CELEX: 51995PC0696
Language: en
Date: 1995-12-15 00:00:00
Title: Draft council Recommendation on a parking card for disabled persons

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                            Brussels, 15.12.1995
                            COM(95) 696 final
                            95/0353 (SYN)
   DRAFT COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON A
    PARKING CARD FOR DISABLED. PERSONS
       (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                             EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
I.      INTRODUCTION
1        In its medium-term social action programme (1995-97) (COM(95) 134 final of
         12 April 1995), the Commission undertook, in section 6.33, to present a
        recommendation on the reciprocal recognition of parking cards for disabled
        persons with a view to facilitating their freedom of movement.
2-       The question of parking cards for disabled persons was previously addressed by
         the Council of Transport Ministers in a recommendation of 6 December 1977
         emanating from the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT)1, .
         calling for:
         -        parking facilities to be provided for disabled people; •
         -        appropriate parking cards giving entitlement to such facilities to be issued;
                  holders^of parking cards from other member countries (of the ECMT) to
                  be granted the same parking facilities as nationals of the country
                  concerned, and
     . ' .-.       the necessary arrangements to be made, with these measures in mind, for
                  the reciprocal recognition of parking cards.
         Experience has shown, however, that numerous practical problems are encountered
         in spite ofjthis recommendation, owing mainly to the lack of a standardised
          format for\ national parking cards, combined with comprehension difficulties
          arising from the variety of languages/involved.
 3 •". Against this background, the ECMT commissioned a progress report on the
          implementation of the 1977 recommendation. This report was completed in July
          1995 with the title "Towards a common European parking badge for motorists
          with disabilities". It makes it clear that, in addition to the problems already
          mentioned, the main difficulty lies in the fact that, while most member countries
          of the ECMT are generally tolerant of parking cards for disabled people from
          other countries, there are no formal arrangements. A. disabled person therefore has
          no way of knowing whether a national parking card will be accepted in a given
          situation in; another country, and the absence of any formal agreement makes it
          impossible for such persons to assert their rights in cases of doubt.
 4         The report therefore comes to the conclusion that the introduction of a European
           parking card for disabled persons is the appropriate instrument to give, those
           concerned the right to use it to avail themselves of the special local parking
          facilities provided in the various countries.
   The European Conference of Ministers of Transport is an organisation of government representatives
 which was set up on the strength of a protocol signed in Brussels on 17 October 1953. The Conference
  Council brings together the transport ministers from 31 European countries.
                                                      A
 ---pagebreak--- 5   The Commission is thus intent on putting forward an appropriate recommendation
    for the introduction of a parking card which can be easily administered.
n.  THE COMMISSION'S POSITION
6   This proposal supplements the Community provisions in respect of a common
    transport policy aimed at improving road traffic safety, which includes the public
    parking of cars. Parking arrangements fall within the scope of transport policy.
    Parking facilities for disabled people take account of their special requirements
    stemming from reduced mobility and thus contribute to road traffic safety.
    Thé goal of road traffic safety can be further pursued by making it possible for
    disabled people who travel abroad to avail themselves of the special local parking
    facilities provided, using a standardised card based on a Community model which
    is recognised throughout the Union, thereby making parking easier for disabled
    people who are not citizens of the country concerned.                     -
 7  Having regard to the principle of subsidiarity, the recommendation aims only to
    standardise the format of-the paricing caccLfondisabled persons and to ensure its
     reciprocal recognition. There is to be no interference as regards national rules
    governing the issue of such cards or the parking facilities to which they give
     entitlement.
     Such rules differ from one Member State to another, and a move towards uniform
     parking arrangements would be of great practical benefit to the disabled persons
     concerned. In this connection, the Commission also .considers it possible to
     provide disabled people with information on the respective local parking facilities
     available in the Member States of the European Union. Appropriate steps are to
     be taken after presentation of the.recommendation.
 8   The recommendation is intended to standardise the format of parking cards for
     disabled persons and to ensure their reciprocal recognition. The idea is not to
     introduce a European parking card; on the contrary, parking-cards will retain their
     national status, although they are to be designed on the basis of the European
     Communities model, as is the case with driving licences (cf. Council Directive
     91/439/EEC of 29 July 199.1 on driving licences, OJ No L 237 of 24.8.1991,
     p. 1). Consequently, reciprocal recognition is necessary to ensure that a card
     issued in one country can be used in the other EU Member States without having
     to be exchanged or applied for anew.
