Examining the consequences of the Association Agreement with the European Union for people with disabilities and involving the organisations that represent them. This is the request from Attiva-Mente</strong, which, after the publication of the official portal dedicated to the agreement, reviewed the available documentation and identified several areas warranting discussion.
According to the association, this is an issue that “amid the understandable complexity of the long negotiating process, does not appear to have received due attention or discussion with the relevant associations so far, despite the Agreement’s potential impact on numerous aspects of daily life.”
Attiva-Mente points to references in the annexes to European legislation on the accessibility of products and services, including digital ones, on equal treatment in employment, on the accessibility of public administration websites and applications, on passenger rights, and on the coordination of social security systems. The association also highlights the European Disability Rights Strategy 2021–2030, which is referenced as a guiding policy framework.
“These are provisions and guidelines that deserve attention, particularly to understand their implications for our legal system. Naturally, signing the Agreement does not mean its immediate and blanket application: procedures, adjustments and implementation timelines will need to be considered,” the statement specifies.
The request is to include accessibility, inclusion and rights in the debate on the country’s future, alongside economic development, investment, innovation, training and the transformation of public administration.
Another area worth exploring is European cooperation and project development, through collaboration between institutions, universities and civil society. “Without taking access to EU funding for granted, it would be useful to determine which programmes could become accessible, and under what conditions,” Attiva-Mente notes.
Among the European experiences the association suggests considering are independent living, employment inclusion, housing, deinstitutionalisation, self-managed personal assistance and assistive technologies. To these can be added international mobility, the recognition of certifications, and the European Disability Card.
The first step suggested is a review of the provisions of the Agreement relevant to people with disabilities, their implications, and the tools available, carried out with input from representative organisations and in line with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“We are aware that the Association Agreement will not automatically resolve existing problems, nor can it replace the political choices and investments needed to fully guarantee rights. It can, however, offer new tools and reference points to improve our public policies,” the association states.
“If looking to Europe means imagining the San Marino of the future, it would be important for people with disabilities to have a place in that vision from the very start — not merely as recipients of potential benefits, but as protagonists of the decisions that affect them.”
