Main developments:
We participated in the European Parliament’s Disability Intergroup New Year cocktail, an opportunity to liaise with new MEPs and old supporters, and to gather more participants for our own post-elections campaigning event, on 18 February.
We continued to organise the latter event, and obtained the participation of the Commission’s Disability and Inclusion Unit (DG EMPL), among the speakers.
We obtained a meeting with Hadja Lahbib, the new Commissioner for Equality, and Crisis Preparedness and Management. This meeting will take place on 10 April.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Lahbib replied to the joint letter of civil society organisations (including EBU) "Keep up the momentum on disability rights!”. She indicates that she intends to focus on implementation of accessibility legislation and on mainstreaming the disability legislation in all policy areas. Also, she confirmed a second phase of the Disability strategy, to be defined soon.
The Conclusions of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU (second semester 2024) on fostering social inclusion of persons with disabilities, are very good on many aspects regarding employment, but fail to address the "disability benefits trap" issue because Member States did not agree on this despite our intensive lobbying on this jointly with the European Disability Forum (EDF).
Campaigning:
In follow-up to the first meeting of the EBU new Advocacy Committee in late 2024, we prepared a very first concept note for an EBU campaign on making household appliances accessible, to be discussed by the committee’s Steering Group and then by the Board.
We informed our members, through the Advocacy Committee list, about EBU work in 2025 on a report for next year’s European Semester process 2026, on the so-called “disability benefits trap” issue. We have started desk research to compare the situation in various European countries (including all EU). Our member organisations will be solicited to possibly update or complement the information contained in a very first draft, and to convey their related demands.
Events:
We attended online the AccessibleEU European Event "Accessible Tourism: Harnessing the benefits of inclusive destinations" – We attended online the AccessibleEU European Event "Accessible Tourism: Harnessing the benefits of inclusive destinations" – more information in the next Newsletter.
Lobbying/Alliance-building:
We participated in a concertation meeting organised by EDF and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) on the CRPD review of the EU.
We signed a letter of support to EDF for their Youth Organisations for Inclusion project. The goal of the project is capacity building and certification of youth organisations to improve and increase participation of youth with disabilities in youth work, projects and activities.
Consultations:
After interviewing EBU, the European Commission’s consultant for the evaluation of Lifts Directive informed us that their intention is that section of their report on accessibility stress that the text of Directive should do more to guarantee accessibility.
Our Irish member, Vision Ireland, responded for us to the European Commission Survey on Designing Safe Road Infrastructure.
Our French member CFPSAA contributed comments for the EDF Position Document regarding the TSI PRM revision – rail interoperability, accessibility of the rail system.