Text tabled : A7-0263/2011

  Louis Grech (S&D), in writing. – I fully support the approach of the Kósa report on mobility and inclusion of people with disabilities. People living with disabilities represent more than 16% of the European Union’s total population and are one of the most excluded and vulnerable groups in society, with a poverty rate higher than 70%. The new European Disability Strategy advocates that people with disabilities should be active participants in European society and should fully enjoy their rights.

It is regrettable that, despite all the Commission’s and the Member States’ efforts, people with disabilities continue to face barriers and have limited access to goods and services in everyday life. With this in mind, the EU and its Member States should not underestimate the magnitude of the problem – especially in the current economic situation, which compounds the negative impact on people’s lives, in particular, among marginalised groups. The EU and the Member States, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities, should purposefully promote anti-discrimination policies and active social inclusion, in order to guarantee that people with disabilities enjoy universal, effective, equal and non-discriminatory access to high-quality public services by facilitating their mobility and their access to employment, health care, education, training and other tools for independent living.