Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Commission in Brussels welcomed the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for people with disabilities. The Directive was proposed by the Commission in September 2023.
The harmonized European Disability Card and the improved European Parking Card will ensure easier recognition of disability status and equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment across the EU, during short-term stays in other EU countries.
. These cards will facilitate the movement of people with special needs. Regardless of whether you are a cardholder in Spain traveling to Poland or a Polish resident, the card will guarantee access on the same conditions.
The main elements of guidance include:
The European Disability Card is recognized as proof of disability throughout the European Union. During short-term stays in other EU countries, persons with disabilities will be guaranteed equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment with regard to public and private services, activities and facilities. This may include priority access, reduced fees, personal assistance, audio or Braille guides for transport, cultural events, museums, leisure and sports centres, as well as theme parks. The card complements existing national cards or certificates and recognizes the role of each Member State in assessing disability status.
Providing European Parking Card holders with the same parking rights across the European Union. The European Parking Card guarantees equal access to allocated parking spaces and other parking conditions and facilities. It replaces the EU Parking Card for Persons with Disabilities which was created on a voluntary basis through Council recommendation. To address issues of inconsistent recognition across the EU, the Enhanced European Parking Card uses a common binding model. It also includes security features to prevent forgery and fraud.
Requiring Member States to issue and renew the European Disability Card free of charge, in both physical (with digital features) and digital form.
Require Member States to issue and renew the European Parking Card free of charge, or for a small fee to cover administrative costs, in physical form with digital features. Each Member State may also submit this card in digital format.
Ensure the availability of information to the public about the conditions and procedures for obtaining these cards, in addition to general information about the special conditions and preferential treatment provided to persons with disabilities. Each Member State will establish a dedicated website for this purpose. In addition, the EU will also create a dedicated website linking to all national web pages.
Ensure enforcement and compliance by enabling persons with disabilities and their representatives to take legal action under national law. Member States must establish mechanisms for these legal procedures and implement fines and corrective measures for violations.
Next steps
Following formal agreement between the European Parliament and the Council in the coming months, the Directive will enter into force on the twentieth day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Within 30 months of the Directive's entry into force, Member States will have to incorporate the provisions of the Directive into national law. After one year, the legislation will come into effect, at which point people with disabilities can apply for the cards.
It is noteworthy that the directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities was announced in the European Union Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. It contributes to the European Union's implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which both the European Union and EU Member States are party. It is also consistent with the principles of equal opportunities and inclusion of persons with disabilities set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights.
People with disabilities and civil society organizations associated with the Disability Platform played a key role in drafting this guidance. Their contributions, based on their experiences with the EU Parking Card for People with Disabilities and the European Disability Card Pilot Project, as well as insights from an online survey and more than 3,300 responses (78% from people with disabilities) from a public consultation in 2023, helped identify the issues. Main and address the real needs of people with disabilities.