On the EU strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities post-2024

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the EU strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities post-2024

(2025/2057(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union, in particular Articles 2 and 3(3) thereof,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Articles 2, 9, 10, 19 and 216(2) thereof,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular in particular Articles 3, 15, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26 and 47 thereof,

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which entered into force for the EU on 22 January 2011 in accordance with Council Decision 2010/48/EC of 26 November 2009 concerning the conclusion, by the European Community, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,

– having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), proclaimed and signed by the Council, Parliament and the Commission on 17 November 2017, and to the Commission communication of 4 March 2021 entitled ‘The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan’ (COM(2021)0102) and its proposed 2030 headline targets on employment, training and reducing poverty,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 3 March 2021 entitled ‘Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030’ (COM(2021)0101),

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2024/2841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities,

– having regard Council Directive (EU) 2024/1499 of 7 May 2024 on standards for equality bodies in the field of equal treatment between persons irrespective of their racial or ethnic origin, equal treatment in matters of employment and occupation between persons irrespective of their religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, equal treatment between women and men in matters of social security and in the access to and supply of goods and services, and amending Directives 2000/43/EC and 2004/113/EC,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/782 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 on rail passengers’ rights and obligations,

– having regard to Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation,

– having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (COM(2008)0426) and Parliament’s position of 2 April 2009 thereon,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2025 entitled ‘The Union of Skills’ (COM(2025)0090),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 9 December 2021 entitled ‘Building an economy that works for people: an action plan for the social economy’ (COM(2021)0778),

– having regard to the Commission notice of 20 March 2024 entitled ‘Guidance on independent living and inclusion in the community of persons with disabilities in the context of EU funding’ (C(2024)7897),

– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 6 December 2023 entitled ‘Guide of good electoral practices in Member States addressing the participation of citizens with disabilities in the electoral process’ (SWD(2023)0408),

– having regard to the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD Committee) of 2 October 2015 on the initial report of the EU, and to the list of issues submitted by the UNCRPD Committee of 20 April 2022, prior to submission of the second and third periodic reports of the European Union,

– having regard to European Court of Auditors special report 20/2023 of 12 October 2023 entitled ‘Supporting persons with disabilities – Practical impact of EU action is limited’,

– having regard to the briefing entitled ‘The EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 – Achievements and perspectives’, published by its Directorate-General for Internal Policies in November 2024,

– having regard to the study entitled ‘Targeted measures for persons with disabilities to cope with the cost-of-living crisis’, published by its Directorate-General for Internal Policies in November 2023,

– having regard to the study entitled ‘Disability assessment, mutual recognition and the EU Disability Card – Progress and opportunities’, published by its Directorate-General for Internal Policies in November 2022,

– having regard to the study entitled ‘The Post-2020 European disability strategy’, published by its Directorate-General for Internal Policies in July 2020,

– having regard to the study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) of 25 October 2024 entitled ‘Paths towards independent living and social inclusion in Europe’,

– having regard to the Eurofound policy brief of 21 March 2022 entitled ‘People with disabilities and the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey’,

– having regard to the Eurofound research report of 19 April 2021 entitled ‘Disability and labour market integration: Policy trends and support in EU Member States’,

– having regard to the Eurofound policy brief of 30 November 2018 entitled ‘Social and employment situation of people with disabilities’,

– having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2022 towards equal rights for persons with disabilities,

– having regard to its resolution of 4 October 2022 on AccessibleEU Centre in support of accessibility policies in the EU internal market,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 October 2021 on the protection of persons with disabilities through petitions: lessons learnt,

– having regard to its resolution of 10 March 2021 on the implementation of Council Directive 2000/78/EC establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in light of the CRPD,

– having regard to its resolution of 8 July 2020 on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 June 2020 on the European Disability Strategy post‑2020,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Public Health, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and the Committee on Petitions,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A10-0000/2025),

A. whereas, on 3 March 2021, the Commission put forward the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 (the strategy) with the aim of promoting equal opportunities and full inclusion of persons with disabilities in Europe and around the world;

B. whereas the strategy is the policy framework for the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD); whereas the strategy is also part of the implementation of the EPSR, in particular principle 17 on the inclusion of persons with disabilities;

C. whereas, as recognised in the Commission communication on the Union of Skills, persons with disabilities face persistent challenges in access to quality work and training, with existing programmes often falling short on adequately addressing their needs or ensuring accessibility;

D. whereas the employment rate of young persons with disabilities in the EU is particularly low, at only 47.4 %; whereas there is a 21.5 percentage point gap between the employment rates of young people with and without disabilities;

E. whereas 28.4 % of persons with disabilities live in or are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared to 18.4 % of persons without disabilities;

F. whereas women with disabilities constitute 29.2 % of the female population in the EU, and they face exclusion and discrimination in all areas of life, as well as high rates of violence against women and domestic violence;

G. whereas the EU and its Member States share responsibility in areas such as transport and the single market, while in areas such as health, education, and culture, the EU mainly supports the actions of the Member States; whereas the Member States are responsible for designing their own disability policies in line with the UNCRPD and EU rules;

Assessment of the implementation of the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 and main challenges faced by persons with disabilities

1. Acknowledges that the strategy sets EU objectives and priorities for action in several policy areas including employment, education, non-discrimination and social protection; notes that the strategy addresses most of the shortcomings identified in the 2010-2020 European disability strategy;

2. Notes that the Commission has completed six out of seven flagship initiatives;

3. Underlines that across Europe, persons with disabilities still face considerable barriers when it comes to healthcare services, higher education and skills development, and having adequate standards of living;

