  States  and  other  stakeholders  have  identified  accessibility  as  a 
priority for active inclusion and access to rights. 

Accessible goods, services and infrastructures are essential to sustain non-discriminatory and 
inclusive forms of participation in many aspects of everyday life in an ageing society, along 
with the elimination of barriers to education and to the labour market. Accessibility is also at 
the  core  of  the  UN  Convention31  and  enables  the  heterogeneous  needs  of  men  and  women 
with disabilities to be addressed in an integrated manner. 

Achieving accessibility requires the avoidance and removal of barriers that prevent disabled 
people from exercising their capabilities and participating fully and on equal terms. It requires 
combining  the  inclusive  Design  for  All  approach  with  specific  assistive  solutions  across 
policy areas and instruments so as to address systemic forms of discrimination. 

In a survey32 of EU public opinion, as part of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for 
All, 91% of respondents agreed that more should be spent on eliminating physical obstacles 
for  disabled  people,  reflecting  perhaps  the  needs  of  an  ageing  population.  In  this  respect, 
implementation  of  Cohesion  Policy  is  expected  to  support  the  business  case  of  disability 
including accessibility.  

4.1. 

Actions for inclusive participation through accessibility 

•  Fostering accessibility of the labour market 

29 

30 
31 
32 

National  Reports  on  Strategies  for  Social  Protection  and  Social  Inclusion  2007  and  Member  State 
reports on employment in their National Reform Programmes 2006. 
D-HLG meetings of February and June 2007. 
Article 3 on general principles and Article 9 on accessibility. 
Discrimination in the European Union 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/eyeq/uploaded_files/documents/Eurobarometer_report_en_2007
.pdf. 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
                                                 
A  comprehensive  approach  is  necessary  to  increase  the  employment  rate  of  people  with 
disabilities  through  a  combination  of  flexible  employment  schemes,  supported  employment, 
active  inclusion,  and  positive  measures  complementing  the  existing  European  legislation  on 
non-discrimination.  To  this  end,  the  Commission  will  analyse  models  of  good  practices  for 
the reasonable accommodation of disabled people in the work place. 

In  line  with  its  Communication  on  flexicurity33,  the  Commission  will  explore  the 
opportunities  for  disabled  persons  under  the  general  framework  of  enhanced  labour  market 
flexibility  combined  with  security  to  increase  and  maintain  their  employment.  Typical 
flexicurity  pathways  include  flexible  and  reliable  contractual  arrangements,  part-time  and 
temporary  work,  active  labour  market  policies,  comprehensive  lifelong  learning  strategies, 
and  modern  social  protection  systems  providing  adequate  income  support  during  periods  of 
unemployment. Job retention schemes preventing early exit from the employment market and 
orientations  for  the  reform  of  financial  compensation  providing  income  replacement 
(disability benefits) will also be addressed. This will be tackled through expert exchanges and 
the identification of good practices on the basis of a thematic peer review and contributions 
from the D-HLG together with the European Employment Committee (EMCO). 

Supported  employment  provides  personal  assistance  and  workplace  adaptations  taking  into 
consideration  the  needs of  disabled  people  in  open  employment,  but  has  not  yet  reached  its 
full potential. Greater attention should be given to the requirements of enterprises in order to 
match  labour  market  needs.  The  Commission  will  encourage  the  providers  of  employment 
services  to  coordinate  with  employers  in  designing  vocational  training  and  rehabilitation 
services.  The  Commission  will  work  with  the  European  network  of  the  Heads  of  Public 
Employment Services34 to improve employment services accessible to disabled people. It will 
issue a discussion paper with corresponding models of good practices reflecting the guidelines 
of the European Employment Strategy and suggestions for helping young disabled people for 
the  transition  from  education  to  the  labour  market35.  This  paper  will  be  presented  to  the  D-
HLG as well as to EMCO with the view to further reinforcing the mainstreaming of disability 
in the National Reform Programmes and encouraging national targets36.The Commission will 
also continue to facilitate supported employment under  the simplified Commission state aid 
rules and to promote an active inclusion policy for disadvantaged people, including disabled 
persons, which complements the link to the labour market with adequate income support and 
access to quality social services37. 