.9   A standardised format makes the card readily recognisable. Previous difficulties
     arising from the variety of existing cards will be overcome. The proposed
   . designation on the front of the card in all the official languages of the EU, as with
     driving licences, will also.clear up any linguistic misunderstanding. Use of the
     Community-model parking card, with reciprocal recognition by the Member
     States, will facilitate parking throughout the EU for the disabled persons
     concerned.
 ---pagebreak--- 10    The Commission takes the view that at the same time this will help to promote
      the integration of disabled people in both occupational and social terms.
      Opportunities for travelling to other countries by car, e.g. as tourists, will be
      enhanced.
11    The draft recommendation has arisen out of a process of wide-ranging
      consultation among the Member States and non-governmental organisations,
      involving the consultative bodies of the HELIOS II programme, namely the
      Advisory Committee (government representatives of the Member States) and the
      European Disability Forum (representatives of European non-governmental
      organisations, national disability councils or non-governmental organisations and
      the social partners), which were consulted in September 1995;'the HELIOS
    . Working Party on Mobility and Transport (government representatives plus one
      non-governmental organisation) was consulted in October 1995. Consultation also
      took place, in November 1995, with the ECMt's ad-hoc working party on the
      transport of persons with reduced mobility-.
       The Commission's initiative has been generally welcomed, with broad agreement
       berngTeached:on the content of the recom mendati on and, for the most part, on the
       format of the parking card as set out in the recommendation.
EL     THE SITUATION IN THE MEMBER STATES
 12    A national parking card"for disabled people is available in all the Member States.
       Spain has a number of regional variations.
                  » •*•*".                                                        *
       Most of ttfe national parking cards for disabled persons show the internationally
       recognised wheelchair-user symbol of accessibility, along with the name of the
       holder, the stamp of the issuing authority and the period of validity.
 13    The parking facilities associated with the card are similar, entailing, for instance,
       parking of unlimited or extended duration, or exemption from stopping/parking
       prohibitions, with due regard for road traffic safety. The exact situation differs
       from country to country, though (and in some cases from region to region and
        from town to town).
        This makes it necessary to provide disabled persons with accurate information on
        the parking facilities available in each country.
 14     Under certain conditions, various Member States already operate a system of
        reciprocal recognition of parking cards for disabled persons, with formal
        arrangements laid down in some cases. However, the lack of standardisation
        causes considerable uncertainty as to the use of such cards among persons
        travelling abroad.
 ---pagebreak--- IV.    PRESENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATION
A.     Legal basis
15     The recommendation aims to improve road traffic safety by making it possible for
       disabled people to avail themselves of the special local parking facilities provided, using
       a reciprocally recognised parking card of standardised format; Article 75(l)(c).
B.     Provisions
 16    Point 1 advocates the introduction of a national parking card for disabled persons based
       on a standardised Community model.
       Point 2 goes on to recommend that such "a card be recognised on a reciprocal basis so that
       the holder of the card may benefit from the associated parking facilities granted by the
       respective Member States.
       In Point 3 it is proposed that the Member States should issue the parking sard only to
       disabled persons with reduced" mobility. The reason for this is that the parking facilities
       are intended to compensate for disabled people's reduced mobility by enabling them to
       park their car as near to their destination as possible.
       Point 4 proposes 1 January 1998 as the,deadline for implementing the recommended
        measures. The intervening period gives the Member States enough time to take the
        necessary steps.
     • Accordingly, the Commission recommends, under Point J, that the Member States should,
        by 1 Marcrwi998, furnish a report on the measures taken. These reports will also play a
        part in gauging the extent to vvhith the disabled persons concerned have to be informed
        about the various parking facilities in the Member States which can be obtained using the
        reciprocally recognised, standardised parking card.
  17    Annex
        The Annex describes the format of the Community-model parking card for disabled
        persons, which is based both on existing national cards and on the~above-mentioned
        Directive on driving licences.
        Point A:
        The card is the same size as a number of existing nationalcards and is two-thirds the size
        of the Community-model driving licence. The format chosen affords sufficient space for
        inserting the necessary details cleariy.
