Labour MEP Calls for EU action on Disability - 17th November 2003

London Labour MEP Claude Moraes has appealed to EU Commissioner Anna Diamtopolou to initate a specific horizontal directive on disability. Without such action, he said the end of the 2003 European Year of the Disabled in December would be marked by disapointment from the many disability groups in London and elsewhere in the UK who are campaigning for such a directive.

Speaking in the Strasbourg Plenary session on 17th November in the presence of the Employment Commissioner Diamantopolou, he said :

"It would be a fitting end to the 2003 year of people with disabilities if the EU member states were to embrace comprehensive disability legislation to improve the life chances of 37 million of our fellow Europeans who have a substantial disability".

"It is also vital that the European Commission keep up the pressure on member states to implement the Employment Directive which includes action on disability discrimination in employment only, and is due for transposition across the EU by December 2003"

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