Main Conclusions: Legislation Mainstreaming, Sustainability, Education, Are the Four Key

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European Economic and Social Committee

PRESS RELEASE No. 85/2003 Brussels, 28 November 2003

EESC SEMINAR ON INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INTO EUROPEAN SOCIETY AND THE WORLD OF WORK

MAIN CONCLUSIONS: LEGISLATION MAINSTREAMING, SUSTAINABILITY, EDUCATION, ARE THE FOUR KEY ISSUES

The European Year for People with Disabilities has helped to highlight the needs and requirements of people with disabilities. However it has failed to introduce a specific EU Directive based on Article 13 of the Treaty making it unlawful to discriminate against people with disabilities in all spheres of life. It has also fallen short in exploiting the open method of coordination in the field of disability. More needs to be done to ensure greater mainstreaming of disability considerations, not just into the world of work but into all areas of public life. More also needs to be done to ensure sustainable progress and real momentum.

This was the overriding tone to come out of the European Economic and Social Committee's seminar on people with disabilities that took place on 28 November at its headquarters in Brussels.

Key points raised:

Across the European Union there are approximately 37m people that suffer from a serious disability;

In comparison to able-bodied people, disabled people have low levels of employment and education. While 62% of non-disabled people of working age are in employment, only 24% of severely disabled people are in employment. 18% of non-disabled people have reached the third level of education while only 9% of disabled people have reached the same educational level;

The issue of disability must be made more visible to further raise awareness of the issue among all stakeholders, employers, employees and the general public;

Providing access to education is key to integrating people with disabilities into society as it helps break down attitudinal barriers.

Specific legislation needs to be introduced and accompanied by committed open coordination and real implementation.

Key quotes:

Anne Marie Sigmund (President of The European Economic and Social Committee's Group III (Various Interests):

"The European Year of People with Disabilities can lead to an improvement in the attitudes held by society. The Committee, as a mouthpiece of organised civil society, is committed to raising societal awareness and to mainstreaming disability in its Opinions".

Bas Treffers (Vice-President of the European Disability Forum):

"This year's initiative is not about highlighting these issues for just one year. We need to ensure sustainability of the progress made… We need timetables… and qualified majority voting on disability issues. From the legislative point of view we have not achieved the objectives that we initially set out".

Mrs Thérèse de Liedekerke (Director for Social Affairs, Union of Industrial and Employers Confederation of Europe - UNICE):

"With enlargement approaching, we must make attempts to understand better the way the issue of integrating people with disabilities into society is approached in the acceding countries".

Jean-Claude Detilleux:Vice-President of the European Standing Conference of Cooperatives, Mutual Societies, Associations and Foundations (CEP-CMAF):

"A quarter of the EU population suffers from some kind of handicap whether major or minor".

For more details, please contact:

Vasco de Oliveira or Tristan Macdonaldat the EESC Press Office.

Rue Ravenstein, 2, Brussels, B-1000

Tel: 02 546 9396/9586; Mobile: 0475 753 202;

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The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is an institutional consultative body established by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Its consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the Community decision-making process. The Committee has 222 members. Its members are appointed by the Council of Ministers.