Belgium held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from January 1 to June 30, this year. How disability-inclusive was the Belgian Presidency? The European Disability Forum (EDF) has created a scorecard to assess and monitor its track record.
Belgian Presidency of the Council: Accessibility achieved, but lack of consistent involvement
Overall, our assessment indicates that the Belgian Presidency has achieved a commendable score, particularly excelling in accessibility by ensuring that all activities were fully inclusive.
However, there was a significant shortfall in the involvement of organisations representing persons with disabilities. Our member, the Belgian Disability Forum (BDF), was only consulted at the outset of the preparations, and unfortunately, there was a lack of consistent cooperation throughout the Presidency.
Read the EDF Belgian Presidency Scorecard (accessible PDF document)
EDF scorecard on the EU Council Presidencies’ progress on disability rights
The EDF scorecard is designed to evaluate how effectively the EU Council Presidencies prioritise and address the needs of persons with disabilities within the EU agenda. It focuses on three key areas:
- Disability inclusiveness
- Inclusion of the disability movement
- Accessibility
The scorecard assesses the progress made during the Presidency, providing key insights and actionable recommendations to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities are upheld.