European Year of People with Disabilities
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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Brussels, 29.05.2001
COM( 2001) 271 final
2001/ 0116( CNS)
Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION
On the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003
(presented by the Commission) 1
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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. THE DISABILITY CHALLENGE
Approximately 38 million people, one in 10 Europeans of all ages,
have a disability.
Throughout the Union, people with disabilities face barriers not only in
finding and keeping a job but also in finding accessible transportation,
physically accessing buildings and facilities or gaining access to
education and any training needed for a job. In addition, they also face
barriers in gaining access to the technologies that would help them to
become more fully involved both at work and in society at large. Other
barriers do affect the freedom of disabled european citizens to move
within the Union and to reside in another Member State of their choice. All these barriers too often prevent people with disabilities
from playing a full part in society and in the workplace. As a result,
Europeans with disabilities are less likely to have a job or a business
than people without a disability. According to the European Household Community Panel (1996), for people aged 16 to 64 without a disability,
the likelihood of having a job or a business is 66 %. For people with a
non-severe disability, the rate is 47 %.
The rate drops to 25 % for those with a severe disability.
The situation is particularly difficult for those who are doubly
affected, namely people with disabilities who are also members of other
groups in our society facing barriers: the elderly disabled, women with
disabilities and people with disabilities who come from ethnic minorities .
Achieving equal opportunities for people with disabilities calls for
a multi-pronged strategy involving inter alia, combating discrimination,
facilitating independent living, promoting greater social integration,
enhancing the opportunities for education, training, lifelong learning
and employment and increasing the availability and quality of care and
assistive technologies. This is a significant challenge, the solution to
which will involve a number of measures at national and Community level.
Moreover, among the primary obstacles facing people with disabilities
are the negative and disabling attitudes projected by society. Despite
noticeable progress, assumptions about what it means to have a
disability remain deeply entrenched in educational, social and cultural
practices. As a result, opportunities for education, for social
involvement, for nurturing self-esteem and for skill development are
often restricted for people with disabilities. Much work needs to be
done to change attitudes that stereotype people with disabilities in
society. The potential that people with disabilities have will otherwise not be realised and the input which they can make to
society not fully exploited.
2. TOWARDS FULL CITIZENSHIP
Over the past decade, people with disabilities' organisations all
over the world have been working to reposition disability within a
broader framework of human rights and citizenship.
Disability policy today is moving towards a standpoint which no longer
sees the physical or mental limitations of an individual as the primary
problem, preferring to focus on that person's potential for social and
labour-market participation and on a respect for their human rights.
Hence, citizenship for people with disabilities is now understood as a
commitment by governments that people with disabilities will not suffer
discrimination or marginalisation and this commitment must be given an
appropriate legal embodiment in the form of enforceable anti-discrimination legislation. Citizenship also commits all levels of
government, including
the European Union, to develop and implement programmes and policies to
help all citizens to become an effective part of the economic and social
mainstream.
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This new approach has taken shape within an international context
which, in 1993, saw the adoption of the UN Standard Rules on the
Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. This
approach to disability was then formally endorsed in 1996 by the Council
as a blueprint for the Union's disability policy in its Resolution of 20
December 1996 on Equality of Opportunity for People with Disabilities.
The human-rights-based approach to disability has subsequently been
underpinned in the Amsterdam Treaty. Under Article 13 of the new Treaty,
the Union now has the power to combat discrimination on grounds of sex,
religion or belief, race, age, sexual orientation and disability. Using Article 13 as a starting point, the Council adopted on
27 November 2000 a comprehensive anti-discrimination package comprising
a Directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in
employment and occupation and a Community action programme to combat discrimination (2001-2006)
.
The Directive provides a legislative framework for legally
enforceable employment rights, including provisions on a number of key
issues such as protection against harassment, scope for positive action,
appropriate remedies and enforcement measures. More importantly, the
directive also adopts the duty of reasonable accommodation, which
implies the adjustment of the workplace to meet the needs of a person
with a disability. The action programme to combat discrimination
provides for support measures to supplement the practical action which is needed to reach out to people and help change discriminatory
attitudes and behaviour on the ground. It will enable the Community to
study discrimination and the effectiveness of the methods used to tackle
it and will also support co-operation between Governments, NGOs, local
and regional authorities, research institutes and the social partners.
The fulfilment of the commitment to citizenship also requires the
European Union to include people with disabilities and a concern for
their rights and needs in all its relevant mainstream activities and
programmes. With this aim in view, the Commission adopted on 12 May 2000
a Communication "Towards a Barrier-free Europe for People with
Disabilities",in which it commits itself to developing and
supporting a comprehensive and integrated strategy to tackle social, architectural and design barriers that unnecessarily restrict
access for people with disabilities to social and economic
opportunities.
Parallel positive developments can be seen at Member State level,
where progress has also been achieved not only in terms of the updating
of existing laws and the passing of new ones, but first and foremost by
bringing in new approaches, measures and methods and establishing new
rights.
3. PURPOSE OF THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Despite the progress achieved to date, much scope for improvement
still remains. Even the most carefully drafted legislation will prove
inadequate if the political will is not sustained enough to translate it
into long-term action and if it does not enjoy broad popular support. If
the commitment to equal opportunities for people with disabilities is to
be upheld, a more co-ordinated effort to promote a greater understanding
of disability is required. Attitudes do not change automatically or
spontaneously. It is a complex process which requires co-ordinated and
integrated policies at all levels of society in order to raise awareness
and remove social and environmental barriers while at the same time
enabling people with disabilities to become involved.
