Activities of Alexis GEORGOULIS related to 2022/2026(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION towards equal rights for persons with disabilities
Amendments (39)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. having regard to the Commission proposal for a Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (COM(2008)0426, ‘the Anti- Discrimination Directive’); whereas this directive would provide greater protection against discrimination of all kinds but still remains blocked in the European Council;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1 a. having regard to the revised European Social Charter, in particular its articles 15, on the right of persons with disabilities to independence, social integration, and participation;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 b (new)
Paragraph -1 b (new)
-1 b. having regard to the European's Parliament resolution of 29 November 2018 on the situation of women with disabilities,
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. having regard to the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), in particular principle 17 on inclusion of persons with disabilities and principle18 on the right to long-term care,
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. having regard to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.7
Amendment 6 #
1 c. whereas through its role, the Committee on Petitions has a special duty to protect the rights of peoples with disabilities in the EU, with the exercise of their fundamental freedoms and rights being guaranteed by EU law and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD);
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. whereas the right to petition, the petition process and the Peti portal should be more visible and accessible to persons with disabilities; whereas the Committee on Petitions should ensure better visibility and sufficient information in this respect through targeted information and awareness-raising campaigns, with a special focus on vulnerable groups, especially persons with disabilities;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1 f. whereas work-related discrimination against people with disabilities is interrelated with the lack of inclusive education and vocational training, as well as the segregation and discrimination present in the field of housing, healthcare, and the lack of accessibility of transport and other services and products;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1 g. whereas equal and effective access to affordable quality care and support services is an essential prerequisite for independent living of people with disabilities, their participation in the community life and social inclusion so as leave no one behind;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Paragraph 1 h (new)
1 h. whereas children with disabilities in the EU are disproportionately more likely to be placed in institutional care than children without disabilities, and appear far less likely to benefit from efforts to enable a transition from institutional to family-based care;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2021 to 2027) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1295/20131a, _________________ 1a OJ L 189, 28.5.2021, p. 34-60.
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 34 a (new)
Citation 34 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2021 on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU2a, _________________ 2a OJ C 184, 5.5.2022, p. 88–98.
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Points out that petitioners’ most common concerns regarding the equality of people with disabilities centre around accessibility and social protection, along with employment rights and the right to live independently in the community;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that independent living goes hand in hand with the freedom to choose one’s place of residence5 , inclusive education6 , a guarantee of democratic rights7 such as the right to vote8 , and access to the open labour market with an adequate salary9 and fair salary9as well as adequate social protection in order to allow sufficient flexibility in the provision of social support and benefits and ensure their adjustability to the individual needs and career paths of PwD; _________________ 5 Petition No 0988/2020. 6 Petitions Nos 1340/2020 and 1529/2020. 7 Petition No 1132/2016. 8 Petition No 1135/2021; European Economic and Social Committee report of 20 March 2019 on the real rights of persons with disabilities to vote in European Parliament elections. 9 Petitions Nos 0608/2020 and 1280/2021.
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes the fact that as part of the Strategy for the Rights of People with Disabilities 2021-2030, an EU-wide Disability Card will be available by the end of 2023; Calls the commission and Member states to developing a system of mutual recognition with common criteria in all Member States of disability status and associate benefits based on an EU disability card with a strong scope harmonising the status and definition of disability and making the Card mandatory for all Member States in order to really safeguard equal opportunities for all across the EU leaving noone behind;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Urges the Commission and Member States to introduce public and private sector workplace quotas for people with disabilities in order to foster an inclusive workplace;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas cultural creators - such as authors, performers and artists - with disabilities have more difficult access to professional and non-professional artistic and cultural activities as well as fewer opportunities to develop long-term careers in the cultural and creative sectors; whereas they are often excluded from policy and funding in the cultural and creative sectors as the result of a lack of account being taken, for example, of restricted mobility or the challenges posed by bureaucratic funding procedures; whereas the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the already existing obstacles;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the Member States to improve the accessibility of buildings, transport and communication, including web accessibility, in order to remove physical, digital, logistical and social barriers in all areas, and recalls that the Member States must speed up the transposition of the European Accessibility Act10 ; Calls on the Commission to use the New European Bauhaus initiative to promote and support housing solutions, based on a design for all approach, enabling people with disabilities to live at home and to remain active in society; _________________ 10 Petitions Nos 0954/2019, 1491/2020,1135/21 and 1213/2021.
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Reminds the Member States that independent living, quality social and employment services, adequate social protection and a strengthened social economy are indispensable for decent living for all persons with disabilities, as highlighted in the EU strategy on the rights of people with disabilities;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls, in this respect, that the COVID-19 crisis has fostered remote work, which could provide for wider access to employment for PwD, and urges the Member States to take serious measures to tackle unemployment and the payment gap11 calls on the Commission and Member States to promote and ensure a legislative and policy-making framework for admission to the labour market of persons with disabilities, especially women, including those with hidden disabilities, chronic illnesses or learning difficulties; Recalls, in this respect, that the COVID-19 crisis has fostered remote work, which could provide for wider access to employment for PwD, and urges the Member States to take serious measures to tackle unemployment and the payment gap11 ; Stresses the need for the European Commission's Digital Transition Strategy to ensure the involvement of people with disabilities in the IT development, deployment and use; stresses that AI-based technologies in the workplace should be accessible to everyone, based on the design for all principle; _________________ 11 Petitions Nos 0608/2020, 1139/2021, 0226/21 and 0070/2022.
