European Disability Card and European Parking Card for persons with disabilities: extending to third country nationals legally residing in a Member State

PURPOSE: to extend the scope of the proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities to third country nationals.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: as a reminder, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities on 6 September 2023. That proposal establishes the framework, rules and common conditions for those cards for persons with disabilities when travelling to or visiting another Member State for a short period. It includes a common standardised model for a European Disability Card as proof of recognised disability status and for a European Parking Card for persons with disabilities as proof of their recognised right to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities.

When adopting the proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, and in view of guaranteeing equal treatment of third country nationals with EU citizens, the Commission expressed its intention to put forward a separate legal act extending the scope of that proposal to third country nationals legally residing in the territory of a Member State who do not fall within the scope of that Directive, whose disability status has been recognised by that Member State, and who are entitled to move or travel to other Member States in accordance with Union law.

CONTENT: this new proposal follows up on that intention and has the objective of ensuring that the same framework as laid down in the proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities applies to those third country nationals with a disability, who are not already covered by it, when travelling or moving to another Member State for a short period. Thus, it will ensure that it applies to those third country nationals who are legally residing in the territory of a Member State, whose disability status has been recognised by that Member State, and who are entitled to move or travel to other Member States in accordance with Union law.

More specifically, the proposal aims to:

- provide holders of the European Disability Card who are third-country nationals with access on equal terms and conditions in the Member State visited or of travel to any special preferential conditions or preferential treatment with respect to services, activities and facilities offered to persons with disabilities;

- provide holders of the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities who are third country nationals with access on equal terms and conditions in the Member State visited or of travel to any parking conditions and facilities offered to or reserved for persons with disabilities.