Whilst the basic responsibility for this lies with Member States, it
is clear that the European Union could provide both the impulse and a
framework which would make the achievement of these goals easier. A
concerted pan-European platform has the potential to attract
considerable attention to a citizenship issue, at both the European and
national levels, and to stimulate activity that otherwise might not have
taken place. Moreover, the European Year could lay the foundations for
further, sustainable progress, by informing and educating people and
paving the way for new legal and policy developments.
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The objectives of the European Year of People with Disabilities will
therefore be:
(1) to raise awareness of the right of people with disabilities to
protection against discrimination and to full and equal enjoyment of
their rights as laid down, inter alia, in the provisions of the Charter
of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;
(2) to encourage reflection on and discussion of the measures
required to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities in
Europe;
(3) to promote the exchange of experience regarding good practice and
effective strategies devised at local, national and European level;
(4) to boost co-operation between all stakeholders – government at
all levels, the private sector, communities, social partners, research,
voluntary sector groups, people with disabilities and their families;
(5) to highlight the positive contribution that people with
disabilities make to society as a whole, in particular by putting a
value on diversity and by creating a positive and accommodating
environment in which diversity is celebrated;
(6) to make people aware of the heterogeneity of people with
disabilities and of people with disabilities facing multiple
discrimination.
The measures designed to meet these objectives may include:
-
· the organisation of meetings and events, including the opening and
closing conferences;
-
information and promotional campaigns including the production of
tools and aids accessible to people with disabilities throughout the
Community;
-
cooperation with the media ;
-
surveys and reports;
-
events to provide information, in particular information on examples
of good practice;
-
financial support for initiatives at transnational, national,
regional and local level, to promote the objectives of the European Year
of People with Disabilities.
Details of these measures are set out in the Annex.
The proposed budget for the European Year of People with Disabilities is
limited. Subject to the final decision of the budget authority a total
of just € 12 million is being set aside at European level for
2002-2003 . This budget will serve to stimulate wide-ranging action and
involvement, and will be complemented by other Commission and national
initiatives.
Consequently, the success of the European Year will depend first and
foremost on the willingness and ability of players at local, regional
and national level to contribute actively to the mobilisation of
individual citizens and organisations across the European Union.
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In co-operation with organisations that are experts in the field of
communication, the Commission will finance and manage a coherent
promotional campaign that will use all available media.
Without prejudice to the regulatory framework, the Commission will
seek to organise in a structured manner regular exchanges of views with
the disability community and the representative NGOs on the
implementation of the Year.
The evaluation carried out in 2004 will allow the actual impact of
the Year to be assessed and the lessons for the future to be learnt.
The Year will be consistent with and complementary to other Community
action in particular the anti-discrimination programme and other actions
to combat discrimination, social exclusion and to promote gender
equality. The Commission will also aim to mainstream the disability
issues into all relevant European events scheduled to take place during
the year 2003. Moreover, as part of other relevant Community action, the
Commission will seek to contribute to the objectives of the Year, not
only on the basis of the ongoing work already in progress under these
programmes, but also through initiatives adopted specifically for the
European Year.
Finally, the Commission will also implement the Year and closely
coordinate its activities with those undertaken by other international
organisations such as the Council of Europe.
4. WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS EFFECTING A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE
In order to be effective and produce sustained and tangible results,
the European Year of People with Disabilities should build upon a
commitment given by all relevant parties actively to support the Year.
Whilst the European Union can provide a framework for action to promote
an awareness of the rights of people with disabilities, tangible
progress will be achieved through the significant involvement of Member
States at national level. Recent best practices in Member States provide
numerous examples which could be followed or pursued as their contribution to the Year, ensuring the participation of all
relevant actors, in particular disability organisations by, for example:
-
Establishing a task force which includes representatives of
the Government, of people with disabilities' organisations and of other
important segments of civil society;
-
Convening a broad-based national forum to heighten
awareness, to mobilise and to obtain input and long-term commitment to
the European Year. Such a forum could review the national disability
situation, draw up a long-term policy statement and agree on strategic
goals. Participants could include representatives of selected
ministries, the national co-
ordinating committee, organisations of disabled persons, professionals,
citizens groups, communities and families. It could involve legislators,
the business community, and representatives of the EU agencies or
bodies;
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-
Drawing up or updating a long-term policy statement in line
with the principles of equal citizenship which would incorporate overall
objectives and essential principles and constitute the conceptual
framework of the European year at national level;
· Building a comprehensive knowledge base by working with
government, with research bodies and with the disability community to
launch a research agenda aimed at ensuring the availability of data and
an accurate picture of the living and working conditions faced
by persons wit h disabilit ies ;
-
Strengthening the organisations of people with disabilities, particularly
their resource base, organisational skills and participation in
decision-making :
-
Establishing broad partnerships, including non-traditional
partners such as the education sector, the media, the business sector,
religious and civil sectors, and sports and leisure organisations ;
-
Decentralising the organisation of activities, in order to
ensure that measures are targeted and that they have a sustainable local
expertise base.
