Shaping the EU agenda for disability rights 2020-2030: a contribution from the European Economic and Social Committee (own-initiative opinion)

Key points

The EESC presents the following recommendations to the European Commission for the drawing up of the Disability Rights Agenda 2020-2030:

• to fully implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and to mainstream the principles of the Social Pillar into the Disability Agenda, with concrete proposals for implementing Principle 17, as well as mainstream disability equality issues into all EU policies;
• to set up disability focal points in all Directorates Generals, agencies and EU institutions, with the central disability focal points located within the general secretariat of the European Commission and a strong focal point in Directorate General Justice to support the new Equality Commissioner;
• to put in place an interinstitutional mechanism between the European Commission, the Parliament and the Council, and a working group on disability within the Council;
• to provide adequate human and financial resources for the EU Monitoring Framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure it is able to carry out its tasks according to United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Article 33(2);
• to review EU's shared competences with the Member States deriving from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and EU law to establish where the EU can work alongside Member States for implementation;
• the adoption of 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 and guidance to the Member States to assure the same at national level, binding legislation harmonising accessibility standards for the built environment, measures harmonising minimum standards for reasonable accommodation in the workplace and establishing guidelines on minimum standards for disability benefits and the provision of services;
• to include benchmarks and measurable indicators within the agenda and improve disaggregated data collection on disability;
• to put pressure on the Member States, through the European Semester, to develop their own national disability strategies;
• that the full and active involvement of organisations of persons with disabilities and civil society organisations be ensured in the drafting, implementation and governance of the Agenda.