And after this year?” “

The Parliament removed architectural barriers and MEPs surrendered their desks to 300 disabled: on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 November the debating chamber in Brussels hosted the second session of the European Parliament of the disabled, an initiative promoted “to fuel the debate and stimulate European policy in favour of the rights of people with handicaps”. Delegates of local, national and European associations from 28 countries were present. At the end of the meeting, a resolution was voted on the follow-up to be given to the European Year of the Disabled. A manifesto, addressed to the European Parliament, was also adopted in view of the elections of June 2004. On the side of the disabled. During the European Year of the Disabled, now approaching its end, there has been no lack of projects aimed at awareness-raising and reflection on the problems linked to handicaps in the member states of the Union. On Monday 17 November, moreover, the Commission will make a declaration in the parliamentary chamber of Strasbourg on the projects realised on behalf of the disabled in 2003 and follow-up activities planned for the following years. The executive led by Romano Prodi among other things presented an action plan for the equal opportunities of the disabled in the enlarged EU on 30 October. “The plan – says a press release – covers the period 2004-2010: so that people with handicaps may fully integrate themselves in society, the first phase, covering two years, will mainly concern the creation of the conditions to permit them access to the labour market”. Four “priority measures” have been identified: access to jobs and maintenance of active life, including anti-discrimination measures; ongoing education and training; new technologies to facilitate the self-sufficiency of the disabled; accessibility to buildings. “We’re 10% of the population. The EU cannot ignore us”. But the session of the European Parliament of people with disabilities (EPPH) also permitted a direct dialogue between the delegates and the institutions of the EU and provided the opportunity to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the standard rules of the UN on the rights of the handicapped. The comments of the disabled were unanimous, and interpreted by the chairman of the European Forum for disabled persons, Yannis Vardakastanis, who spoke of “an event of historic importance to make known our political requests and to make heard the voice of the disabled in defence of their rights”. “We’re ten percent of the population – declared Vardakastanis –; the disabled cannot be ignored”. Dialogue open between EU institutions and Forum. “The EPPH symbolises the importance of contact and dialogue between citizens and Union”, declared Pat Cox, president of the EP. “You won’t be alone, we shall be with you, at your side”. The Commissioner for Labour and Social Affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou, presented the executive’s programme to integrate the handicap question in the daily activities of the EU. She explained that “in this phase the application of the directive in force on non-discrimination in the job market, aimed at protecting the handicapped, is raising numerous problems in the member states, and efforts need to be made to resolve them”. A “manifesto” for the elections in June 2004. At the end of the session, the parliament of the disabled approved a manifesto for the forthcoming elections to be held in 25 countries of the “enlarged” Union. The document underlines various requests: first, it calls for new legislation “to protect handicapped persons from forms of discrimination in all sectors of life”; second, it asks that “the future European Constitution guarantee that legislative measures on non-discrimination be adopted by qualified majority and no longer by unanimous vote”. “The forthcoming European elections – says the manifesto – must be more open to handicapped persons and candidates”.