Accession and EFTA/ EEA countries should be invited to consider
giving the same undertaking in active support of the Year.
5. CONCLUSION
Over the past few years the European Union has devoted considerable
attention to promoting the rights of people wit h disabilities. Despite
progress to date, a major effort is still needed to change basic attitudes towards people with disabilities. The work of
informing and raising the awareness of all citizens must be stepped up
to achieve a greater understanding of the rights of disabled citizens.
Along with a comprehensive legislative framework, public awareness is needed to back up legislation and to increase understanding and
acceptance of people with disabilities's needs and rights in society. As
a catalyst for social change, the European Year of People with
Disabilities can create a "snowball" effect and in a
meaningful way help to develop processes that could continue after the
Year is formally over.
Making citizenship a reality will require the involvement of all
Europeans and the support and co-operation of all of the partners,
government at all levels, business, trade unions, the voluntary sector,
persons with disabilities and their families. Whilst governments at all
levels can help by providing leadership, expertise and resources,
everyone must become involved if we are to succeed in opening up
opportunities and dismantling barriers for everybody in Europe.
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THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in
particular Article 13 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,
Whereas:
(1) The promotion of a high level of employment and social protection,
and raising the standard of living and quality of life among Member
States are aims of the Community.
(2) The Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers
recognises the need to take appropriate action for the social and
economic integration of people with disabilities.
(3) The Resolution of the Council and of representatives of the
Governments of Member States meeting within the Council of 20 December
1996 on equality of opportunity for people with disabilities, and the
Resolution of the Council of 17 June 1999 on equal employment
opportunities for people with disabilities, reaffirm the basic human
rights of people with disabilities to equal access to social and
economic opportunities.
(4) The Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March
2000 call upon Member States to take greater account of social exclusion
in their employment, education and training, health and housing policies
and to define priority actions for specific target groups, such as
people with disabilities.
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(5) The European Social Agenda adopted at the Nice European Council
Meeting of 7, 8, 9 December 2000 states that the European Union will
develop, in particular during the European Year of People with
Disabilities (2003), all action intended to bring about the fuller
integration of people with disabilities in all areas of life.
(6) This decision respects the fundamental rights and observes the
principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights
of the European Union as general principles of Community law. In
particular, this decision seeks to ensure full respect for the right of
persons with disabilities to benefit from measures designed to ensure their independence, social and occupational integration and
participation in the life of the community and to promote the
application of the non discrimination principle (Article 26 and Article
21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union).
(7) The European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and
the Committee of the Regions have all urged the Community to strengthen
its contribution to efforts in Member States to promote equal
opportunities for people with disabilities.
(8) The general framework for equal treatment in employment and
occupation provided for by Council Directive 2000/ 78/ EC and the
Community programme to support and supplement legislative measures at
Community and Member State level set up by Council Decision 2000/ 750/
EC, aim at changing practices and attitudes by
mobilising the players involved and fostering the exchange of
information and good practice.
(9) Since exclusion from the labour-market of people with
disabilities is inextricably linked to problems of attitude and a lack
of information about disability, it is necessary to increase society's
understanding of the rights, needs and potential of disabled persons,
and a joint effort by all the different partners is required to develop
and promote a flow of information.
(10) Raising awareness relies primarily on effective action at Member
State level. Action should be supplemented by concerted efforts at
Community level and the European Year could act as a catalyst in raising
awareness and in building momentum;
(11) Consistency and complementarity with other Community action is
needed, in particular with action to combat discrimination and social
exclusion, and to promote human rights, education, training and gender
equality.
(12) The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement)
provides for greater co-operation in the social field between the
European Community and its Member States, on the one hand, and the
countries of the European Free Trade Association participating in the
European Economic Area (EFTA/ EEA), on the other. Provision should be
made to open this programme to participation by the candidate countries
of Central and Eastern Europe, in accordance with the conditions
established in the Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols and
in the decisions of the respective Association Councils, to Cyprus and
Malta, funded by additional appropriations in accordance with the
procedures to be agreed with those countries, as well as to Turkey, funded by additional appropriations in
accordance with the procedures to be agreed with that country.
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(13) In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and
proportionality as defined in Article 5 of the Treaty, the objectives of
the proposed action aimed at generating at Community level awareness of
the rights of people with disabilities cannot be adequately achieved by
the Member States because, interalia, of the Community-wide dimension
of the issue, the need for multilateral partnerships, the transnational
exchange of information and the Community-wide dissemination of good
practice.
This Decision does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve those
objectives.
(14) In accordance with Article 2 of Council Decision 1999/ 468/ EC
of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of
implementing powers conferred on the Commission 14 ,measures for the
implementation of this Decision should be adopted by use of the advisory
procedure provided for in Article 3 of that Decision,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
Establishment of the European Year of People with Disabilities
The year 2003 shall be designated as the 'European Year of People
with Disabilities`.
Article 2
Objectives
The objectives of the European Year of People with Disabilities shall
be:
(a) to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities to
protection against discrimination and to full and equalenjoyment of
their rights as laid down, inter alia, in the provisions of the
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;
(b) to encourage reflection on and discussion of the measures needed
to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities in Europe;
(c) to promote the exchange of experience of good practice and
effective strategies devised at local, national and European level;
(d) to reinforce the co-operation between all parties concerned,
namely government at all levels, the private sector, communities,
voluntary sector groups, people with disabilities and their families;
(e) to highlight the positive contribution that people with
disabilities make to society as a whole, in particular by putting a
value on diversity and by creating a positive and accommodating
environment in which diversity is celebrated;
(f) to make people aware of the heterogeneity of people with
disabilities and of people with disabilities facing multiple
discrimination.
