In the European Union, around 80 million citizens are disabled, warned Miklós Soltész, State Secretary for Social, Family and Youth Affairs of the Ministry for National Resources, at a press conference, advancing the two events, on 19 April. Mr Soltész pointed out that disabled people and their relatives must be heeded in every field, and families must also be supported and prevented from disintegration, in the interest of seriously ill and disabled children.
Education: a key issue
Mr Soltész called for an education system that can achieve the highest possible number in aiding disabled people to gain employment and to enter into the open labour market. At the same time, he added there is another large group which still cannot receive appropriate education or enter the open labour market either. This group also needs protected employment, he explained.
The Secretary of State noticed that traditional light industries, such as apparel, footwear and paper manufacturing, may provide suitable employment to people with such disabilities. Such sectors have disappeared from the continent during the past decades, it is time to revive some of them in Europe.
UN Convention for the disabled
Appreciating the work on disability issues from the Belgian Presidency, Mr Soltész expressed hope that the upcoming Polish Presidency will take-on and continue to improve the living conditions of disabled people.
Speaking on behalf of Belgium, Secretary of State for Social and Disability Affairs, Jean-Marc Delizée, said that the Spanish-Belgian-Hungarian Presidency Trio should be proud of its achievements so far. Mr Delizée highlighted that his country had worked hard during its term of EU Presidency, when encouraging the EU to ratify the UN Convention of 2006, on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Belgian Secretary of State welcomed the Hungarian Presidency’s decision to hold a conference on the highly important but often disregarded issue of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, which was presented by the European Commission in November 2010; and of the work capacity of people living with rheumatism and locomotor diseases.
Implementing adopted strategy
Counsellor for Employment and Social Policy of the Polish Permanent Representation in Brussels, Janusz Galeziak, said since we have adopted the Disability Strategy, it is now time for Member States and the EU to begin implementation procedures. Mr Galeziak underlined that disability is a multi-dimensional phenomenon; therefore, action must be taken in all fields of policy, such as education, employment, healthcare and transportation. The Polish Counsellor reassured his counterparts that the life of disabled people will remain a key item on the EU’s agenda during the Polish Presidency’s term.
Bien à vous,
Morgane BRAVO
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