EDF meets with European Commissioner on Transport, Jacques Barrot - "Disabled passengers at the core of EU's agenda"

Guaranteeing full accessibility of disabled passengers to the transport system and overcoming the existing barriers in Europe remain a priority for the European disability movement, but also for the European Commissioner Jacques Barrot, as he expressed on 4th March during a meeting with EDF President, Yannis Vardakastanis: "I can guarantee you my full commitment to advance access to disabled people of the transport system', said the Commissioner.

Referring to the recent entering into force of the European Regulation on Air Passengers' Rights, Barrot highlighted the importance of a proper implementation of this key text:  "adopting the Regulation was only the first step; we will now use all our means to make sure that it is also correctly implemented, but most important, we need disabled users' support to do it well".

 Yannis Vardakastanis welcomed Barrot's commitment to disability issues and stressed the important role of 50 million disabled people in the European integration process: "By securing access of disabled people to all forms of transport, the European Union is responding to the needs of citizens at the very grass root level, contributing to the improvement of their daily lives" said Vardakastanis to the Commissioner.
 
The discussion also focused on the forthcoming European Regulations on maritime and coach passenger rights, currently in preparation. "The Regulations will be proposed in the course of 2008; we will particularly make sure that the discrimination of passengers with disabilities will be addresses in these texts through a series of specific measures", promised the European Commissioner. Barrot also thanked the European Disability Forum for the numerous cases of discrimination reported in the field of maritime transport and agreed on the need to simultaneously address the rights of disabled passengers and the accessibility requirements to be applied to this sector.
 
During the meeting, EDF President presented to the Commissioner the proposal for a comprehensive European disability Directive, tackling disabled people's discrimination in all fields of life, including transport. Welcoming the proposal and congratulating the EDF for the success of its campaign "1million4disability" in favour of the disability Directive, Barrot recognised the specificities of the discrimination faced by disabled people,” made of prejudges and  stereotyped , but also of structural barriers".

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