14 OJ L 184, 17. 07. 1999, p. 23
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Article 3
Content of measures
1. The measures designed to meet the objectives set out in Article 2
shall entail the development of or the provision of support to:
(a) meetings and events;
(b) information and promotional campaigns involving the production of
tools and aids accessible to people with disabilities throughout the
Community;
(c) co-operation with broadcasting and media organisations ;
(d) surveys and studies on a Community-wide scale;
2. Details of the measures referred to in paragraph 1 are set out in the
Annex.
Article 4
Implementation at Community level
The Commission shall ensure the implementation of the Community
actions covered by this Decision in conformity with the Annex.
It shall conduct a regular exchange of views with representatives of
people with disabilities at Community level on the design,
implementation and follow-up of the European Year of the
People with Disabilities. To that end, the Commission shall make the
relevant information available to these representatives. The Commission
shall inform the Committee established
under Article 6( 1) of their opinion.
Article 5
Cooperation and implementation at national level
1. Each Member State shall be responsible for the co-ordination and
implementation at national level of the measures provided for in this
Decision, including the selection of projects under Part B of the Annex.
To this end, each Member State shall establish or designate a
national co-ordinating body or an equivalent administrative body to
organise its participation in the European Year of People with
Disabilities. This body shall ensure that it is representative of a
range of organisations representing people with disabilities and other
relevant stakeholders.
2. In accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 6( 2), the
Commission shall determine global grants which shall be allocated to the
Member States to support actions at national, regional and local level.
Global grants shall be awarded only to public-law bodies or bodies which
have a public-service mission guaranteed by the Member States.
3. The procedure for the use of global grants shall be subject to an
agreement between the Commission and the Member State concerned.
The procedure shall detail in particular, in compliance with the
Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European
Communities:
(a) the measures to be implemented ;
(b) the criteria for choosing beneficiaries ;
(c) the conditions and rates of assistance ;
(d) the arrangements for monitoring, evaluating and ensuring the
financial control of the global grant.
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Article 6
Committee
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee, composed of
representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative
of the Commission..
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the advisory procedure
laid down in Article3 of Decision 1999/ 468/ EC shall apply, in
compliance with Article 7 thereof.
Article 7
Financial arrangements
1. Measures which are Community-wide in nature, as described in Part
A of the annex, may be subsidised up to 80% or give rise to procurement
contracts financed from the general budget of the European Communities.
2. Measures which are local, regional, national, or transnational in
nature, as described in Part B of the annex, may be co-financed from the
general budget of the European Communities up to a maximum of 50% of the
total cost.
Article 8
Application and selection procedure
1. Decisions on the financing and co-financing of measures under
Article 7 (1) shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the
procedure referred to in Article 6( 2). The Commission shall ensure a
balanced distribution among the different fields of activity involved.
2. Requests for financial assistance for measures under Article 7 (2)
shall be submitted to the Member States. On basis of the opinion
expressed by the national co-ordinating bodies, Member States shall
select beneficiaries and allocate financial assistance to the applicants
selected in accordance with the procedures to be established under
Article 5 (3).
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Article 9
Consistency and complementarity
The Commission, in co-operation with the Member States, shall ensure
consistency between the measures provided for in this Decision and other
Community action and initiatives.
It shall also ensure optimal complementarity between the European
Year of People with Disabilities and other existing Community, national
and regional initiatives and resources, where these can contribute to
fulfilling the objectives of the European Year of People with
Disabilities.
Article 10
Participation by the EFTA/ EEA countries, the associated countries of
Central and Eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey.
The European Year of People with Disabilities shall be open to
participation by the EFTA/ EEA countries in accordance with the
conditions established in the EEA Agreement.
The candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe shall
participate in accordance with the conditions established in the Europe
Agreements, in their additional protocols and in the decisions of the
respective Association Councils.
The participation of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey shall be funded by
additional appropriations in accordance with procedures to be agreed
with those countries.
Article 11
Budget
Actions aimed at preparing the launching of the European Year may be
financed as from 1 January 2002.
Article 12
International cooperation
Within the framework of the European Year, the Commission may
cooperate with relevant international organisations.
Article 13
Monitoring and evaluation
The Commission shall submit, by 31 December 2004 at the latest, a
report to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation,
results and overall assessment of the measures provided for in this
Decision.
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Article 14
Entry into force
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Communities. It shall take effect on the day of its
publication.
Done at Brussels,
For the Council
The President
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ANNEX
1. NATURE OF THE MEASURES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3
(A) Community-wide action
1. Meetings and events:
(a) organisation of meetings at Community level;
(b) organisation of events to raise awareness of the rights of people
with disabilities, including the conferences to open and close the Year;
2. Information and promotional campaigns involving:
a) the development of a logo and of slogans for the European Year of
People with Disabilities, for use in connection with any activity linked
to the Year;
b) aninformation campaign on aCommunity-widescale;
c) the production of tools and aids accessible to people with
disabilities throughout the Community;
(d) appropriate initiatives by European disability NGOs aimed at
disseminating information on the Year tailored to the needs of people
with specific disabilities and/ or of people with disabilities facing
multiple discrimination;
(e) the organisation of European competitions highlighting
achievements and experiences on the themes of the European Year of
People with Disabilities.
