On 21 November 2023, the European Parliament published the recent study by Professor Delia Ferri entitled ‘Analysis of the European Disability Card. The Proposed Directive: Shortcomings, Strengths and Opportunities’ requested by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament.
The study provides an in-depth analysis of the European Commission’s Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities which was released on 6 September 2023 as well as the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council extending Directive [XXXX] to third country nationals legally residing in a Member State that the European Commission released shortly afterwards on 31 October 2023.
The proposed European Disability Card is one of the so-called flagship initiatives included in the ‘Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030’ of the European Union (EU) and builds on the experiences of the EU Parking Card which was first introduced in 1998 aiming to enhance and facilitate the enjoyment of the right to freedom of movement for persons with disabilities across the Union.
Professor Ferri’s analysis considers legal and policy background, the Pilot Project as well as the rationale for a European Disability Card against the background of the EU’s competences and discusses the role of the principle of mutual recognition before turning to examining the proposals in greater detail.
To conclude, the study presents strengths and shortcomings of the proposed directives and provides recommendations for amendments for the co-legislators to consider during the review and trilogue stages that are currently on-going.
Professor Delia Ferri is Professor of Law at the School of Law and Criminology of Maynooth University and Co-Director of the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute.
