Integration of Disabled People in Society
Rapporteur: Mr Cabra de Luna (Various interests - E)
- Reference: Own-initiative opinion - CES 853/2002
- Key points:
Concrete proposals by the Committee to integrate disabled people into society are:
- to establish a disability specific action programme should be established at EU level;
- to support the establishment of an open method of coordination in the field of disability;
- to strengthen the participation of representative disability organisations in the civil dialogue at EU level and to involve welfare associations and foundations;
- to approve an EU directive based on Article 13 making it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people in all spheres of life.
In order to increase the employment levels of disabled people: EU Member States should ensure the implementation of the EU directive on equal treatment in the workplace; the European Commission should propose strengthening current guideline 7 in the Employment Guidelines; the social partners at EU level should propose new initiatives for the employment of disabled people; EU directives on public procurement should allow for public authorities to include the employment of disabled people as an award criteria and, finally, the EU Labour Force Survey should include information on the situation of disabled people.
The Committee hereby commits itself to mainstream disability throughout its work and it will be actively involved in the evaluation of the European Year of People with Disabilities.
Contact: Susanne Johansson: (Tel.: 00 32 2 546 96 19 - e-mail: susanne.johansson@esc.eu.int)