MEPs adopt the first EU-wide Disability Card and Parking Card for persons with disabilities during the plenary session in Strasbourg. The new rules, already agreed on by the Parliament and the Council, establishes an EU-wide disability card to make sure that, when travelling for a short period, people with disabilities have equal access to preferential conditions, such as reduced or zero entry fees, priority access and access to reserved parking. Opening statements by Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteurs, Linus GLANZELIUS (S&D, SE), TRAN Committee, Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT (EPP, ES), FEMM Committee. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

fight against discrimination on the basis of disability (T)

joint debate

ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Rosa (EPP, ES)

MANDERS, Antonius (EPP, NL)

ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Lucia (Renew, SK)

KUHNKE, Alice (Greens/EFA, SE)

DALLI, Helena (MT, EC)

GLANZELIUS, Linus (S&D, SE)

Joint Debate - Disability cards: Opening statements by Rapporteurs, Linus GLANZELIUS (S&D, SE), TRAN Committee, Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT (EPP, ES), FEMM Committee

SOUNDBITE (Slovak), Lucia ĎURI&Scaron; NICHOLSONOV&Aacute; (Renew, SK), Rapporteur, Thank you very much, Madame Commissioner Dalli. Colleagues, as you certainly know, people with disabilities in the Union still face an unequal struggle to get a job and find poverty, as well as obstacles to their freedom of movement. Member States, their visit for short stays do not grant them discounts on benefits in the areas of transport, parking, cultural events, leisure and sport centres, services, theme parks and tourism. The obstacles everywhere benefits awarded to their own citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Slovak), Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Rapporteur, This Directive should eliminate unequal access. It is a step towards fulfilling the EU Treaty commitment to free movement for all Europeans, not only those who are healthy or rich. So, when I am saying all people, I mean also for people with disabilities and I say finally. People with disabilities have been fighting for this legislation for 15 years. I am glad that the preliminary agreement between all three EU Member States is there. It is ambitious and a balanced agreement and I would especially thank, as a Rapporteur to all those who were present in these negotiations from the beginning, because the atmosphere was really excellent among all three institutions.

SOUNDBITE (Slovak), Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Rapporteur, For me as a Rapporteur, it was absolutely crucial that people with disabilities were at the centre of our concerns and efforts at every moment. The European Disability Card will serve as a proof of the recognised status of a disabled person throughout the EU and it will entitle its holder during our short stature in another Member State to have the same access to special conditions or preferential treatment as offered by private bodies or public authorities of the Member States concern for the disabled nationals. Similarly, the European Parking Card will give disabled people access to the same parking conditions available in another Member States for their citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Slovak), Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Rapporteur, Parliament during these negotiations, achieved several improvements compared with the original text of the Commission. Although I have to say that a text issued by the European Commission was very good. First, the European Parliament succeeded to extend this card up to three months to participants in EU mobility programs. This means that, for example, disabled people studying abroad under Erasmus Plus programme will be able to use the card for the entire duration of their studies abroad, which is a very important thing.