3. Other actions :
Cooperation with broadcasting and media organisations as partners for
spreading the information about the Year, for using new tools allowing
easier access to this information (such as voice subtitling for the
hearing impaired and images description for the visually impaired), and
to other programmes if possible and for improving communication about
people with disabilities ;
Surveys and studies on a Community-wide scale, including a series of
questions intended to assess the impact of the European Year of People
with Disabilities, to be included in a Eurobarometer survey and an
evaluation report on the effectiveness and impact of the European Year.
4. This funding may be in the form of:
-the direct purchase of goods and services, in particular in the field
of communication, via open and/ or restricted calls for tenders;
-the direct purchase of consultancy services, via open and/ or
restricted calls for tenders;
-subsidies allocated to cover the expenses of special events at European
level to highlight and raise awareness of the Year; such funding shall
not exceed 80 %.
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(B) Nation level action
Action at local, regional, national or transnational level may
qualify for financing from the Community budget up to a maximum of 50 %
of the cost, depending on the nature and context of what is proposed.
These may include:
1. Events connected with the objectives of the European Year of
People with Disabilities, including an event to launch the Year;
2. Information campaigns and measures to disseminate examples of good
practice, other than those described in Part 1( A) of this Annex;
3. The organisation of awards or competitions;
4. Surveys and studies other than those mentioned in 1( A) above;
(C) Action for which no financial aid from the Community budget is
available
The Community will offer its moral support, including written
authorisation to use the logo and other material associated with the
European Year, for initiatives undertaken by public or private
organisations, where those organisations can demonstrate to the
satisfaction of the Commission that the initiatives involved are or will
be in progress during the year 2003 and are likely to contribute
significantly to achieving one or more of the objectives of the European
Year.
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FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Policy area( s): Social affairs ; integration of people with
disabilities
Activity(ies): Organisation of a European Year of People with
Disabilities
TITLE OF ACTION: EUROPEAN YEAR OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 2003
1. BUDGET LINE( S) + HEADING( S)
New budget line B5-806 aimed at supporting activities carried out in
the framework
of the Year.
2. OVERALL FIGURES
2.1 Total allocation for action (Part B):
12 € million for commitment (of which 4 € million in 2002
and 8 € million in 2003).
2.2 Period of application:
1 January 2002 until 31 December 2003.
2.3 Overall multiannual estimate on expenditure:
a) Schedule of commitment appropriations/ payment appropriations
(financial
intervention) (see point 6.1.1)
To see the graph look at the PDF file
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2.4 Compatibility with the financial programming and the financial
perspective
– Proposal compatible with the existing financial programming
2.5 Financial impact on revenue:
– No financial implications (involves technical aspects regarding
implementation of a measure)
3. BUDGET CHARACTERISTICS
To see the graph look at the PDF file
4. LEGAL BASIS
Article 13 of the Treaty establishing the European Community Council
Decision n°…/…/ EC of … on the European Year of People with
Disabilities 2003.
5. DESCRIPTION AND GROUNDS
5. 1 Need for Community intervention
5.1.1 Objectives pursued
Approximately 38 million people, one in 10 Europeans of all ages,
have a disability.
Throughout the Union, people with disabilities face barriers not only in
finding and keeping a job but also in finding accessible transportation,
physically accessing buildings and facilities or gaining access to
education and any training needed for a job. In addition, they also face
barriers in gaining access to the technologies that would help them to
become more fully involved both at work and in society at large. Other
barriers do affect the freedom of disabled European citizens to move within the Union and to reside in another
Member State of their choice. All these barriers too often prevent
people with disabilities from playing a full part in society and in the
workplace. Moreover, among the primary obstacles facing people with disabilities are the negative and disabling attitudes projected by
society. Much work needs to be done to change attitudes that stereotype
people with disabilities in society. As a result, Europeans with
disabilities are less likely to have a job or a business than people
without a disability. According to the European Household Community
Panel (1996), for people aged 16 to 64 without a disability, the
likelihood of having a job or a business is 66 %. For people with a non-severe disability, the rate is 47 %. The rate drops to 25 % for
those with a severe disability.
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Changing attitudes to disability, on the part of governments and of
the broader society, have to find practical expression through
implementation of a range of policies designed to include people wit h
disabilities in the wider society. Most influential of these policies
are anti discrimination rights and the empowerment of people with
disabilities. Equally important is integration, which aims to enable
people with disabilities to participate, where possible, in mainstream
education, employment and recreation activities.
Through several Community programmes and resolutions, the European
Union in the last twenty years has both responded to, and in turn
contributed to, moving the policy emphasis on enhancing and protecting
the rights of people with disabilities and providing opportunities for
them to contribute to the wider society through modifications to
mainstream services to increase their accessibility. The continuing
challenge remains to translate these policy orientations into actuality.
