No borders in Europe for people with disabilities

“Freedom of movement is one of the most important rights in the EU. However, not everyone can fully exercise this right. We must make sure the 101 million people with disabilities in Europe can live their lives to the fullest. Let’s make a border-free Europe a reality for people with disabilities,” says David Casa MEP, the EPP Group’s negotiator for the European disability and parking cards. 

Today, the EPP Group will vote in favour of establishing a European Disability Card as well as improving the current European Parking Card. This will enable people with disabilities to access special conditions and preferential treatment provided by both public and private services in other EU member states on equal footing with the residents of those countries, as well as improve their parking rights across the Union.

“That means better opportunities for EU citizens with disabilities and good news for our economy with an increased and more mobile workforce. In the spirit of accessibility, the cards should be issued and renewed free of charge within 60 days,” emphasises Casa.

“But the most important thing is that EU citizens are actually aware of their rights. Therefore, we call on the Commission to undertake a European awareness-raising campaign and set up an accessible EU website with information on national special conditions, preferential treatment and parking conditions,” Casa concludes. After today’s vote in the Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, negotiations with the Member States can start once the mandate has been announced in the January plenary session.