The Danish EU Presidency: What is in for people with disabilities?

The European Union is a group of 27 European countries. Every 6 months, one of these countries chairs the European Union. This means that this country decides what the European Union should work on. From January to June 2012, Denmark chairs the European Union. The government of Denmark did a document to let people know what things it wants to achieve during this time.

The Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt together with the ministers for economy, foreign affairs and European affairs presented today the Programme of the Danish Presidencyof the Council of the European Union  entitled 'Europe at work'.

Besides negotiating EU's budget framework for the period 2014-2020, which will definitely be one of its key tasks, the Presidency wants, among other things, to strengthen financial regulation, revitalise the single market, enhance environment aspects of growth and secure the control of EU's external borders.

In the meetings of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), the Danish Presidency promises to get the Europe’s ministers to work on improving and protecting Europeans' health, tackling current and long-term employment challenges and create equal opportunities through efficient social policy.

During the 2011 European Day of Persons with Disabilities,·the Danish Minister for Social Affairs and Integration pointed out in her video contribution·that the Presidency will tackle disability as a cross-cutting issue, mainstreaming it throughout wide range of policies, including youth and employment agenda.

Regrettably, the Programme of the Danish Presidency contains very few references to people with disabilities. Concerned about Europe's aging population and particularly about its impact on public finances, the Danish intend to invite Member States to discussions on strengthening the workforce supply, including raising the employment rate for persons “who are not in possession of full capacity to work”.

Along these lines, “the Danish Presidency intends to contribute actively to the implementation of the EU strategy for people with disabilities. The Council will need to discuss how the resources of this large population group can be put to more active use, including by increased use of modern aids," reads the Programme.

The Danes thus seek to·mobilise the·economic and civic potential of·citizens with disabilities. The conference on·accessibility and participation   organised by the Danish Presidency in March 2012 in Copenhagen will hopefully shed more light on·the plans to advance the disability agenda.

From the perspective of the European Commission, with the plans for the·European Accessibility Act in making and the·ongoing public consultation, accessibility seems to be a key term for 2012.

Denmark took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January 2012. The priorities of the Danish Presidency together with the Programme, calendar of events and activities can be found at the official website of the presidency www.eu2012.dk available in English, French and Danish.