SOUNDBITE (Slovak), Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Rapporteur, Parliament also ensured this card will be renewed free of charged and issued free of charge, which was not the case in all Member States. In the Council we saw some resistance. Commission in one year will evaluate all the shortcomings concerning the free movement of people with disabilities. So, that this assessment will be considered in issuing further measures of the EU in the EU. And I firmly believe further steps will follow. Member States will decide whether they will issue permits, disbursements free of charge or for a fee. But if they decide to charge a fee, Parliament has surrendered use safeguard that any fees must then exceed to administrative costs. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur, Thank you very much. President. Commissioner. Before I get into the details, I would like to thank Alice Kuhnke for her cooperation and the other colleagues from the EPP. I would like to thank all of these people because, President, we have managed to improve free movement. Free movement of people with disabilities. We are consistently moving forward a little bit to make the European Union better for people with disabilities. We had a meeting with a number of colleagues and people said that this is about going to different Member States on holiday. But I've understood here in this in this Parliament that these small steps can actually become quite big steps in the long term. And these cards should be recognised by all Member States because it's important to have a more inclusive society.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur, We don't want to see people discriminated against because of their disability. We want respect for human life and human dignity. But very often in the European Union, there are things that need to be improved and this is a step in the right direction. The parking card has also been introduced for residents from third country. This is very important because every single person who is residing in Europe should be treated on an equal footing and should have the right to move around. This parking card for people with disabilities is a good example of how free movement of people is being improved. This is a fundamental right of the European Union. Jacques Delors mentioned. This is one of the four freedoms. It's essential for the good working of the internal market.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur, I have always focussed on improving the single market and the European Parliament because it's important and it allows us to ensure that all people have the same rights. It's not just about big files. No, these are policies which will help citizens. Often it's these more practical steps that we talk about here in Parliament and the press doesn't necessarily follow what's happening, but these practical things are important. And I think that we should pay more attention to these things, such as the parking card and the disability card. These are both important.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur, Many things have been implemented, more practical things. So we don't you don't hear a lot about them in the media. We hear more about the big files and these smaller files unhighlighted. We need to show what we're doing here in Europe, show that we're doing good things, good practical things that help people in their everyday lives. And here this is about improving the lives of people who have disabilities. We need to draw attention to important things, more important things.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur, And I myself have worked on crime, on the directive on batteries as well, on late payments. We need to find new ways of showing Europe in a positive way. How Europe is working for citizens in the runup to the elections. And I don't think that we're good enough at communication. We've we need to really focus on this more and show to the citizens that this is something good and that we're doing lots of good things here in the European Union that we should be proud of it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteur, Dear colleagues, I hope you would agree that the EU is only socially just once we ensure access to rights and opportunities for all without discrimination. This week I hope we will take a major step towards achieving this. With these two proposals establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities. We now have the chance to adopt measures that will have a significant impact in improving the lives and facilitating the mobility of persons with disabilities across the EU.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteur, 'For years, civil society as well as politicians, have been calling for increased efforts to ensure and secure the rights to free movement and mobility for persons with disabilities. That mutual recognition of disability status is a long awaited step to increase access to rights, combat discrimination and promote diversity across the EU. And this is why the introduction of both these cards is so important. The rights to free movement applies to all EU citizens equally, but can also apply to non-EU citizens legally residing in a Member State.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteur, As the Rapporteur, together with Mr. Manders, for the Directive extended the main directive to third country Nationals legally residing in a Member State. I am proud that to have negotiated an agreement that will have a significant impact on the possibility for thousands of European residents to fully enjoy their rights, to experience everything that the EU has to offer. However, this is only the beginning. These proposals will not solve all of the current problems. Persons with disabilities face many barriers when travelling between Member States, and not all of them will be addressed through these new measures.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteur, This week we will make progress, but as legislators, we must continue our work to abolish all barriers for persons with disabilities, to freely move and to fill in the gaps in EU legislation that still persists. The fight for equal rights is a fight for inclusive societies that are able to accommodate the needs of Union citizens nd residents in all of the diversity. I look forward to listening to my colleagues interventions into this debate, and I also would like to express my big thanks to the work. It was great work and great negotiations. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Linus GLANZELIUS (S&D, SE), Rapporteur, Chair, Commissioner, members. Today I am here because sadly, my predecessor is no longer with us. It is really an honour. Erik MARQUARDT was the rapporteur for the Committee for Transport and Tourism, and so we thank him very much for all the work that he did. Those that travel with disabilities need to be able to rely on the fact that they are going to have assistance and adaptation. So it's very important they have that assistance all through that journey. They need to have a website with all the information gathered together. It's important they can have assistance, for example, in an airport and get access to help in the country. They're going to without a lot of bureaucratic obstacles in place. So, that they can go on holiday, they can study, they can have access as all other citizens. I think, Erik would have been very proud today. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Thank you, President, and thank you Honourable Members and the Rapporteurs for the two Directives, Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ, Antonius MANDERS and Alice KUHNKE , and to all shadow rapporteurs. Thank you very much, and also important contribution of the late Erik MARQUARDT, Rapporteur for the TRAN Committee, and express my condolences to those close to him.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The commitment of the Council and the Spanish and Belgian Presidencies to this file has been, I would say, unwavering. These two Directives deliver, on one of the flagship initiatives of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with disabilities. The first Directive establishes the European Disability Card as proof of a disability status or proof of entitlement to specific services based on disability. An improved European parking card for persons with disabilities as proof of the right to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The second Directive will ensure that third country nationals legally residing in a member state whose disability status has been recognised by that Member State, will also be able to use the card. These cards will be recognised throughout the EU and the Commission welcomes the provisional agreements as balanced but also ambitious. This mutual recognition will contribute to social inclusion and to implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The cards will facilitate the free movement of persons with disabilities and have a direct impact on the lives of persons with disabilities in the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, 'They will ensure legal certainty that a person's disability status will be recognised when travelling in the EU. The Directives will also grant persons with disabilities, access to special conditions and preferential treatment with respect to a large variety of services, activities and facilities. They will improve the situation of persons with disabilities when travelling to or visiting other Member States in the context of a short stay. The compromise text also takes into account the specific situation of students and other participants of mobility programmes. I welcome that the co-legislators were able to agree that the European Disability Card will be issued free of charge. No one should be deterred from obtaining a card.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Finally, the reporting obligation will include an analysis of specific situations resulting from intersectional discrimination and an assessment on any remaining gaps relating to the free movement of persons with disabilities. That assessment will be considered when deciding whether further action at Union level is required to address any such gaps. The Commission remains committed to improve living conditions of persons with disabilities and your continued support it in achieving that objective has been invaluable during this Parliament's mandate. I thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT (EPP,ES), Thank you very much, President. This is the last plenary of this term and it's an honour for this Directive to be adopted on the Disability card and the parking card. This is shows this mutual recognition of disability in all Member States in an accessible digital format and free movement is the cornerstone of the EU and this involves free movement of people with disability as well. All people with disabilities need to be able to access culture, leisure, sport, transport, guided visits, etc. There is no doubt that people with disabilities, these don't change when they when they cross the border. Their rights don't change. And this is why equality and inclusion need to be recognised as fundamental rights in the European Union. The cards on the end result that just the beginning of a long path ahead of us. Thank you very much.