•  Boosting accessibility of goods, services and infrastructures 

Greater access to mainstream goods, services, and infrastructures empowers disabled people 
to  act  as  consumers.  A  European  accessibility  market  requires  clear  rules  for  the  sectors 
concerned. Actors involved in design, development and manufacturing in the various sectors 
need  adequate  competences  in  accessibility.  Instruments  to  deliver  accessibility  should  be 
tailored to the individual development cycles of these sectors. 

33 
34 
35
36 
37 

COM(2007) 359 of 27 June 2007. 
Created in 2007: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/employment_strategy/pub_empl_services_en.htm. 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/news/2007/sep/com498_en.pdf. 
Notably on the basis of guideline 19 of the European Employment Strategy. 
COM(2006) 44 final of 8.2.2006. 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
The  Commission  is  developing  legislative  frameworks  on  accessibility  in  the  areas  of 
transport and ICT. Building on recent European legislation concerning air transport38 and in 
the  Regulation  on  international  rail  sector  on  the  rights  of  disabled  people  and  people  with 
reduced  mobility,  the  Commission  plans  to  propose  legislation  in  the  areas  of  maritime 
transport and bus and coach transport. 

As regards ICT, the Commission plans to reinforce accessibility provisions in the revision of 
the  electronic  communication  package39,  including  in  areas  such  as  emergency  services  and 
textual  communications.  Following  the  commitment  made  in  its  2005  e-accessibility 
Communication,  the  Commission  has  assessed  progress  and  has  made  new  proposals  in  its 
Communication on e-Inclusion40. In particular, the Commission will work in 2008 towards a 
horizontal legislative approach for an accessible information society, to guarantee equal rights 
and an effective internal market. Deployment and research activities on accessible ICT have 
been allocated a budget of over €100 million41. 

Enhancing  competition  among  industries  in  these  fields  will  further  develop  the  European 
accessibility  market,  leading  to  a  better  position  in  the  global  market.  Compatible  and 
competitive solutions are fostered by the development and use of accessibility standards, for 
example  in  public  procurement,  that  address  users’  functional  requirements  as  well  as 
interoperability issues, allowing for innovative solutions. 

Accessibility  of  the  built  environment  contributes  to  the  sustainability  of  the  construction 
market.  To  facilitate  accessible  public  environments  for  all,  the  Commission  will  prepare  a 
mandate  to  the  European  standardisation  organisations  for  the  development  of  accessibility 
requirements to be used notably in public procurement. 

•  Consolidating the Commission’s analytical capacity to support accessibility 

More  reliable  and  comparable  data  on  disability  and  the  participation  of  disabled  people  is 
needed  to  measure  progress  in  the  inclusion  of  disabled  people  and  to  comply  with  the  UN 
Convention’s monitoring requirements42. The new Disability and Social Integration module, 
described in Annex 3, can be used as a free standing module. 

A  European  academic  network  of  disability  experts  will  be  created  to  provide  scientific 
the  gathering  of  evidence  and 
background  and  support 
recommendations relevant to the DAP. 

through  fact-finding  and 

4.2. 

Actions towards full enjoyment of fundamental rights 

•  Facilitating the implementation of the UN Convention 

Building on the successful adoption of a Council Decision in March 2007 on the signature of 
the UN Convention, EU disability ministers and the Commission agreed in Berlin in June on 

38 
39 
40 
41 

42 

EN 

Regulation (EC) 1107/2006 of 5 July 2006, JO L204 of 26.07.2006. 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/tomorrow/roadmap/index_en.htm. 
COM (2007)694 European i2010 initiative on e-Inclusion "To be part of the information society" 
7th 
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/challenge7_en.html;  
Competitive  and  Innovation  Programme,  ICT  for  accessibility,  ageing  and  social  integration: 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/ict_psp/library/ref_docs/docs/cip_ictpsp_wp.pdf. 
Article 31. 

accessible/inclusive 

Programme, 

ICT/ageing, 

Framework 

ICT: 

and 

9 

   EN 

 
                                                 
the need for quick ratification by the Member States. The Commission will propose a Council 
Decision in early 2008 to allow the European Community to conclude the UN Convention. In 
preparation,  the  Commission  is  screening  Community  legislation  to  establish  the  scope  of 
Community competences and to assess the need to amend secondary European legislation or 
adjust relevant policies. This review will also consider the impact on the European institutions 
themselves.  The  D-HLG  will  report  regularly  on  progress  in  implementing  the  UN 
Convention. 