4. Underlines that, while employment leads to multiple positive outcomes for persons with disabilities, such as higher incomes, improved quality of life and an increase in social inclusion, participation in the open labour market remains a major challenge, and persons with disabilities therefore continue to face a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion;

5. Underlines that, to reach the EU targets of reducing the number of persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million, it will be necessary to increase the employment rate of persons with disabilities, notably through support measures to ease access to jobs, together with reasonable accommodation measures in the workplace;

6. Takes note of the evidence that reveals the continuing plight of persons with disabilities who are often unable to fully avail of their EU rights; is concerned that, despite progress at policy level, persons with disabilities are left behind in many aspects of life;

7. Considers that some of the policy areas covered in the strategy have received less attention, such as equal access to social protection, healthcare, transport, education, housing, and new skills and access to quality jobs; regrets that there were no flagship initiatives under the policy area of equal access and non-discrimination, and that the European disability and parking cards were the only legislative proposals put forward by the Commission;

8. Calls on the Commission to undertake a comprehensive mid-term evaluation of the strategy, including an impact assessment of the implemented flagship initiatives;

Call for an updated strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities post-2024

9. Stresses that, considering the persistent challenges persons with disabilities face, there are obvious gaps where more EU action is needed post-2024; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put forward an updated strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities for the period 2025-2030, including the actions described below;

10. Calls on the Commission, as part of the implementation of the strategy, to include the rights of persons with disabilities in the post-2027 multiannual financial framework regulation, where relevant, along with maintaining the horizontal enabling condition on the implementation of the UNCRPD;

Accessibility

11. Welcomes the creation of the European accessibility centre AccessibleEU and calls for this body to be strengthened through the creation of a permanent regulatory agency to support the implementation and monitoring of accessibility legislation in the EU and to promote a more accessible Europe;

12. Calls for the development of new technologies to ensure accessibility, and for the participation of persons with disabilities in all phases of design, development and implementation of technologies, in order to mitigate any risk of discrimination;

13. Recognises the lack of legal requirements for accessible labelling of products and goods sold in the single market and underlines that persons with disabilities should be able to have all the information they need regarding the products they are buying in order to make an informed choice;

14. Highlights the need to revise existing EU legislation on the accessibility of transport infrastructure and vehicles such as trains, buses, planes and boats;

Enjoying EU rights

15. Welcomes the Commission’s guide of good electoral practices in Member States addressing the participation of citizens with disabilities in the electoral process, published in 2023 ahead of the European elections, and asks the Commission to assess the results in the 2024 European elections and take the necessary legislative initiatives to address the participation of citizens with disabilities in the electoral process for future elections;

Decent quality of life and living independently

16. Recognises that persons with disabilities encounter obstacles in accessing education and employment, and calls for the Union of Skills to enable greater investment in inclusive education, adaptations and accessibility in digital and vocational training, as well as to provide support in the transition to employment through adapted training and reasonable accommodation in the workplace;

17. Calls on the Commission to establish an EU-funded employment and skills guarantee for persons with disabilities, without age restrictions, aimed at facilitating access to employment, training and further education, and to ensure that all programmes are fully accessible and designed to support the transition from sheltered employment to regular employment, including reasonable accommodation measures where relevant;

18. Insists, in the context of the review of the EPSR and its action plan in 2025, and of an update of the Disability Employment Package, on the explicit recognition of all employment models of persons with disabilities, respecting dignity and labour rights in line with the UNCRPD and ensuring fair and accessible working conditions for persons with disabilities;

19. Recognises the vital role of social economy in promoting social inclusion and cohesion, addressing current challenges and reducing inequalities;

20. Recalls the essential role of the ESF+ in supporting actions for persons with disabilities and insists that the ESF+ should be maintained as the main instrument for social cohesion; notes, however, that there is no special earmarking to address the needs of persons with disabilities under the ESF+; underlines that the Member States must use this fund in compliance with the UNCRPD;

21. Considers that access to quality affordable and accessible housing represents a challenge in the EU, in particular for persons with disabilities, and calls, therefore, for support for housing including by using existing support for renovation, and for the establishment of a fund within the framework of EU cohesion policy to support accessible and disability-inclusive social housing;

Equal access and non-discrimination

22. Recognises the challenges faced by women and girls with disabilities and notes that women with disabilities face higher rates of violence against women and domestic violence;

23. Recalls the need to give visibility to the rights of women with disabilities and their role as active participants in society;

24. Calls on the Commission to address, at EU level, the barriers to accessing healthcare for women in all their diversity, including barriers faced by women and girls with disabilities;

25. Calls on the Commission to strengthen its efforts to address discrimination faced by women with disabilities, who continue to face high unemployment rates and lower pay;

Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities globally

26. Insists that the EU should support candidate countries to undertake concrete measures to align with the EU’s accessibility standards prior to their accession;

27. Underlines that the Union should further mainstream the disability rights dimension in its external action and cooperation policies, in particular in the gender action plan and the human rights and democracy action plan, and calls on the Commission to present an EU disability action plan for external action;

28. Considers it necessary to include persons with disabilities in EU-funded humanitarian aid to ensure that there is an inclusive, accessible and effective approach;

Awareness, governance and measuring progress

29. Recalls that, according to the strategy, EU institutions should make selection, recruitment, employment and retention processes disability-inclusive, and should improve the accessibility of buildings and communication technology;

30. Asks the Commission to include Parliament at a political level in the Disability Platform and to establish an interinstitutional structured dialogue to follow up on, monitor and evaluate the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Member States in all areas and in all policies, sharing best practice and providing recommendations;

31. Invites the Commission to present evaluation reports on the implementation of regulations and directives related to persons with disabilities, following the end of the transposition period, and to take any necessary actions;

32. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

The rapporteur declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.