EU efforts in recent times have made “little difference” to the lives of 87 million individuals within the bloc with disabilities, in accordance to a report by the European Court of Auditors on Thursday (12 October).
“People with disabilities in the EU still face an uphill struggle to get a job and fight poverty, as well as barriers to their freedom of movement,” mentioned Stef Blok, who led the audit.
Only about half of individuals with disabilities have been in employment in 2021, in contrast with three-in-four individuals with out disabilities, displaying there was no important enchancment within the final years.
An identical image emerges when trying on the variety of individuals with disabilities vulnerable to poverty or social exclusion, which is nearly 30 p.c of the overall — a lower of lower than one p.c over six years.
What’s extra, the precise to transfer freely isn’t assured, as EU nations don’t robotically recognise incapacity standing granted in one other member state. This implies that they don’t take pleasure in equal therapy when transferring or working throughout the EU-27.
“The EU’s executive has issued EU-wide disability strategies and proposed new initiatives, but relevant legislation has stalled,” reads the report.
In its 2021-2030 technique, the EU govt has addressed the shortcomings of the earlier technique, say the auditors, and proposed initiatives that go in the precise course (such because the European incapacity card and the incapacity employment bundle). However, important points stay unresolved.
The EU Commission has not but reviewed all related EU laws to assess compliance with the UN Convention setting minimal requirements for the rights of individuals with disabilities, which was ratified in 2010.
“EU countries bear the brunt of the responsibility regarding the limited impact of EU action, by watering down legislation and foregoing implementation,” Yannis Vardakastanis, president of the European Disability Forum, commented on the report.
For instance, the implementation of the European Accessibility Act, which goals to enhance entry to key services for individuals with disabilities, has been delayed by member states, the auditors discovered. A delay doubtless to have a destructive impression on their lives.
The directive ought to have been transposed by June 2022, however on the time of the audit, solely three member states had communicated their transposed measures — they usually have been incomplete.
“We need closer scrutiny of the EU’s actions in all areas, whether they are related to developing policies and legislation, funding actions to support persons with disabilities or ensuring proposed policies are actually implemented by member states,” Vardakastanis mentioned.
The report additionally notes that the hyperlinks between EU funding programmes (2021-30) and the aims are nonetheless weak, i.e. there isn’t a particular funding to obtain the aims set, and no info to assess the extent to which the funding has contributed to enhancing the dwelling circumstances of individuals with disabilities.
And what’s worse, there isn’t a comparable information for the fee to have a sound overview of the state of affairs of individuals with disabilities throughout the EU, auditors say.
No main by instance
Social insurance policies are the duty of the member states, with the EU enjoying a supporting and coordinating function.
Public expenditure additionally produces totally different outcomes. The share of GDP spent on social safety for individuals with disabilities is 2.2 p.c within the EU, starting from 5 p.c in Denmark to lower than one p.c in Malta, Cyprus, and Ireland.
On the opposite hand, regardless of the fee’s said dedication to the collective, the EU establishments themselves aren’t main by instance.
The EU establishments employed round 4,000 trainees in 2022, however the variety of individuals with disabilities stays unknown.
When it comes to recruitment, solely the European Parliament has an motion plan.
In 2022, the chamber employed six individuals with disabilities and counted on 30 trainees throughout the yr. The Council of the European Union employed six trainees and the ECA not less than one.
The fee doesn’t have a plan and the Court of Justice of the EU is at the moment contemplating one.
“As employers, EU institutions show ambition in fostering the inclusion of persons with disabilities, but demonstrated results are limited,” auditors concluded.
The ECA recommends that the EU govt get hold of extra comparable information, evaluation all present EU laws, and push for the mutual recognition of incapacity standing throughout member states.