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls for the collection of EU-wide disability-related data with a human rights-based approach and of data related to the impact of the so- called COVID-19 crisis on persons with disabilities in order to provide the evidence needed to scale up rapid assessments and urgently develop strategies and prepare interventions together with the Member States to revert the backlash in terms of rights and development observed due to the implementation of containment measures of the COVID-19;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Underlines the need to earmark adequate funding for resources enabling people with disabilities to make use of the best available technology and equipment in their everyday lives, at the workplace and for social intercourse; calls on the Member States to make the necessary investment and give people with disabilities easier access to assistive devices and connectivity, such as special tools for the workplace, mobility solutions or intelligent sensor systems, with a view to facilitating their social inclusion and helping them secure a decent standard of living;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Is deeply concerned about the high unemployment rates of persons with disabilities, especially women, compared to other groups in the European Union;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates that PwD, including those with mental disabilities, should have the right to the highest attainable state of health and access to healthcare, free from discrimination, of the same scope and quality as other EU citizens13 ; Calls on the Commission and Member States to include in European structural and investment fund planning and programming appropriations earmarked for policies with an emphasis on services in the community, with a view to implementing national deinstitutionalisation strategies; stresses the need to bring Member State strategies and EU funding more closely into line with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with a view to ensuring the mutual recognition of deinstitutionalisation and 'independent living in the community'; _________________ 13 Petitions Nos 0687/2020 and 0470/2020.
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Member States to take due account of the unique situation of authors, performers and artists with disabilities in the development of all relevant policies, funding programmes and activities, and to remove all obstacles to ensuring equal rights and equal chances for all persons in the cultural and creative sectors, in particular by introducing measures which enable the equal access, participation and representation of all cultural creators;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the obligations under the CRPD and the recommendations of the CRPD Committee are also binding on all EU institutions, which are responsible for ensuring accessibility and non- discrimination, including for EU staff with disabilities and carers of PwD. Urges thus the European institutions to improve the accessibilities' level and quality in all of their buildings, as well as to remove the existing barriers to the European institutions' websites, debates and documentation, i.e. the accessibility barriers to the communication of the information produced, by e.g. providing translation into the Sign Language of the different Member States, documents in Braille, documents in easy language, among others;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Calls on the Commission to conduct a comprehensive update of EU disability strategy and funding programmes with a view to complying fully with the CRPD by constructively involving disability organisations; calls on the Commission and the Member States to involve disability organisations in the dialogue and in all stages of the implementation of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021- 2030;
Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Reminds the Member States of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.7, whose aim is to provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces, in particular for children and women, persons with disabilities and older persons, by 2030;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9 c. Urges the Member States to ensure that persons with disabilities are involved in the policy-making process without any restrictions; notes that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires full involvement in policy making, which means allowing people with disabilities to participate and be represented in policy formulation and decision making in all areas at European, national and local level, in line with the principle of disability mainstreaming;
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9 d. Urges a swift revision of the Employment Equality Directive with a view to fully harmonising it with the provisions of the UNCRPD and implementing a participatory process aimed at ensuring the direct and full involvement of representative organisations, full representation of the Civil Society of the organisations of people with disabilities in the overall decision making process;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 e (new)
Paragraph 9 e (new)
9 e. Stresses the need to step up research and innovation in the field of accessible technology in order to strengthen the inclusiveness for people with disabilities;
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 f (new)
Paragraph 9 f (new)
9 f. Regrets for the inequity of access to assessment for hidden disabilities such as specific learning disabilities like dyslexia and dyscalculia; Calls the Commission and Member States to develop common European assessment criteria on learning disabilities and implement inclusive educational policies ensuring equal access of students with disabilities;
Amendment 121 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 g (new)
Paragraph 9 g (new)
9 g. Calls the Commission and Member States to invest in public educational infrastructures as well as in education workforce’s training and professional learning in order to ensure that children’s and students’ with disabilities learning and development needs are met.
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 h (new)
Paragraph 9 h (new)
9 h. Calls on the commission and the Member states to ensure and promote, according to the Article 30 of CRPD, the right of persons with disabilities to participate in cultural life, including access to cultural materials in accessible formats, television programmes, films, theatre and other cultural activities in accessible formats; Highlights the importance of improving accessibility to cultural heritage sites for people with disabilities;
Amendment 123 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 i (new)
Paragraph 9 i (new)
9 i. Highlights the health benefits of culture and arts on the mental health, wellbeing and overall health of people with disabilities; therefore, calls on member states and the Commission to take measures to publicly provide for free culture and art activities for people with disabilities, as well as to ensure the inclusion of all forms of culture and art;
Amendment 124 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 j (new)
Paragraph 9 j (new)
9 j. Recalls that the lessons learnt by the pandemic as to how culture benefited people with disabilities, as well as our overall society, should lead to further supporting culture for people with disabilities with securing specific relevant funds and expanding access to funding for cultural activities for people with disabilities horizontally in as many European funding programmes as possible, while safeguarding that in possible future crises there will already be in place mechanisms to secure adequate access to culture and people with disabilities, as needed;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the Commission to further enhance and promote inclusive elements of the Creative Europe programme in order to increase cultural participation across the Union on the way towards a more inclusive society, in particular with regards to people with disabilities, encouraging their active participation in creative processes as well as audience development;