The European Disability and Parking Cards

Background:

Figures show that people with disabilities are subject to various forms of inequality that do not affect their peers who do not have a disability. For example, 28.8% of persons with disabilities are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, compared with 18.3% of the general population, and as much as 40.5% cannot afford to go on holiday for a week each year.

According to the European Commission's estimates, there are 30 million Europeans with a recognised disability. The number of people with some form of disability which limits their daily activities is much higher: Eurostat data show that around 27% of the EU population aged over 16 have some form of disability. That is 101 million people, or 1 in 4 adults in the EU.

In September 2023, the European Commission proposed to create a new European disability card and an improved EU parking card. The aim was to enable persons with disabilities to move freely around Europe and entitle them to special conditions when travelling in the EU. It would make travelling easier and more affordable and accessible for them.

The European Disability Card will serve as proof of disability status across all EU countries. It will guarantee mutual recognition of disability in relation to services, facilities and activities during short stays in other EU Member States. This means that cardholders will be able to enjoy preferential treatment, and special conditions will apply to them when using public transport, attending cultural events or visiting museums, leisure and sports centres and other facilities in any EU Member State. The EU Parking Card will replace national parking cards and guarantee access to parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities anywhere in the EU.

The EESC has hailed the Commission proposal on the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card as a first step in the right direction, enabling free movement of people with disabilities within the EU.

However, the EESC considers that the European Disability Card falls short of achieving the goal of removing barriers to freedom of movement for people with disabilities as it fails to include social protection and other disability-related benefits which should underpin relocation to another country for work or study purposes.

Key points:

In the opinion, the EESC:

• recommends extending the scope of the European Disability Card so that a person with a disability who has moved to another Member State to study or work can use it, on a temporary basis, to receive benefits linked to social policies or national social security systems;

• asks that the law state clearly that this Card should be free of charge and that those entitled be able to choose whether they want to use it;

• suggests setting up an EU-wide, fully accessible website. The website should have an easy-to-read version, be available in all EU languages including sign languages, and provide practical information for every country. The EU should also coordinate EU-wide and national awareness-raising campaigns in all EU languages to reach out to the general public, potential European Disability Card users and service providers.

The text of the draft opinion can be found here.

Additional information

Section: Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)

Opinion number: SOC/785

Opinion type: Mandatory

Rapporteur-general: Ioannis Vardakastanis

Reference: COM(2023) 512 final 2023/0311 COD

Date of adoption in plenary: 14/12/2023

Result of the vote:  203 in favour/ 0 against/ 1 abstention

Contacts:

Press officer:  Laura Lui           

Tel.:     00 32 2 546 9189

email:  laurairena.lui@eesc.europa.eu

Administrator: Valeria Atzori

Tel.: 00 32 2 546 8774

email:  Valeria.Atzori@eesc.europa.eu