2001/903/EC: Council Decision of 3 December 2001 on the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003

Council Decision
of 3 December 2001
on the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003
(2001/903/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 13 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(3),
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions(4),
Whereas:
(1) The promotion of a high level of employment and of social protection, and the raising of the standard of living and quality of life of the population of the Member States, are objectives of the European Community.
(2) The Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers recognises the need to take appropriate action for the social and economic integration of disabled people.
(3) The Resolution of the Council and the Ministers for Education, meeting within the Council, of 31 May 1990 concerning integration of children and young people with disabilities into ordinary systems of education stresses that "the Member States have agreed to intensify, where necessary, their efforts to integrate or encourage integration of pupils and students with disabilities, in all appropriate cases, into the ordinary education system".
(4) The Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 20 December 1996 on equality of opportunity for people with disabilities(5), and the Council Resolution of 17 June 1999 on equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities(6), reaffirm the basic human rights of disabled people to equal access to social and economic opportunities.
(5) The conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March 2000 call upon Member States to take greater account of social exclusion in their employment, education and training, health and housing policies and to define priority actions for specific target groups, such as people with disabilities.
(6) The European social agenda approved by the Nice European Council meeting on 7, 8 and 9 December 2000(7) states that the European Union will develop, in particular during the European Year of People with Disabilities (2003), "all action intended to bring about the fuller integration of disabled people in all areas of life".
(7) The year 2003 will mark the 10th anniversary of the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, which have enabled considerable progress to be made in an approach to disability in accordance with human rights principles.
(8) This Decision respects fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union(8). In particular, this Decision seeks to promote application of the principles of non-discrimination and integration of people with disabilities.
(9) The European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions have all urged the Community to strengthen its contribution to efforts in Member States to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities, with a view to their integration into society.
(10) On 10 May 2000 the Commission adopted a communication entitled "Towards a barrier-free Europe for people with disabilities", in which it commits itself to developing and supporting a comprehensive and integrated strategy to tackle social, architectural and design barriers that unnecessarily restrict access for people with disabilities to social and economic opportunities. The Parliament has unanimously adopted a similar resolution.
(11) The general framework in favour of equal treatment in employment and occupation provided for by Directive 2000/78/EC(9) and the Community action programme to combat discrimination in order to support and supplement legislative measures at Community and Member State level set up by Decision 2000/750/EC(10) aim at changing practices and attitudes by mobilising the players involved and fostering the exchange of information and good practice.
(12) Since exclusion from the labour market of people with disabilities is inextricably linked to problems of attitude and a lack of information about disability, it is necessary to increase society's understanding of the rights, needs and potential of disabled persons, and a joint effort by all the different partners is required to develop and promote a flow of information and an exchange of good practice.
(13) Raising awareness relies primarily on effective action at Member State level which should be supplemented by concerted efforts at Community level. The European Year could act as a catalyst in raising awareness and in building momentum.
(14) Consistency and complementarity with other Community action is needed, in particular with action to combat discrimination and social exclusion, and to promote human rights, education, training and gender equality.
(15) The joint statement of 20 July 2000 provides for the budget authority to deliver an opinion on whether the new proposals with budgetary implications are compatible with the financial framework, without any reduction in existing policies.
(16) The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) provides for closer cooperation in the social field between the European Community and its Member States, on the one hand, and the countries of the European Free Trade Association participating in the European Economic Area (EFTA/EEA), on the other. Provision should be made for participation, on the one hand, by the candidate countries of central and eastern Europe, in accordance with the conditions established in the Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols and in the decisions of the respective Association Councils, on the other hand, by Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, funded by additional appropriations in accordance with the procedures to be agreed with those countries.
(17) A financial reference amount within the meaning of paragraph 34 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure(11) is included in this Decision without thereby affecting the powers of the budgetary authority as they are defined by the Treaty.
(18) Since the objectives of the proposed action aimed at generating at European level awareness of the rights of people with disabilities, cannot be adequately achieved by the Member States on account, inter alia, of the need for multilateral partnerships, the transnational exchange of information and the Community-wide dissemination of good practice, and can therefore be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve those objectives.
(19) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(12),