European Union
EU Commission wants European disability card
The European Disability Card is intended to enable special conditions and preferential treatment in public and private institutions. photo
© Andrea Warnecke/dpa-tmn
The EU Commission is planning a cross-border disability card. The proposal still needs to be discussed by EU countries and the European Parliament before it is implemented.
According to the will of the EU Commission to give a uniform ID in the future. This should give people with disabilities “equal access to special conditions, preferential treatment and parking rights when they visit another member state,” the Brussels authority said today.
The current EU parking permit for people with disabilities should also be improved. Both IDs should be recognized throughout the EU and be available both as a physical card and digitally.
The proof should therefore enable special conditions and preferential treatment at public and private institutions, including, for example, reduced fees and access to Braille and audio guides. It is not intended to replace national disability cards or certificates, but to supplement them. In addition, the member states should continue to be responsible for assessing disability status.
Proposal still to be discussed
The current EU parking card for people with disabilities should be recognized in all EU countries, but this is not always the case. This situation is exacerbated by differences in the format, design and application of the ID card in the EU. The Commission therefore wants to introduce a binding and standardized identification model. Security features are designed to prevent fraud and counterfeiting.
The Commission’s proposal must now be discussed by EU countries and the European Parliament. After an agreement, the countries have 18 months, according to the will of the Commission, to implement the plans into national law. A year later, you should be able to apply for the ID cards. People with disabilities and their organizations were involved in drawing up the plans.