The European Parliament and the Council of the EU have reached a political agreement on a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities. The European Disability Card and revised European Parking Card aim to ensure easier recognition of disability status and equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment across the EU.
The main elements of the Directive include:
• Recognising the European Disability Card as proof of disability across the EU.
• Providing European Parking Card holders with the same parking rights across the EU.
• 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.
• 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.
• Guaranteeing enforcement and compliance by empowering persons with disabilities and their representatives to take legal action under national law.
The Directive will enter into force 20 days 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 after this, the legislation will take effect, at which point persons with disabilities can apply for the cards. Details on the Cards are available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=1139&furtherNews=yes&newsId=10763