Given  the  strong  convergence  between  the  European  approach  to  disability  and  the  UN 
Convention, the DAP will contribute to its practical implementation at European level, while 
complementing  national  actions.  In  particular,  actions  in  the  areas  of  employment,  social 
services,  independent  living,  accessibility,  and  development  aid  will  contribute  to  the 
implementation  of  the  UN  Convention.  The  Commission  will  pay  attention  to  those 
provisions  calling  for  combining  the  mainstreaming  of  gender  issues  with  specific  gender-
sensitive measures. In the area of accessibility, the Commission is involved in the UN Global 
initiative  for  inclusive  ICT,  which  aims  to  facilitate  the  implementation  of  the  accessibility 
provisions. 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  work  with  European  NGOs  in  line  with  the  UN 
Convention’s  obligation43  to  consult  and  involve  representative  organisations  of  disabled 
people  and  will  invite  the  EU  members  of  the  UN  Convention  Committee44  to  join  the  D-
HLG. 

Effective  implementation  of  the  UN  Convention  also  requires  action  by  regional  and  local 
authorities.  The  Commission  will  support  this  process  through  the  development  of  training 
modules  to  raise  awareness  and  facilitate  the  interpretation  of  laws  in  the  light  of  the  UN 
Convention. 

The  new  European  Survey  Module  on  Disability  and  Social  Integration  (ESDIM)  for 
measuring  disability,  including  participation  and  environmental  factors,  will  contribute  to 
monitoring progress in achieving the UN Convention’s objectives. 

•  Complementing  the  Community 

legislative  framework  of  protection  against 

discrimination 

The  Commission  plans  to  make  in  2008  a  proposal  for  a  Directive45  to  complement  the 
current  EU  framework  under  Article  13  of  the  EC  Treaty  on  prevention  of  and  protection 
against discrimination beyond the labour market, including on the grounds of disability. Such 
an  initiative  addressing  individual  rights  will  also  contribute  to  ensuring  an  accessible 
environment. An impact assessment is under way, building on information gathered through a 
study  of  existing  legal  provisions46.  Various  consultations,  including  a  public  online 
questionnaire  and  consultations  with  NGOs  and  business,  have  taken  place  as  part  of  the 
impact assessment. 

43 
44 
45 
46 

Article 4.3. 
Article 34. 
http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/programmes/docs/clwp2008_en.pdf 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/pdf/pubst/stud/mapstrand1_en.pdf. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
                                                 
5. 

CONCLUSIONS 

This  Communication  reflects  the  European  commitment  to  ensure  that  disabled  people  are 
able  to  enjoy  their  rights.  It  addresses  disabled  people  as  citizens  and  active  socioeconomic 
actors  contributing  to  the  construction  of  a  sustainable  and  cohesive  Europe  offering  equal 
opportunities  for  all.  All  the  actions  in  this  Communication  aim  to  meet  the  individual  and 
diverse needs of disabled people. 

in 

the  key  policy  areas 

requires  maximising  synergies  and 
identified 
Progress 
complementarities with the activities of Member States. The ministerial commitment to tackle 
common challenges and solutions when implementing the UN Convention paves the way for 
national  consistent  and  comparable  targets  that  reflect  the  objectives  of  the  UN  Convention 
and the progress of the Commission and Member States towards achieving those objectives. 

Cooperation between the Commission and Member States is therefore crucial, together with 
disabled  people  and  other  relevant  stakeholders.  The  new  annual  meetings  of  European 
disability ministers will strengthen the European disability strategy. 

EN 

11 

   EN