Members of the Disability Intergroup called for stronger implementation of disability rights during their meeting on 8 October, focusing on the Enhanced Disability Rights Strategy. They also discussed progress towards a future United Nations Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.
MEP Katrin Langensiepen chaired the meeting, alerting to the abuses suffered by persons with disabilities. She highlighted the challenges affecting persons with disabilities, including the housing crisis, artificial intelligence and the EU simplification agenda.
Intergroup Members heard an update from the European Disability Forum (EDF) delivered by the Forum’s Executive Committee Member Alexandre Bloxs. He underlined the strategy’s potential to bring meaningful progress and mentioned two initiatives that would benefit from a combined effort of the disability movement and members of the intergroup: the next EU budget and the Digital Networks Act.
Philippe Seidel Leroy, Policy Manager at AGE Platform Europe, gave a presentation on the future UN Convention on the rights of older people, a new instrument that would be important also for older persons with disabilities.
Assessing the Enhanced Disability Rights Strategy
Members of the Intergroup focused on 3 actions in the Strategy:
- Expanding the European Disability Card to include social and employment rights.
- Ensuring accessible 24-hour emergency communications across the EU.
- Cutting funding from segregating residential institutions and redirecting it towards independent living.
Digitalising the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card
Disability Intergroup Members welcomed the Commission’s plan to make both cards digitally accessible, but agreed that there needs to be a push to recognise social rights and employment adaptations when someone moves permanently to another Member State to facilitate the free movement of persons with disabilities.
MEP Idoia Mendia referred to a ’Card 2.0 as “a charter of rights that could be recognised and applied across all 27 EU Member States”.
MEP Tilly Metz said :” It’s clear that it is a progress. But people with disabilities don’t have free movement. It’s not so easy if you have a disability to go and work just in another country.”
MEP Langensiepen reminded that the European Disability Card was a demand from the disability movement. Therefore, the next steps should be decided together with the movement and reflect their demands.
She also suggested taking advantage of the European Disability Rights Week to highlight positive ongoing implementation of the Cards as an example for other countries.
Members agreed to further discuss steps to be taken forward by the European Parliament to improve the freedom of movement of persons with disabilities, including by reflecting of some proposals that were proposed during the negotiations of the European Disability Card, but did not receive agreement by Member States.
Working towards Independent Living
During the discussion, MEPs strongly called for an end to funding the construction of new large residential institutions which segregate persons with disabilities and instead prioritise independent living.
MEP Metz regretted the lack of a strong basis for deinstitutionalisation in the European Union, while MEP Alex Saliba shared a good example from Malta and stressed the need to carefully distinguish between different types of institutions. Those depriving persons with disabilities of autonomy and decision-making power, and those aiming towards social integration. He warned that deinstitutionalisation should be considered alongside community integration to prevent further social exclusion.
MEP Langensiepen closed this topic by reaffirming that ending EU funding for institutionalisation remains a clear demand of the European Parliament.
Developing inclusive emergency guidelines for preparedness and crisis response
According to the European Union of the Deaf and European Federation of Hard of Hearings’s mapping ‘Relay Services in Europe’, only 8 of the 25 countries surveyed for their new report provide accessible emergency services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Current limitations often restrict communication to text messaging, excluding sign language users from accessing services in real-time.
MEP Lara Magoni emphasised the need for access to emergency services for all. She shared good practices from the Lombardy region in Italy.
Towards an UN Convention on the Rights of Older People
The meeting concluded with a presentation by AGE Platform Europe, the largest European network of non-profit organisations of and for older people. Discussions at the United Nations to agree to start negotiating a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons have been ongoing for 15 years.
Philippe Seidel Leroy shared key developments in the creation of the Convention on the Rights of Older People:
- Negotiators reached agreement to have an intergovernmental working group for the drafting of such a Convention last year.
- Two substantive meetings are held annually in Geneva, aiming for a draft zero by the end of 2027.
- Support is growing, with 14 EU Member States among the 81 co-sponsors of the initial resolution.
He then gave an overview of the work of AGE Platform Europe to mobilise EU Member States’ work with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Working Party on Human Rights (COHOM) and the European Parliament.
Both MEP Mendia and Metz stressed that EU institutions should speak with one voice in discussions on the future Convention.
What’s next for the Disability Intergroup?
The European Disability Rights Week, taking place from 30 November to 7 December 2026, will provide an opportunity to showcase progress on disability rights and promote the next steps for the European Disability Card.
For this occasion and their next meeting, MEPs are encouraged to inquire with national ministers (transport, digitalisation, social justice) regarding the implementation status of the Disability and Parking Cards in their respective Member States.