        Point B:
        Blue was chosen as the colour because it is frequently used in connection with: the
        stylised wheelchair-user symbol of accessibility, and is already used for certain national
        parking cards (e.g.. in Belgium, Portugal and Luxembourg).
         Point C:
 ---pagebreak--- The parking card is to be plastic-coated both to protect it and for security reasons, making
it more difficult to forge. Only the space reserved for the holder's signature will not be
plastic-coated, as is the case with cheque and credit cards. This avoids the need for the
disabled person to go to the issuing authority before the card is plastic-coated. He or she
can sign the parking card subsequently.                                  ,
Point D:
This point describes the exact content and positioning of the text and other details shown
on the parking card.
The front of the card contains all the elements necessary for recognition: the wheelchair-
 user symbol, designation in all the official languages of the European Union, period of
 validity, name and stamp of the issuing authority validating the document. As with
 driving licences, provision is made for the national distinguishing code of the respective
 Member States to be affixed; surrounded by theringof 12 stars symbolising the European
 Union, with express mention being made of the fact that it is a European Communities
 model.
 In view of the fact that, in some Member States, the parking card is linked to the
 registration number of the holder's vehicle, theregistrationnumber may, ifrequired,also
 be shown on thefrontof the card.
 It is not deemed necessary to include any other details on the front of the parking card
 for purposes of recognition.
 The reverse of the card contains data which will identify the authorised holder, namely
 surname, forename(s), date of birth, address and signature.
            A
  '•••••        ...     ' •   '     ' ••   • '•"'• •'V '•' ' ••' •• ••••   '••••••'
 Also shown on thereverseare the basic conditions of use which, irrespective of specific
 national rules, apply to all parking cards based on the Community model, namely:
 -         an explanatory statement to the effect that the parking card, when in use, i.e.
           when the authorised holder wishes to take advantage of the associated parking
           facilities, must be positioned in such a way as to be clearly visible for checking
           purposes;
  -        a statement to the effect that the parking card gives entitlement only to the special
           local parking facilities available in the Member State concerned, as opposed to
           such parking facilities as may be available in the person's country of origin.
   Point E:
   This point deals with linguistic requirements applying to the parking card; corresponding
 to those for the Community-model driving licence.
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                         EUROPEAN COMMISSION
                             DRAFT COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON A
                               PARKING CARD FOR DISABLED PERSONS
The Council of the European Union,                           „
Having regard to the Treaty establishing-the-Eu,ropean Community,; and in particular
Article 75(l)(c) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal for a recommendation submitted by the Commission,
In cooperation wirh the European Parliament1,
Having regardto.the opinion of the Economic andSocial Committee2,
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions3,
Whereas the reciprocal recognition of a parking card for disabled persons based on a
standardised Community model was advocated by the Commission in its communication
on a medium-term social action programme (1995-97), forwarded to the Council, the
European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions on 12 April 19954, and also in its report of .26 November 1993 to the Council
on the measures to be taken in the Community regarding the accessibility of transport to
persons with reduced mobility5;
Whereas it is stated in Title I, section 26 of the Community Charter of the Fundamental
Social Rights of Workers that all disabled persons, whatever thé origin and nature of their
disablement, should be entitled to additional concrete measures aimed at improving their
         COM(95) 134
         COM(93) 433
Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Bruxelies/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium - Office: J27 0/121.
Telephone: direct line (+32-2)2955039, exchange 299.11.11. Fax: 2951012.
Telex: COMEU B 21877. Telegraphic address: COMEUR Brussels.
 ---pagebreak--- social and occupational integration; whereas such.measures should concern, in particular,
according to the capacities of the beneficiaries, accessibility, mobility and means of
transport;
Whereas a private car constitutes, for many disabled people who are unable to use public
transport, the only means of getting about independently for purposes of occupational and
social integration; whereas, in certain circumstances and with due regard to road safety,
it is only right that disabled persons should be enabled, by means of a designated parking .
