People with disabilities: EC parking card

Tom Megahy (UK, PES) saw his draft recommendation for second reading adopted on Council's common position regarding an EU wide parking card for disabled people. The Committee unanimously gave the green light to the common position, in which Parliament's amendments from first reading had been incorporated. The common position now includes provisions which: -ensure that the vehicle registration number should be taken out so that the card relates to a person and not just to one vehicle; -remove the address and date of birth of the holder for security reasons; -recommends that in defining disability Member States widen its ambit so as to include people whose disability can lead to decreased mobility. (This is important to disability groups in Member States who had fought hard for recognition of their existing cards). The rapporteur deplored the weak legal form of this proposal, i.e. a recommendation, but hoped that it would be speedily implemented throughout the Community. �