92002E1401

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1401/02

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

(15 May 2002)

Subject: Situation of mentally handicapped adults in the applicant countries

According to the European Association of Societies of Persons with Intellectual Disability and their Families (known as Inclusion Europe), the situation of mentally handicapped adults in the future Member States is worrying. Although the situation for mentally handicapped children has improved somewhat since the fall of the Communist regime, this is, unfortunately, not the case for adults, and instead their existence is marked by isolation and a lack of care.

The fact that the Commission has failed to deal with this matter in its progress reports is also alarming. The progress report on Romania refers only briefly to the situation of handicapped children.

The Commission:

1. Is it aware of the problems faced by mentally handicapped adults in the future Member States?

2. If so, why has no reference been made of them in the progress reports?

3. Is the Commission planning to raise awareness of these problems not only among the public but also within the governments of the applicant countries?

4. Does it think it necessary to improve the situation of mentally handicapped adults in the applicant countries?

5. If so, what form does it believe such an improvement would take?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 2002)

1. The conditions for membership of the EU require the Candidate States to fulfill the Copenhagen Criteria and to fully transpose and implement the acquis communautaire. As the rights of people with intellectual disabilities constitute an element of human rights, the Commission is committed to giving a full attention to these rights in the enlargement process. Furthermore, the non-discrimination and improvement of conditions for people with disabilities are also consonant with the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union (Article 21 and Article 26).

2. The 2001 progress reports for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, made reference to the problems faced by disabled people in general and, in most cases, underlined that substantial progress still has to be made.

3. The Commission's aim is to further promote an awareness of such problems among the public at large as well as within the governments of the Candidate Countries. In this respect the Commission hopes that the European Year of People with Disabilities established in 2003 will also be celebrated in the wider Europe. Candidate countries are, therefore, strongly encouraged to shadow the process of the European Year and to prepare national actions.

Necessary arrangements have also been made to allow the participation of the candidate countries in the Community programme to combat discrimination, which, inter alia, promotes measures to combat discrimination based on disability.

In the context of the Accession Negotiations, the Commission will continue to monitor and support preparations for accession in the area of non-discrimination. In particular, the Commission will be undertaking a study which examines the legal provisions at national level in the candidate countries which discrimination based on disability.

4. The Commission believes that an improvement in the conditions of disabled people, including mentally handicapped adults, remains crucial in future Member States, but would also point out that improvements are also needed in current Member States.

5. Such an improvement would require the development of co-ordinated and integrated policies and strategies in candidate countries. It would entail, in particular, improving the social welfare infrastructure, the mainstreaming of a disability element into all relevant levels of policy formulation, the enacting of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, public awareness and the mobilisation of Community support.