Activities of Helga STEVENS related to 2015/2258(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (debate) NL
Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with special regard to the Concluding Observations of the UN CRPD Committee PDF (1 MB) DOC (391 KB)
Amendments (44)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that independence, integration and access to an inclusive education and training system, cultural life, leisure and sport are rights guaranteed by Articles 19, 24 and 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and are protected under EU law, in particular in the context of fighting discrimination on the grounds of disability (Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU) and the principle of integrationfull and effective participation and inclusion in society of persons with disabilities (Article 263 of the CharterCRPD); asks the Commission and the Member States therefore to reinforce measures aimed at ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to key areas such as education, culture and sport;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Urges the Commission to act accordingly within the limits of its competences and through coordination towards improvement of access and ideally for guaranteed access for all children with disabilities to inclusive and quality education in European schools;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the CRPD is the first international human rights treaty ratified by the EU, which has also been signed by all 28 EU Member States and ratified by 25 Member States excluding Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas children with disabilities have the rights to live in (their) families or family environment in line with their best interest;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas children with disabilities are 17 times more likely to live in an institution than their peers without disabilities, where their risk of violence, neglect and abuse is much higher than when living at home;1a __________________ 1aFRA Report: Violence against children with disabilities: legislation, policies and programmes in the EU, http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_ uploads/fra-2015-violence-against- children-with-disabilities_en.pdf
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the EU Member States and institutions to ensure that public hearing and meetings discussing proposed laws and policies are made fully accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with intellectual and learning disabilities;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F d (new)
Recital F d (new)
Fd. whereas disability is a cause and consequence of poverty and approximately 30% of the homeless population have a disability and are at risk to be overlooked;1a __________________ 1aVan Straaten et al (2015). Self-reported care needs of Dutch homeless people with and without a suspected intellectual disability: a 1.5-year follow-up study, In: Health Soc Care Community 2015 Oct 1. Epub 2015 Oct 1.
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F e (new)
Recital F e (new)
Fe. whereas an estimated 80% of persons with disabilities live in developing countries;1a __________________ 1a World Report on Disability, 2011.
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that people with disabilities are often excluded or do not have adequate access to education and training services where tailored education projects are needed; askencourages the Member States to strengthen training programmes for teachers and other school staff in order to increase the support they can provide to students with disabilities;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F f (new)
Recital F f (new)
Ff. whereas the EU supports the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities at the international level, and is the world’s biggest donor of Official Development Assistance (ODA);
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas disability can be caused by a gradual and sometimes invisible degradation of the state of health of an individual, as is the case for people with neurodegenerative or rare diseases; 2Or. en
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas the EU, as a party to the CRPD, has the duty to ensure the close involvement and active participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the development and implementation of legislation and policies to implement the Convention and in all decision making processes concerning issues that relate to persons with disabilities;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines that providing access to education to persons with disabilities should also include access to lifelong learning, including the provision of needs-based reasonable accommodation;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers full and complete access to the political system for all persons with disabilities to be a priority; recognises that this access must be more than mere physical access to cast a vote, but also take into the account existing rules regarding legal capacity and the possible consequences of these rules restricting access to democracy and equality for individuals with disabilities, and that it should include a wide range of initiatives to open the democratic process to all citizens; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the provisions of Article 3(2) of Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime and of Directives 2010/64/EU on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings and 2012/13/EU on the right to information in criminal proceedings, and in particular Directive 2013/48/EU on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and in European arrest warrant proceedings, and on the right to have a third party informed upon deprivation of liberty and to communicate with third persons and with consular authorities while deprived of liberty, are properly and fully implemented, especially in the case of persons with disabilities;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to harmonise data collection oncreate a common standard and criteria for the collection of disaggregated data with regard to disability through EU social surveys in line with Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), in order to accurately inform about and identify developments in the sector;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges a comprehensive and cross- cutting review of EU legislation and funding programmes, including future programming periods, with a view to complying fully with the CRPD by constructively involving disability organisations and the members of the EU Framework for the CRPD (hereinafter the ‘EU Framework’);
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recognises that vulnerable members of society are further marginalised if they have a disability; considers that the EU should redouble its efforts to fully accommodate the provision of rights and services for all people in its care, including stateless people, homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that Youth strategies after 2018 should mainstream the needs of young persons with disabilities;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Asks the Commission to proposevide a list of legislation with a view to proposing an update of the declaration of competence in light of the Concluding Observations, to be repeated periodically with the formal involvement of disability organisations and the European Parliament;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to set up a structured dialogue with disabilityconsolidate and make a proposal for a structured dialogue between the EU and disability organisations including appropriate funding to ensure full and equal participation by persons with disabilities and their representative organisations;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to use the review of the European Disability Strategy and to develop a comprehensive EU CRPD strategy with a clear implementation timeframe, benchmarks and indicators;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to continue working on the inclusion of the persons with disabilities through financial support for a range of grassroots projects and organisations;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Asks the Commission to launch a campaign to raise awareness about the CRPD, which focuses on the exchange of good practices; asks each EU institution and agency to organise a specific training module on the CRPD for its staff, in cooperation with organisations for people with disabilities.
