The EU agrees on the establishment of a European disability card

This card will give access, in all countries of the Union, to the same preferential treatment in transport, cultural events, museums or sports centers.

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The hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, February 7, 2024. (FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP)

Soon a regulatory revolution for people with disabilities? The European Parliament and the European Council agreed on Friday February 9 on the establishment of a European disability card. It will allow, during a trip to a Member State, to access the same preferential conditions as national card holders who reside in this country. This new card would concern transport, cultural events, museums or sports centers, Parliament announced.

“People with disabilities have been impatiently awaiting this legislation”commented Slovak MEP Lucia Duris Nicholsonová (Renew), rapporteur of the text. “This card goes beyond simply facilitating travel: it embodies the EU’s commitment to guaranteeing the free movement of all Europeans”added the centrist elected official.

A European parking card

Issued and renewed free of charge, the European disability card will be in physical format and, when possible, in digital format. Furthermore, the European parking card, which will be in physical form, will be harmonized and extended in a binding manner to all Twenty-Seven.

Both cards must be issued within 90 days, unless longer medical checks are required. The agreement must now be formally ratified by the Council (Member States) and the European Parliament before entering into force. The text is expected to be put to a vote during the April plenary session. Once the directive has been transposed into national law, states will be required to impose fines and adopt corrective measures in the event of violations.


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