After holding the Council of the EU’s Presidency for six months, Spain closed its term on 31 December 2023 and handed over the position to Belgium. In those six months, some significant progress was made on disability issues.
First and foremost, the Presidency’s biggest success is certainly reaching an agreement on the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card. This file was a top priority for the Presidency, and they agreed on the Council position (General Approach) in record time. It was adopted on 27 November 2023, paving the way for the start of inter-institutional negotiations between the Council, the Commission, and the European Parliament early in 2024.
Another key achievement was the Presidency’s High-Level Meeting focusing on persons with disabilities on 16 November, where 23 Member States adopted a joint Declaration on the right to vote. We participated in this event, which also touched upon the Disability Card, women and girls with disabilities and relationship with Latin America.
Other successes included:
- Council Conclusions on European Court of Auditors Special Report No 20/2023 – “Supporting people with disabilities”
- Council Conclusions on the “transition of care systems throughout life towards holistic, person-centred and community-based support models with a gender perspective” (PDF). These Conclusions call on the EU27 to provide affordable early childhood education and care services and to address the shortage of qualified professionals in the care sector.
- Conclusions on mental health and job insecurity have also been adopted. Furthermore, at the EPSCO Health Council in November, member states again recognised the importance of mental health.
- A provisional agreement was reached between the Council and Parliament on one of the two Directives on standards for equality bodies. Under the agreement, equality bodies combating discrimination on the grounds of sex will have to provide accessibility and reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities, for example, to report discrimination.
All in all, the Spanish Presidency has achieved several successes for the rights of persons with disabilities. A renewed focus was put on disability issues, with the Disability Card taking centre stage.
There were, however, also missed opportunities. Notably, the Council’s position on the Artificial Intelligence Act could have been stronger, as well as the Directive on Violence Against Women, which ended up being a rather disappointing package for the Trilogue negotiations.
Now it is up to the Belgian Presidency to finish the files before the end of this legislature.