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take steps to combat all forms of discrimination, including multiple and intersectional discrimination based on disability, with special regard to women and children with disabilities, older persons and individuals who have complex support needs, including those with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities and to those whose disabilities change over time;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the European institutions and Member States to ensure that boys and girls with disabilities and their representative organisations be consulted in all matters affecting them – with appropriate assistance provided, according to their disability and age;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Regrets the fact that the Council has still not adopted the 2008 proposal for a directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation; reiterates its call on the Council to do so as soon as possible;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to work with Parliament to deliver a strongclear and effective directive on the accessibility of public sector bodies’ websites, with a broad scope and a robust enforcement mechanism in line with the proposed European Accessibility Act;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned about the lack of accessibility of the EU-wide 112 emergency number, which is at national level and when roaming, causing unnecessary deaths and injuries; highlights the need for implementing measures at national level ensuring inter alia compatibility across Member States, including accessible national emergency points;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is concerned that the Employment Eq2uality Directive does not explicitly make the denial of reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities a form of discrimination; asks the Commission to provide a state of play on the kinds of complaints received;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Member States to adopt quality frameworks for traineeships with a view to ensuring reasonable accommodation and accessibility for persons with disabilities and to ensure that all EU programmes such as the Youth Guarantee are fully accessible to persons with disabilities;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Is concerned that the European Structural and Investment Funds are being misused to foster institutionalisation, and calls on the Member States and the Commission to strengthen their monitoring in line with the CRPD and in consultation with disability organisations and recommends to suspend, withdraw and recover payments from Member States if the obligation to respect fundamental rights is breached;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Welcomes the ex-ante conditionalities on social inclusion and its investment priority on the ‘transition from institutional to community based services’ in Regulation 1303/2013 on the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF); calls on the Member States to use the funds for deinstitutionalisation and as a tool to implement the CRPD;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the development of human rights-based indicators and calls on the Member States to provide comparable disaggregated disability data;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the development of human rights-based indicators and comparable disaggregated disability data; underlines the need to disaggregate data on the basis of various factors including by gender, age and disability;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Commission to fund research and data collection on violence, abuse and exploitation of all persons with all types of disabilities in the community and in institutions;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commissionbudget authorities to allocate adequate resources to enable the EU Framework to perform its functions independently;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Highlights that the CRPD network needs to be strengthened to appropriately coordinate CRPD implementation internally but also interinstitutionally, while actively involving and closely consulting with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in its activities and meetings;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Urges the institutions to review allensure existing staff regulations, internal rules and implementing provisions for CRPD compatibility are fully implemented in line with the CRPD and internal rules and implementing provisions are developed fully applying CRPD provisions, as part of an open and disability-inclusive process, in order to address the Concluding Observations;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls for the provision of adequate needs-based and CRPD-compatible reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities – or with dependent family members with disabilities – who are in the service of the European institutions, paying particular attention to the needs of disabled parents;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Urges the EU institutions to make their internet-based content and apps, including their intranets and all documents and audiovisual content, accessible while equally ensuring physical accessibility of their buildings;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for the EU to revise the rules of the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme, the pension system and disability-related social security and social protection measures in order to ensure non- discrimination and equality of opportunities for persons with disabilities, inter alia by recognising disability-related health needs as being distinct from an illness;