Terms and acronyms
DG – Directorate General
EC – European Commission
Council – European Council
EP – European Parliament
CRPD – Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has issued an opinion on the 2020-2030 Disability Strategy. An ‘opinion’ is a consultative report from the EESC to EU institutions. This one was authored by our president Ioannis Vardakastanis. The main points can be summarized as follows:
- Set up Disability Focal Points (DFP) in all DGs, agencies and EU institutions with the central DFP within the general secretariat of the EC and a DFP in DG Justice to support the new Equality Commissioner
- Establish an interinstitutional mechanism between the EC, EP and the Council that focuses on the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Establish a working group with the Council
- Mainstream the principles of the Social Pillar into the Disability Agenda
- Include benchmarks and measurable indicators within the agenda and improve disaggregated data collection on disability
- Adopt the following legal instruments:
- Legislation combating all forms of discrimination based on disability
- A directive harmonising the recognition of disability assessment across the EU
- Measures guaranteeing the rights of persons with disabilities to political participation at EU level, plus guidance to assure them al national level
- Binding legislation harmonising accessibility standards for the built environment
- Measures harmonising minimum standards for reasonable accommodation in the workplace, disability benefits and the provision of services.
- Use the European Semester to pressure Member States to develop their own national disability strategies
- Actively involve organisations of persons with disabilities and civil society in the drafting, implementation and governance of the Agenda.
- Implement the United Nations CRPD, 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Provide adequate resources for the EU Monitoring Framework of the CRPD
- Review the EU’s shared competences with the Member States within the CRPD and EU law to better coordinate the implementation
This report is a welcome addition to our efforts to push for a more ambitious new disability strategy, which the EC has yet to commit to post 2020.
We will update with a link to the report and its translations.