Under Article 13 of the new Treaty, the European Union has reached a
watershed in the development of its disability policy. Using Article 13
as a starting point, the Council adopted on 27 November 2000 a
comprehensive anti-discrimination package comprising a Directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and
occupation 15 and a Community action programme to combat discrimination
(2001-2006). However, much remains to be done. If the commitment to
equalising opportunities for people with disabilities is to be upheld, a more co-ordinated effort based on a much greater
understanding of disability will be required.
It is believed that the establishment of a European Year of People
with Disabilities has the potential to create a favourable
socio-political environment for achieving further progress at European
and national level. Accordingly, the objectives of the Year will be :
(1) to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities to
protection against discrimination and to full and equal enjoyment of
their rights as laid down, inter alia, in the Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the European Union;
(2) to encourage reflection and discussion on measures required in
order to promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities in
Europe;
(3) to promote the exchange of experience on good practice and
effective strategies devised at local, national and European level;
18 Page 19 20
(4) to reinforce the co-operation between all stakeholders –
government at all levels, the private sector, communities, voluntary
sector groups, people with disabilities and their families;
(5) to highlight the positive contributions of people with
disabilities to society as a whole, in particular by putting a value on
diversity and by creating a positive and accommodating environment in
which diversity is celebrated.
(6) to make people aware of the heterogeneity of people with
disabilities and of people with disabilities facing multiple
discrimination.
Examples of measurable progress expected from the Year include inter
alia the starting of new policies and programmes aimed at promoting
rights for people with disabilities and new supporting structures
involving all stakeholders that can continue on after the Year is over.
5.1.2 Measures taken in connection with ex ante evaluation
a) The ex-ante evaluation was conducted by the Unit Integration of
people with disabilities (EMPL E/ 4) in December 2000-January 2001. It
was reviewed with the evaluation Unit (EMPL G/ 5).
Information was mainly gathered from within the Commission
(evaluations on the European Year against Racism, on Helios II, on the
European Year of Lifelong Learning) and from other sources such as
several evaluations on the impact of the United Nations International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981.
b) The independent evaluation of the Helios II programme (1993-1996)
pointed out that "the idea that disadvantage and discrimination
are structural and social phenomena has not yet penetrated very far
outside those directly involved in the disability field. Further work is
required before it achieves wide scale acceptance, and the implications
for this are fully realised". Therefore, the evaluation
concluded that the EU "should assist Member States to safeguard
the quality of life of people with a disability; and this should be
endeavoured even in the context of stringent economic conditions and
potential drastic changes in the ideology and practice of national
welfare policies. To achieve this, "the Member states and
the civil society at national level should be encouraged and, indeed, facilitated
by the European Union to pull their resources together and utilise
Community funding more effectively". The report also underlined
the need for enhancing the rights of persons with a disability to
influence policy by increasing their potential for self advocacy and for
co-ordination at member state and European level, including the
promotion of participative structures.
The evaluation report of the European Year against Racism pointed out
that a successful European Year should serve as a starting point, by
laying the foundation on which future long term action can be built. The
key to such success consists in supplementing European-level dynamics with corresponding measures at Member-state level. The success
of the European Year will thus depend first and foremost on the
willingness and ability of partners at European and national level to
contribute actively to the Year.
Furthermore, experience accumulated with some International Years
suggest that it is critical to ensure the involvement of all
stakeholders in the preparation and in the implementation of the Year.
The evaluation of the European Year of Lifelong learning (1996)
stressed that despite the meagre budget allocated to the European Year
-ECU 8 m -it succeeded in generating activities estimated at a value of some ECU 34 m. The national agencies
received over 1.200 projects, of which the Commission selected 454
(national) projects; to these should be added 88 European projects and
10 media projects. This clearly demonstrates the interest aroused by
European Years in general but also highlights the need for a significant
administrative involvement of the Member States for managing and
allocating the available resources.
19 Page 20 21
5.1.3 Measures taken following ex post evaluation
Not applicable.
5.2 Actions envisaged and arrangements for budget intervention
Target population:
(a) the Disabled Citizen Year will be oriented towards communicating to
the general public the various barriers faced by people with
disabilities and the positive contribution of people with disabilities
to society as a whole.
(b) More specifically, the European Year will also be targeted at
groups in a position to effect change (e. g., community leaders,
people with disabilities and their families, children, students, policy
makers, administrative authorities, professionals); such could also
cover disability awareness projects aimed at journalists and public broadcasters, the training of information service and media personnel on
appropriate communications about people with disabilities. In that
context, National Co-ordination Bodies will be set up at national level.
This bodies will be made up of representatives of the relevant
Ministries, of organisations of people with disabilities and of
important segments of society and will be in charge of managing the Year
in their own Member State.
Within this aim, information campaigns and materials will be
differentiated according to which sub-group is being targeted.
Community-wide action
The Community will fund at up 100% any action undertaken on a
Community-wide scale that falls within the three main categories:
-
meetings and events, including, for example, the organisation of
seminars at European level to increase transnational co-operation and
the events to open and close the European Year of People with
Disabilities;
-
an information and promotional campaign to be managed by the
Commission in co-operation with organisations with the necessary
communication expertise or in a position to channel the information to
relevant disability stakeholders. It includes, in particular, the design
and promotion of a common logo and slogan for the European Year – the
preparation and distribution of written and audio-visual material to
stimulate public interest and the dissemination of information about the
European Year;
-
and surveys and studies of Community-wide significance for the
purpose of raising awareness of the themes of the European Year and for
evaluating the impact of the European Year.
