FIMITIC

Brussels, 9 June 2006 - “Europe’s efforts to eliminate borders and to facilitate the free movement of its citizens is most of the times a far reality for disabled people. People with disabilities and their families are daily stopped from travelling due to arbitrary reasons or the specific policy of an air carrier. The Regulation adopted today will change the lives of people with disabilities and it is a long-waited step in our combat against discrimination,” said the President of the European Disability Forum, Yannis Vardakastanis.

The European Commission welcomed the decision by the Council and Parliament to designate 2007 as 'European Year of Equal Opportunities for All'. The year will aim to make Europeans aware of their right not to be discriminated against, to promote equal opportunities in areas from work to healthcare, and to show how diversity makes the EU stronger. The year will have four themes: rights, representation, recognition and respect, with a total budget of €15 million for the 12 months activities.

On 27 and 28 May 2006, EDF held its Annual General Assembly and associated meetings in Rome, Italy. FIMITIC was represented by two official delegates: Nigel Brander, President, and Marija-Lidija Stiglic, Secretary General (also in her function as EDF Board member).

On 7 April 2006, the Committee of Ministers has adopted a recommendation addressed to all 46 member states on the Council of Europe's "Action Plan to promote the rights and full participation in society of people with disabilities : improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in Europe 2006-2015".

February 10, 2006 - More then 400 representatives from governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were attending the 7th Ad Hoc Committee Session negotiations ending at the United Nations Headquarters in New York recently.
Reflecting on the progress made FIMITIC appreciates the cooperative approach of all involved and welcomes that the negotiations can be hopefully finalized this year for Convention adoption by the UN General Assembly.

A worldwide recognition of human rights law for people with disabilities thus shall be achieved and legally binding.

This is a challenge and a great opportunity for all of us!

Yet important demands are not solved. It is up to the FIMITIC member associations now to urgently take action during the remaining period and to work hard to ensure improvements.

The Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral Convention on the Protection and promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities opened its 7th Session in New York last week.

NGO preparations for the negotiations began on Sunday, January 15, 2006.

During its three-week session, which is scheduled to conclude on 3 February, the Committee intends to review the draft of the Convention, based on the 34-article text proposed by the Committee´ s Chair Don MacKay, New Zealand.

Brussels, December 15, 2005

The European Parliament has adopted a regulation this week with major improvement of the rights of air travellers with disabilities. The new initiative, in line with the common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers and the recently published EU blacklist of unsafe airlines, aims to reinforce the rights of European consumers, without forgetting people with disabilities, explicitly including not only people with reduced mobility, but also those with other disabilities, such as individuals who are blind, partially sighted, deaf, hard of hearing, or who have an intellectual disability.

Brussels, February 16, 2005 - Proposal for first-ever European disability legislation announced by European Commission

The European Commission tabled a proposal for a Regulation on the rights of passengers with reduced mobility when travelling by air which will prohibit discrimination against disabled air passengers.
"Discrimination against disabled people is completely against the European Union ideal" says Vice-President of the European Commission, Jacques Barrot

Brussels 20/01/2005.

A Conference on equal opportunities for people with disabilities took place on 9-11 December 2004 in Bulgaria. As the European Commission finalised enlargement negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania and set out plans to start accession negotiations with Turkey and Croatia, this event brought together participants from these 4 countries.

The research

"Feasibility study about comparable statistics in the area of care of dependant adults in the European Union" ,

done by the Centre for European Social and Economic Policy, has been published by EUROSTAT and can be downloaded here (PDF, 1MB).