UN Convention – Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Key points

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC):

• Highlights the fact that the financial situation cannot be used as an excuse for delaying action on the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Invites the European Commission to develop an impact assessment tool on the UN CRPD.
• Welcomes the establishment by the Council of an independent framework to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of the UN CRPD, and calls for the adoption of a dedicated budget.
• Is looking forward to being consulted by the European Commission on an ambitious legislative proposal for a European Accessibility Act with the broadest possible scope.
• Welcomes the inclusion in the Digital Agenda of legislation on the accessibility of public websites and websites delivering basic services to the public.
• Invites the Council and the European Parliament to reinforce or maintain provisions in favour of persons with disabilities in the Structural Fund regulations, the Connecting Europe Facility  and TEN-T regulations and in Horizon 2020, the Rights and Citizenship programme, and the programmes in the area of development cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
• Calls on the European External Action Service, the European Commission and the Council to ensure mainstreaming of the UN CRPD in foreign relations international cooperation, as well as in international trade agreements.
• Urges the European institutions to take appropriate actions to implement the UN CRPD internally.
• Welcomes the organisation of a work forum gathering government focal points, coordination mechanisms, and independent mechanisms from the EU and the Member States in charge of the implementation of the UN CRPD, as well as civil society.
• Believes that it should take appropriate action to implement the UN CRPD internally.
• Underlines the need for systematic monitoring and implementation of the UN CRPD by the EU institutions and therefore commits to create a steering committee.
• Proposes to organise a meeting involving national economic and social councils, civil society organisations and national human rights institutions on the implementation of the UN CRPD.
• Calls on the social partners to mainstream the implementation of the UN CRPD in collective bargaining.

On 16 October 2012, a public hearing on this theme was held.
To the webpage of the public hearing on the Implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities by the EU institutions and the role of the EESC