The Spanish Presidency of the European Council’s High-Level Meeting on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities took place on 16 November in Palma de Mallorca. On the agenda: European Disability Card, Political Participation, Cooperation with Latin America, and the rights of women with disabilities.
During the meeting, the Spanish Presidency led 21 countries in endorsing the “Declaration of the Spanish Presidency of the European Council on Expanding Voting Rights of Persons with Disabilities” (final statement under review for publication by the Presidency).
The meeting started with welcome words from the Spanish Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra, and European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli. They highlighted the importance of political participation, of the adoption of the European Disability Card and of advancing the rights of women and girls with disabilities.
Secretary of State Ignacio Alvarez concluded, welcoming participants and thanking delegates from the EU and Latin America for their presence.
European Disability Card
The first session focused on the European Disability Card and was moderated by Jesús Martín Blanco, Director General for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Speakers included Belgian Minister for Pensions and Social Integration Karine Lalieux; Maltese Minister for Inclusion Julia Farrugia Portelli; Italian Minister for Disabilities Alessandra Locatelli; Spanish Secretary of State for Social Rights Ignacio Alvarez Peralta; and Plamen Kolev, Assistant to the Directorate of Social Rights of the European Commission.
Ministers lauded the initiative and underlined how it can improve freedom of movement:
- The Card is a success in many pilot-project countries.
- Mutual recognition should be expanded to all European countries. EU Member States must work together in solidarity to ensure an effective Card.
- It is essential to involve representative organisations of persons with disabilities when developing and implementing the Card.
- The Card should be free of charge and optional: not a legal requirement for access.
- The physical and digital versions will require specific work to prevent fraud and ensure accessibility.
Mr Blanco closed the session by expressing his wish for the Council position to be completed during the Spanish Presidency.
Political Participation
Alejandro Moledo del Río, our Deputy Director, opened the session by reading the Declaration of the Spanish Presidency of the European Council “on Expanding Voting Rights of Persons with Disabilities”.
Speakers included Jesús Martín Blanco, Director General for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Fadila Khattabi, French Deputy Minister for Disability; Rolf Schmachtenberg, Permanent State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Justina Jakstiene, Lithuanian Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour; and Marie-Helene Boulanger, Head of Unit, at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice.
Speakers agreed on the need for more action across the European Union to guarantee persons with disabilities can enjoy their right to vote, access information and stand as candidates:
- Changes to legislation in Spain, France and Germany before the last European Elections have furthered the legal right to vote of persons with disabilities.
- Need to work towards ensuring accessibility of electoral information and voting. The importance of postal voting was stressed to ensure an alternative, more convenient format.
- Access to electoral programs from political parties – including the demands of persons with disabilities in them.
- Wider changes to legal capacity laws to ensure autonomy and independence, including support services.
- Involvement of persons with disabilities in these actions. Pay special attention to the diversity of persons with disabilities, including youth, women, and diverse types of disability.
- Commitment to developing awareness-raising campaigns to identify and tackle shared problems in Europe.
The moderator, Alejandro Moledo, also brought attention to our 202 Human Rights Report on “political participation of persons with disabilities”. The European Commission confirmed that guidelines on accessible elections will be presented until the end of the year.
Europe and Latin America
One of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union is to strengthen ties with Latin America and develop a process of mutual listening and learning.
Ángel Lossada Torres-Quevedo, Special Ambassador for the Disability Convention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, opened the third session. During this session, speakers emphasised the importance of adopting a human rights approach to disability—a global agenda that should be shared and enriched by these two regions.
Speakers included Fernando Galarraga, President of the Ibero-American Disability Programme and Executive Director of the National Disability Agency (ANDIS); Gunta Anca, Vice-President of the European Disability Forum (EDF); and Luis Cayo Perez Bueno, President of the Spanish Committee of Representatives of Persons with Disabilities (CERMI).
Speakers agreed that by sharing experiences, initiatives, and challenges, both regions can build inclusive societies, promote disability rights, and strengthen bonds for social cohesion. A partnership between the EU and Latin America on an equal basis is necessary not only to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities but also to contribute to broader goals of sustainable development and human rights.
Our Vice-President, Gunta Anca, emphasised EDF’s efforts in Latin America, particularly in the Human Rights Dialogues organised by the EU in partner countries. She highlighted the fundamental role of cooperation between representative organisations of persons with disabilities from both regions as an essential element in comprehending European processes, which, at times, can be intricate and bureaucratic.
Women with Disabilities
In the final session, Ana Peláez Narváez, Chairperson of the UN Committee on Elimination on Violence Against Women and EDF’s Secretary-General, expressed her concern about the situation of women and girls with disabilities, who face multiple and intersectional discrimination in all areas of life.
Ana shared that the advancement of the rights of women and girls with disabilities is lagging and that the progress that exists is due to the disability movement. She mentions progress in 4 areas: health, education, employment and poverty reduction.
She called on EU Countries to act to end gender-based violence and practices that affect women with disabilities, such as forced sterilisation, forced contraception, and female genital mutilation, among others. She underlined the need to ensure accessible support services and the collection of data and information on victims with disabilities.
She underlined the need to collect more data disaggregated by both gender and disability, including regarding access to support, social services, employment or financial resources.
She outlined types of discrimination that women and girls with disabilities are subject to, including socio-economic disadvantages, social isolation, lack of access to community services, low-quality housing, institutionalisation, inadequate healthcare, and denial of the opportunity to contribute and engage actively in society.
She closed her speech by calling for measures of reparation and compensation to women and girls with disabilities, especially those subject to State-sanctioned violence such as forced sterilisation.
Closing Remarks
Rubén Baz Vicente, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 and
Jesus Martín Blanco, Director General for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, closed the meeting, thanking participants for their engagement.
They outlined the need for fights on human rights and to ensure EU funds can be used in a way that advances disability rights.
They finished by reaffirming their commitment to a democratic EU where persons with disabilities can fully participate.
Photo Credit: European Union/ Real Patronato Discapacidad, 2023