EU Disability Strategy after 2020

10.12.2019

Question for oral answer O-000046/2019
to the Commission
Rule 136
Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Cindy Franssen, Ádám Kósa, Stelios Kympouropoulos
on behalf of the PPE Group

According to Commission estimates, about 100‑120 million people living in the EU have a disability, while according to current demographic trends, the number of disabled people is increasing. Given that the European Disability Strategy 2010‑2020 is due to expire, we would like to ask the Commission:

• 1.Does it have updated figures on the number of disabled people in Europe, and a breakdown of the data per Member State? How many disabled people currently live in the EU, and is there a breakdown of the data according to gender? If not, by when does it aim to have clear projections for the period 2020‑2030?
• 2.Can the Commission commit to ease out from the funding of institutions, and opt instead for social services for disabled people?
• 3.What financial and human resources and mechanisms will the Commission put in place to ensure the comprehensive implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the mainstreaming of the rights of persons with disabilities in all relevant EU policies? How will the Commission monitor this implementation?
• 4.What specific actions will the Commissioner responsible take to ensure the implementation of the European Accessibility Act, which she committed to in her written answers to Parliament?
• 5.What priority domains will the future European Disability Strategy cover, what will the main concrete legislative initiatives be, and how does the Commission plan to set measurable goals for these?
• 6.How does the Commission view the role of cooperation with the private sector in effectively achieving the targets of the new Strategy? What incentives will there be to promote this?
• 7.How will the Commission ensure the enforceability of the right to personal assistance for disabled people throughout the whole Union?
• 8.How will the Commission ensure that new technologies and ways of working create new opportunities for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labour market?
• 9.What are the Commission’s strategies for making education more accessible and more inclusive for all, for example by encouraging the use of AI and other accessible and affordable technology?

Submitted: 10/12/2019

Lapses: 11/03/2020