European Disability Forum

The EU Public Procurement Directive has enormous potential to foster inclusion for persons with disabilities. Here we point out why it does not currently reach its full potential, and identify the gaps to address. The directive underserves persons with disabilities in a number of areas, particularly when it comes to support services.

The EU Public Procurement Directive has enormous potential to foster inclusion for persons with disabilities. Here we point out why it does not currently reach its full potential, and identify the gaps to address. The directive underserves persons with disabilities in a number of areas, particularly when it comes to support services.

EDF input to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the Digital Networks Act ............................................................................................................................ 11 July 2025 Link to the call for evidence Submitted by Daniel Casas, EDF Accessibility Policy Officer EDF feedback to the call for evidence The European Disability Forum (EDF) is an umbrella organisation of…

Opening of the attached position paper · the full paper is on the Commission’s record (source link above)

There is a housing crisis in the EU. This is a huge challenge for many, but persons with disabilities are even more affected by the rising prices and insecurity. Unfortunately, this is not new. Not only are 11% of persons with disabilities in the EU being overburdened by the cost of their housing, but only 28.9% of persons with disabilities consider that their dwelling actually meets their needs.

The European Disability Forum (EDF) is an independent NGO that represents the interests of 100 million Europeans with disabilities. We welcome the initiative for an Action plan for women in research, innovation and startups, as it an occasion to promote an intersectional approach and include evidence on how gender and disability intersect.

We strongly call on the European co-legislators to ensure accessibility of digital platforms and services, so that European law best serves the interest of all Union citizens, including of more than 100 million EU citizens with disabilities. The explanatory memorandums for the Proposals make references to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and mention social sustainability.

The forthcoming EU Gender Equality Action Plan IV (GAP IV) represents an important opportunity for the European Union to strengthen its global leadership on gender equality, womens rights and inclusive international cooperation. The EUs Gender Equality Action Plan 20202025 (GAP III) created important momentum, stronger policy frameworks, better gender mainstreaming and improved accountability mechanisms.

Dear Sir / Madam, Please find attached the European Disability Forum's analysis of the enforcement of passenger rights. EDF welcomes the proposal on enforcement of passenger rights and, in particular, supports the following points: The amendment to Article 2 of Regulation 1107/2006 to ensure that, whenever a person with a disability is required to travel accompanied, the air carrier, agent or tour operator pay the…

Dear Sir / Madam, Please find attached the European Disability Forum's analysis of the proposed regulation on passenger rights in the multimodal context. EDF welcomes the proposal on passenger rights and, in particular, supports the following points: The provisions of accessible information in Articles 3, 8, 13, 18 and 10 subject to a clearer reference to the European Accessibility Act The provision of assistance…

The European Disability Forum (EDF) welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to gather evidence for the purpose of assessing the impact of the EU passenger rights regulatory framework, particularly related to Regulations on air passenger rights for passengers with reduced mobility (PRM), waterborne and bus & coach passenger rights.

The Citizens Omnibus Initiative should be an opportunity to remove long-standing barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from fully benefiting from freedom of movement and the Single Market. Simplification efforts should therefore strengthen, rather than weaken, the rights and protections afforded to persons with disabilities.

Persons with disabilities continue to face systemic barriers in accessing education and employment, including inaccessible learning environments, lack of reasonable accommodation, discrimination, and limited disability competence among educators, trainers, and employers.

The European Disability Forum (EDF) welcomes the preparation of an EU Anti-Trafficking Strategy 2026-2030. Persons with disabilities face a heightened risk of being trafficked and exploited, yet they remain largely invisible in policy and practice.

The European Disability Forum views the European Social Fund as one of the most important and impactful forms of EU funding for reducing inequalities throughout the Member States. It has been key to improving the social inclusion of persons with disabilities all over Europe. We therefore strongly believe that the ESF+s budget must be enhanced in the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

EDF recommends for the EU to develop a fully self-standing and mandatory EU Talent Pool, for all labour migration purposes (as presented under policy option 4 in the call for evidence), and to include the following measures: 1.

The European Disability Forum (EDF) welcomes the preparation of a new EU Strategy on Victims Rights. Persons with disabilities face a heightened risk of becoming victims of crime, including violence , abuse, exploitation, hate crime and gender-based violence.

It is estimated that 15% of the worlds population have a disability. This percentage usually rises in humanitarian crises, making the access to relief and recovery services insufficient for persons with disabilities. When it comes to the evaluation of the Humanitarian Aid, the Commission must recognise its obligations to the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), in particular Art 11.