This funding may take the form of
-
the direct purchase of goods and services, in particular in the field
of
communication, via open and/ or restricted calls for tenders;
-
the direct purchase of consultancy services, via open and/ or
restricted calls for tenders;
-
subsidies allocated to cover the expenses of special events at
European level to highlight and increase awareness of the Year. Such
funding shall not exceed 80 %.
20 Page 21 22
Nation level action
The Community will also finance, with grants at up to 50% of the
total cost, the following types of action undertaken on a transnational,
national, regional or local scale
-
meetings and events,
-
information campaigns and promotional measures,
-
surveys and studies,
-
any other action the aim of which reflects one or more of the
objectives of the European Year and which would not be eligible for
funding under existing Community programmes.
This co-funding will be distributed to Member States following a
restricted call for proposals requesting Member States to submit a work
programme drafted by each of the national co-ordination bodies and
agreed by the Commission. These activities may include events to launch
or close the Year;
Eligibility for funding
Only activities which do not receive funding from other budget lines
will be eligible for funding.
5.3 Methods of implementation
At Community-level, the Year will be directly managed by the
Commission. As requested, the Commission shall be assisted by an
advisory committee, and shall have regular exchanges of views with
Disability NGOs and other relevant parties.
A substantial part of the budget will be allocated to members States
for initiatives at national/ regional/ local level ; such actions will
be implemented under the auspices of a National Co-ordination Body on a
basis of a work programme to be agreed upon by the Commission.
21 Page 22 23
6. FINANCIAL IMPACT
6.1 Total financial impact on Part B -(over the entire programming
period)
(The method of calculating the total amounts set out in the table
below must be explained by the breakdown in Table 6. 2. )
6.1.1 Financial intervention
To see the graph look at the PDF file
22 Page 23 24
6.2 Calculation of costs by measure envisaged in Part B (over the
entire programming period)
(For further information see a separate guidance paper)
6.2.1 Community-wide measures
Such action will usually be
prompted by the Commission in consultation with the Advisory Committee.
Most action will be contracted out following calls for tender and fully
financed from the Community budget. Other action will be supported by
the Community budget up to 80% provided that it contributes
significantly to achieving the objectives of the European Year.
It would be reasonable to expect that if the themes of the European Year
are to become known to a majority of European citizens and remain in
their consciousness, the Year should include at least five high-profile,
Community-wide events at different locations throughout the Community
– one each to mark the opening in Athens and closing in Rome of the
Year and three thematic events at regular intervals in between (a
Brussels-based event, financial contribution to a Ministerial Conference co-organised with the Council of Europe in Madrid, and the
Special Olympics in Ireland, the latter being financed under another
budget line).
Each event can be expected to cost at least € 300.000 once
organisational costs and the reimbursement of expenses for a significant
number of average participants invited by the Commission (about 250) are
taken into account.
Sample cost-breakdown for such an event organised outside Brussels:
Travel costs (economy class or first-class train) for 250 invited
participants:
250 x average € 500 = € 125.000
Subsistence costs:
250 x 2 nights x average € 140 = € 70. 000
Costs of hiring venue, facilities, stands, technical equipment,
refreshments ( 2 days),
one official dinner etc = € 50. 000
Subcontracting of conference organisation, invitations, travel
arrangements, etc.
= € 16. 000
Interpretation (2 days) = € 40.000
The first European event will be a launch event organised by the Greek
ministry in Athens and it will need to be held very early in 2003. Given
the preparation time necessary for events of this sort it will need to
be financed entirely from the budget for the preparatory year 2002.
Some events are expected to cost more than € 300.000 given the high
number of people to be conveyed, for example the closing conference.
23 Page 24 25
2002 total approx. € 300.000 x 1 = € 0, 300
million
2003 total approx. € 300.000 x 2 + € 400. 000 x 1
= € 1,0 million
Estimated total finance necessary for Community-wide local events and
meetings and launch conferences in each Member State: approx. 1, 3
million,
€ 0,3 million of this budget will need to be covered from the
preparatory year
2002 budget and € 1, 0 million from the main budget in 2003
itself.
-Community-wide information and promotional campaign
The elements of the Community-wide information and promotional campaign
associated with the Year will include development of a logo and slogan(
s), the production of awareness-raising tools and aids, co-operation
with the media and the organisation of European competitions.
If the information and promotional campaign associated with the Year
is to operate at a sustained level of intensity sufficient to reach,
either directly or via the media, a majority of European citizens, it
would be reasonable to estimate the likely value of the contract( s)
with the external communication organisation( s) which will manage the
principal part of the campaign at € 2, 8 million. Indeed, the need
to make all information and promotional material available in all
Community languages will dramatically increase the budget earmarked for
this measure.
If the Year is to achieve its objective, the information and
promotional campaign's budget will have to be met from the preparatory
budget in 2002 in order to secure the full involvement of all actors
concerned with the drafting of the main messages as well as the smooth
management of all administrative steps involved. The public will need to be prepared for the official launch of the Year and it will
therefore need to be given very broad preparatory publicity from
mid-2002 onwards. There will be significant costs in developing
logo-slogans and audio-visual material which will need to be ready well
before the end of 2002.
