The situation of people with disabilities in the Euromed countries

Based on the statistical finding that people with disabilities make up at least 10% of the population, it is likely that there are up to 25 million people with disabilities living in the Mediterranean partner countries.
The EESC calls on decision-makers in the Mediterranean region to work for the creation of equal opportunities and, inter alia, to promote the integration of people with disabilities into the labour market.

The EESC calls on the Mediterranean partner states to promote the Design for All approach in shaping the environment in which people live, since a barrier-free and user-friendly environment contributes in particular to the development of the potential for tourism.

The European Commission should ensure that the funding for the Mediterranean partner states is also available to civil society organisations representing people with disabilities and that resources from the European Neighbourhood Policy programmes are not used in such a way as to create additional barriers to the equal participation of people with disabilities in the life of society.

Civil society organisations representing people with disabilities in the Mediterranean partner states should be involved more effectively than hitherto in cooperation in the framework of the Euro Mediterranean partnership. The active participation of these organisations in the development of civil society requires that financing be ensured.