The Bureau of the European Parliament’s Disability Intergroup met on 13 May to discuss ways to advance legislative action. Topics included:
- the ‘Concluding Observations’ of the review of the European Union by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- The need to update the European Disability Rights Strategy.
MEP Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak chaired the meeting. Members in attendance included chairs Katrin Langensiepen and Alex Agius Saliba, and bureau members Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Kathleen Funchion, and Chiara Gemma. The office of MEP Pál Szekeres was also present.
Summary
- Members agreed to intensify their collaboration with EU Member States, including by meeting representatives of the Presidencies of the Council of the EU .
- Members focused on common demands to update the European Disability Rights Strategy, on shaping the European Affordable Housing Plan, and on pushing EU Member States to implement the European Disability Card.
- They agreed on a meeting with all Intergroup members in October, for which they will invite representatives of the Commission and of the European Parliament’s Special committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union.
Updates from Members of the European Parliament
The meeting started with updates from the members’ activities:
- MEP Ferragut mentioned her work leading the Parliament’s report on the ‘need to update the European Disability Rights Strategy’
- MEP Saliba added that he is also working on the opinion of the Committee on Petitions and of the Committee on Civil Liberties on the Strategy. He invited members to an event and reception on self-advocates with Down Syndrome on 14 May.
- MEP Funchion added that she is responsible for the opinion on the Strategy report at the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee.
- MEP Chiara Gemma introduced the ’Art for All’ exhibition, a project led by the MEP to bring together artists with and without disabilities from all over the European Union at the European Parliament. The exhibition will take place in December.
Concluding observations
The discussion followed up on the ‘Concluding Observations’ of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Bureau agreed that they should monitor national governments to implement the European Disability Card and Parking Card fast and ambitiously. This implementation must also advance the mutual recognition of disability status.
Members focused on issues such as personal assistance, housing, disability services and accessibility.
Strategy
MEP Estaras Ferragut opened the discussion on the need to update the European Disability Rights Strategy, as the lead rapporteur of Parliament’s report on outlining flagship initiatives and actions post 2024. She outlined key priorities such as the establishment of a European Agency for Accessibility, the creation of a Disability Employment Guarantee and the strengthening of the EU Budget, including European Social Fund plus. She also mentioned the need for more disability inclusion in the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Members also agreed on the importance of contributing to the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union, which will publish its report in September.
MEP Langensiepen suggested that representatives of the Polish Presidency and the Danish Presidency of the Council should be invited to the next Bureau meeting.
Meeting with all members
Members agreed on having the next annual meeting of the full Disability Intergroup on October. Topics for this meeting will include accessible, affordable housing and the next phase of the European Disability Rights Strategy.