24 Page 25 26
Community-wide promotional and information campaigns; 2, 8 million as
follows:
-
Design and promotional items: € 500.000
-
Strategic advice, media relations, design and production of information
material for printed, audio-visual and electronic media, setting-up of a
hot line, design and management of Internet site: € 1, 2 million
-
Organisation of competitions or events, promotion of the European
Year of People with Disabilities at major European and international
fairs, obtaining sponsorship and moral support: € 0,7 million
-
Use of alternative channels able to address relevant disability
stakeholders through peer counselling schemes: € 0,4 million
Total finance estimated necessary for Community-wide campaigns:
approximately . €
2,8 million to be covered from the preparatory year 2002 budget.
Co-operation with broadcasting and media organisations:
Total finance estimated necessary : € 0,1 million to be covered from
the preparatory year 2002 budget.
A study by a high-level group on "The prospects for disability
policy" will require € 0,2 million.
A study on "Free movement of people with disabilities" will
require € 0,3 million.
In order to measure the impact of the Year on the general public,
specific questions will be included in a Eurobarometer survey aimed at
determining, for example, how many people heard about the Year, how many
people thought that the Year helped them change their minds, etc. : € 50. 000.
Total estimated cost of Community-level surveys and studies:
€ 0, 55 million from the main budget.
6.2.2 Nation-wide action
While the European Union can provide a framework for action to
promote awareness on the rights of people with disabilit ies, at the
same time it must be recognised that much of the progress will have to
be achieved by involving the Member States themselves in a major way.
Such action can be financed up to 50% from the Community budget. It
will be designed to act in synergy with the Community-wide action
described above, creating a structure whereby larger and smaller-scale
measures will share the same objectives and contribute each other's
success.
25 Page 26 27
It will also be necessary, if a sufficiently high profile for the year
is to be achieved, to organise launch events in all Member States except
the one organising the Community-level launch event (see under
Community-wide action), with finance provided by the Commission. The
average Commission contribution to the organisational costs of these
events is estimated at € 50. 000 per Member State. All of this funding will need to be committed from the preparatory year budget,
given that the national launch events will need to be prepared from
mid-2002 onwards and held very early in 2003. The Community contribution
to their funding will largely take the form of advance payments.
2002 total approx. € 50.000 x 14 = € 0,7
million
2003 total = null
2003 total: 15 X an average of € 430.000 = € 6, 45
million
Estimated total cost for nation-wide measures: € 0,7 million
+ € 6,45 million = € 7,15 million
6.2.3 Action for which no financial aid from the Community budget
is available (set out in Part 1( C) of the Annex to the draft Decision)
There is significant potential to further the objectives of the
European year at little or no cost, by giving permission for the logo
and other material associated with the Year to be used by organisations
involved in initiatives consistent with the objectives.
To see the graph look at the PDF file
26 Page 27 28
TOTAL COST 12,000
27 Page 28 29
7. IMPACT ON STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE
7.1 Impact on human resources
To see the graph look at the PDF file
7.2 Overall financial impact of human resources
To see the graph look at the PDF file
Total 1, 296
The amounts are total expenditure for two years (duration of the
operation)
28 Page 29 30
7.3 Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action
To see the graph look at the PDF file
Total 0, 106
The amounts are total expenditure for two years.
I. Annual total (0,648 + 0, 053) € 0,701
II. Duration of action
2 Years
III. Total cost of action (I x II) € 1,402
8. FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION
8.1 Follow-up arrangements
Given that the Year is designed to raise awareness on the rights of
people with disabilities, the functions of monitoring and evaluation
naturally form part of the activities implemented, in such a way as to
derive maximum benefit from them.
The Year will be monitored throughout its operation. The Advisory
Committee set up in the framework of the Year will receive regular
information prepared by the Commission services.
In addition, with regard to national-wide actions, they will be
implemented under the auspices of a National Co-ordination Body on a
basis of a work programme to be agreed upon by the Commission.
8.2 Arrangements and schedule for the planned evaluation
The Year will be subject to a final evaluation due to be submitted
by 31 December 2004. This evaluation will be performed by external
evaluators and will start at the beginning of the Year. The framework
for evaluation will look in particular at effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of the Year including in terms of the changing of attitudes.
Additionally, performance of the Year will also be measured through an Eurobarometer
survey to be carried out in 2004 and designed to measure its awareness
among the general public
29 Page 30
9. ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES
All contracts, agreements and legal undertaking entered by the
Commission and the beneficiaries provide for in situ checks and
anti-fraud controls to be carried out on the premises of beneficiaries
of a Community grant by the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and
bestow the power to require evidence of any expenditure made under such
contracts, agreements and legal undertakings within five years following
the end of the contractual period. Beneficiaries are subject to
reporting and financial accounting obligations, and these are analysed
from the point of view of content and eligibility of expenditure,
bearing in mind the purpose of Community funding, and taking account of
contractual obligations and of the principles of economy and sound
financial management.
Appended to the financial agreements in information of an
administrative and financial nature, designed to specify the kind of
expenditure which is eligible under such agreements.
Where appropriate, Community coverage of certain costs elements will be
limited to items which are real, identifiable and verifiable in the
beneficiary's book-keeping arrangements, so as to facilitate checking
and auditing (and evaluation for selection purposes) of projects in receipt of funding.
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