HANDYNET: continued development of the HANDYNET system 1995-1996 in the framework of HELIOS II for disabled people

Parliament approved the Commission proposal subject to six amendments. These amendments aimed to: - encourage the continuation of the Handynet system but limit the exiting database to the technical aids module; - stress the need to promote conditions to facilitate distribution of the system; - ensure that the Commission reported on measures taken to facilitate access to the system for users and on arrangements for financial implementation; - ensure that Handynet established effective cooperation with ISO and CEN with a view to including European standards at an early date in the technical aids database; - modify the system before 31 December 1996 in such a way that the Commission and the national data collection centres cooperated in the distribution of the data and the CD-ROM was made available free of charge to all representative bodies concerned with disabled people; that the information in the technical aids module was rendered compatible with the data on the research and technological development programmes in the framework of TIDE; and that the costs were borne pro rata by the parties involved; - ensure that the Commission submitted to Parliament and the Council, no later than 31 December 1995, an external evaluation of the system, indicating clearly the number of people who were using the database, for which purpose the opinions of all representative organisations for disabled people should be sought. The Commission accepted all these amendments. �