Commission welcomes political agreement on European Disability and Parking Cards

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the EU Member States on the Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities. The Directive was proposed by the Commission in September 2023.

A harmonised 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 mobility of persons with disabilities. No matter if you are a cardholder in Spain traveling in Poland or a Polish resident, the card will guarantee access on the same terms.

The main elements of the Directive include:

• Recognising the European Disability Card as proof of disability across the EU. During short-term stays in other EU countries, persons with disabilities will be guaranteed equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment with respect to public and private services, activities and facilities. This may include priority access, reduced fees, personal assistance, and braille or audio guides for transport, cultural events, museums, leisure and sport centres as well as amusement parks. The card complements existing national cards or certificates and acknowledges the role of each Member State in assessing disability status.
• Providing European Parking Card holders with the same parking rights across the EU. The European Parking Card ensures equal access to designated reserved parking spaces and other parking conditions and facilities. It replaces the EU parking card for people with disabilities created on voluntary basis through a Council Recommendation. To address issues of inconsistent recognition across the EU, the improved European Parking Card uses a common binding template. 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 format (with digital features) and in digital format.
• Requiring Member States to issue and renew the European Parking Card free of charge, or for a small fee to cover the administrative costs, in a physical format with digital features. Each Member State may provide this card also in digital format.
• Ensuring publicly accessible information on the conditions and procedures for obtaining these cards, as well as general information about the special conditions and preferential treatment offered 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 webpages.
• Guaranteeing enforcement and compliance by empowering persons with disabilities and their representatives to take legal action under national law. Member States must establish mechanisms for these legal actions and implement fines and corrective measures for violations.

Next steps

After the formal agreement by the European Parliament and the Council in the coming months, the Directive will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Within 30 months after the entry into force Member States will have to incorporate the provisions of the Directive into national law. One year later, the legislation will take effect, at which point persons with disabilities can apply for the cards.

Background

The Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities was announced in the EU Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030. It contributes to the EU’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, to which both the EU and the EU Member States are party. It also aligns with the principles of equal opportunities and inclusion of people with disabilities outlined in the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Persons with disabilities and civil society organisations linked to the Disability Platform played a key role in shaping this Directive. Their contributions, based on experiences with the EU parking card for persons with disabilities and the European Disability Card pilot project, as well as insights from an online survey and over 3,300 responses (78% from persons with disabilities) from a public consultation in 2023 helped identify key issues and address genuine needs for persons with disabilities.

For More Information

Proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities

Proposed Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities (easy-to-read version)

Q&A (6 September 2023)

Quote(s)

Today’s agreement was found with record speed and it shows that we are determined to deliver on inclusivity and the seamless mobility of persons with disabilities across the EU. We are not finished, the Commission remains committed to advancing initiatives that promote equality and full participation for all. The European Disability Card and improved European Parking Card will ensure and simplify mutual recognition of disability across Member States.

Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency

The European Union has taken a significant step towards ensuring the free movement and equal treatment of persons with disabilities across all Member States. The agreement on the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, only 5 months after the Commission put forward its proposal, is testament to our collective commitment to inclusion and equality. From preferential treatment to streamlined parking rights across the EU, these two cards will deliver practical benefits and enable more persons with disabilities to travel freely in the EU, thus upholding the principle that everyone should enjoy their rights equally.

Helena Dalli, Commissioner for Equality