card, to park their car as hear to their destination as possible; whereas disabled people
should thus have the opportunity to avail themselves of the facilities provided by the said
parking card throughout the European Community in accordance with the. national rules
applying in the respective countries;          y
Whereasr in view of the fact that parking cards for disabled persons may come within the
remit of regional authorities» the Committee of the Regions should be consulted;
Whereas, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, Community action is necessary
to ensure that parking cards for disabled persons are readily recognised on a reciprocal
basis and to facilitate freedom of movement for disabled people, enabling them also to
participate in tourist activities, thereby avoiding thé practical problems which divergent
 national models may present for disabled people and supervisory officials;
 Whereas, for the purposes of the common transport policy and with a view to helping to
 improve road traffic safety, which includes car parking, it is desirable that there should
 be a Community^model parking card for disabled persons recognised reciprocally by the
 Member States,
 Hereby recommends the Member States to:;
  1.     introduce a national parking card for disabled persons, issued in accordance with
         the respective national provisions, on the basis of the standardised Community
         model described in the Annex;
 2;      recognise reciprocally the parking cards for disabled persons introduced by each
         Member ^tate in accordance with the standardised Community model, so that the
         holder of the card may benefit from the associated parking facilities available in
         the respective countries;
 3.       issue the parking card only to disabled persons^ with reduced mobility;
  4.      take the necessary steps to ensure that the parking cards for disabled persons based
          on the standardised Community model, and the arrangements for reciprocal
          recognition, are introduced by 1 January 1908 at the latest;
  5.      inform the Commission, by 1 March 1998, of the measures taken pursuant to this
         Tecommendation.
  Done at Brussels,
  For the Council
 ---pagebreak---                                       ANNEX
                PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE COMMUNITY-MODEL
                     PARKING CARD FOR DISABLED PERSONS
A. The overall dimensions of the parking card for disabled persons as per the
   Community model shall be:
   -      height: 106 mm;                                                           v
          width: 148 mm.
B. The colour of the parking card shall be light blue, except for the white
   wheelchair-user symbol which shall have a dark blue background.
C. The parking card for disabled persons shall be plastic-coated, with.the exception
   of the space reserved for the holder's signature on the left-hand side of the
   reverse.
D. The parking card for disabled persons.shall be divided vertically into two halves
   on bothr the front and reverse.
           — - < ' .                     • • .
   The left^and side of the front shall contain:
   -       the wheelchair-user symbol in white on a dark blue background;
   -       the period of validity of the parking card;
   -       the serial number of the parking card;
   -       the name and stamp of the issuing authority/organisation;
   -       optional: the vehicle registration* number.
   Theright-handside of the front shall contain:
   -        in capital letters, the words "Parking card for disabled persons" in the
            language(s) of the Member State issuing the card. After a suitable space,
            the words "Parking card" shall appear in capital letters/small type in the
            other languages of the European Union;
   -        the words "European Communities model" in the language(s) of the
           Member State issuing the parking card;
 ---pagebreak---         as background, the distinguishing code of the Member State issuing the
        parking card, as follows:
                 B:      Belgium                I:      Italy
                 DK: Denmark                    L:      Luxembourg
                 D:      Germany                NL: Netherlands
                 GR: Greece                     A:      Austria
                 E:      Spain                  P:      Portugal
                 F:      France                 FIN: Finland
                 IRL: Ireland                   S:      Sweden
                                                UK: United Kingdom,
        surrounded by the ring of 12 stars symbolising the European Union.
The left-hand side of the reverse shall contain:
1.      the holder's surname;
2.       the holder's,forename(s);
3.       the holder's date of birth;
4.       the holder's address;
5.       the holder's signature.
Therightrhandside of the reverse shall contain:
 1.      the statement:
          "This card gives entitlement to the special local parking facilities available
          in the Member State concerned.";
2.        the statement:
          "When in use,, the card is to be affixed to the inside of the windscreen or,
          in the absence of a windscreen, to the front of the vehicle in such a way
          that the front of the card is clearly and wholly visible.".
 With the exception of theright-handside of the front, entries shall be shown in
 the language(s) of the Member State issuing the parking card.
 If a Member State wishes to make the entries in a national language other than
 one of the following: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek,
 Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, it shall draw up a bilingual version of the
 parking card using one of the eleven aforementioned languages, without prejudice
 to the other provisions of this Annex.
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                   ISSN 0254-1475
                                                            COM(95) 696 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                       05 07
                                     Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-732-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-77-98213-6
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