The European Commission today presented a legislative proposal that will make it easier for people with disabilities to access their right to freedom of movement by giving them, on an equal basis, access to special conditions, preferential treatment and the right to park while in another member state. The Commission's proposal presented today introduces a unified European card for people with disabilities and improves the existing European parking card for people with disabilities. Both cards will be recognized throughout the EU.
European Commission: European card for people with disabilities and parking card
Published Sept. 7, 2023 08:19
European card for a person with disabilities
When a person's status as a person with a disability is not recognized while abroad in another member state, he or she cannot benefit from special conditions and preferential treatment, such as free access or priority access, reduced fees and personal assistance. To address this problem, the Commission is proposing the creation of a unified European Charter for Persons with Disabilities.
The European card for a person with a disability will serve as recognized proof of disability throughout the EU, providing equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment in public and private services, such as transportation, cultural events, museums, recreational and sports centers or amusement parks. It will be issued by competent national authorities and will complement existing national cards or certificates.
Improved European parking card
For many people with disabilities, private car transportation is the best or only possible means of independent travel and mobility - it represents their independence. With the proposed improvements to the existing European parking card, people with disabilities will gain resident parking rights in another member state. The card will have a binding common format that will replace national parking cards for people with disabilities, and will be recognized throughout the EU.
Affordability of cards
To increase the ease of use of the cards and reduce the administrative burden, the proposed directive will introduce the following requirements for member states:
- The cards must be available in both physical and digital versions.
- Terms and conditions for issuing and receiving cards must be publicly available in accessible formats.
- Service providers must provide information about special conditions and preferential treatment for people with disabilities in accessible formats.
In order to ensure compliance, member states must allow people with disabilities, their representative organizations and competent public authorities to possibly take legal action under national law. Once the directive's provisions are transposed into this law, member states will have to impose fines and remedies if violations occur.
Follow-up
The Commission's proposal will be debated in the European Parliament and the Council. The proposal stipulates that once the directive is adopted, member states will have 18 months to transpose its provisions into national law.
Source: EC
