From the 6th to the 9th of June 2024, the 10th European Elections will take place across all 27 EU Member States. 350 million people are eligible to vote for a new European Parliament, making it one of the largest democratic exercises in the world. Inside the European Union, 110 people are estimated to be disabled. What do disabled people expect from the new Members of the European Parliament? ENIL has gathered input from among its membership and produced a manifesto. We are asking MEPs to commit to the following objectives:
- Guarantee the right to Independent Living by adopting an EU Directive on Independent Living, requiring Member States to close all institutions and put in place personal assistance, peer support, support to access housing and employment, accessible mainstream services and other services.
- Ensure full participation of disabled people in the European Elections by adopting a Regulation of the Council and the European Parliament on the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage. Such a regulation needs to affirm the right of all disabled people to active and passive participation in the Elections.
- Ensure equality of treatment in employment and in accessing social protection, education, goods and services, and housing by revising Directive 2000/78/EC on equal treatment in employment and occupation and adopting the Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
- Ensure that EU Funds support Independent Living, not segregation by ensuring that the next Common Provisions Regulation, and the Regulations establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) prohibit investments in institution
- Ensure disabled people have full access to the freedom of movement by adopting a regulation or a directive on cross-border access to disability-related support, such as personal assistance.
- Ban the financing of institutions through state aid. Finance community-based services instead. Do this by reforming Commission Regulations 1407/2013 and 360/2012 on de minimis aid and Commission Decision of 20 December 2011.
- Reinforce legal safeguards against forced sterilization and sexual violence by supporting efforts to have gender-based violence added to the EU list of crimes. Commit to the efforts to modify the Directive on Combating Violence against Women.
- Prohibit the cross-border recognition of guardianship and placement orders by withdrawing the proposed Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of measures and cooperation in matters relating to the protection of adults and proposing a new legislative proposal.
- Improve the involvement of disabled people in EU policy making by setting up a disability council tasked with co-producing legislation and policy.
- Establish disability policy as a matter of justice and rights by moving the disability portfolio from the Directorate General for Employment and Social Policy (DG EMPL) to the Directorate General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST).
- Ensure the rights of disabled people are protected when travelling as passengers by air by conducting an in-depth revision of Regulation 1170/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council.
The ENIL manifesto was sent via email to the members of the EMPL Committee of the European Parliament and of the Disability Intergroup.
The manifesto was distributed to members of the public while we had our stand during the protest of the Flemish Right to Support Action group on the 30st of April and during our stand at the EU open day on the 4th of May.
MEPs José Gusmao and Anabela Rodrigues from Portugal endorsed our manifesto straight away. José expressed his willingness to produced a resolution in cooperation with ENIL:
MEP Katrin Langensiepen from Germany followed suit.
On the 28th of May, the manifesto was handed over to the European Commission.
This week policy coordinator Florian Sanden handed the manifesto to the top candidate of the Party of European Socialists Nicolas Schmit.
Today MEP Stelios Kymporoupolous from Greece added his endorsement.
On Monday the 3rd of June, Florian will have the opportunity to discuss the manifesto with electoral candidates from Malte during a public event organised by autism organisations.
You download our Manifesto to the Elections and the legislative period 2024-2029 as pdf here and as word here.
