conference | programme | overview | presentations | declaration | links
Towards an Inclusive Europe for All: the Way Forward
By Colin Low
President of the European Blind Union
There are a number of responses in our political and social environment to
the crises I mentioned on Friday (cf. Opening session) which give us some
grounds for hope:
1 The EU itself. In an increasingly multi-national world, we need
multi-national solutions to our political, economic and social problems. The
EU constitutes such a solution--certainly in its potential if not yet its
current delivery. That is the rationale of the European Union. It may not be
perfect. No human institution is. But this is the direction in which we
should be travelling.
2 The Lisbon Treaty. We need the Treaty to streamline the decision-making
processes of the Union, give it a higher profile on the international stage
and make it more fit for purpose for the 21st century.
3 We need to revisit the Lisbon Agenda with its target of 70% employment and
the European Social Model. Different pressures pull Europe in different
directions, but the EU's crisis of legitimacy underlines the need to keep up
the pressure for a social Europe and a Europe for Citizenss. the present
economic crisis also calls for a reflationary not a deflationary approach.
4 This conference has also been successful in bringing up to date and
setting out our own agenda in a new Declaration, based on the UN Convention
and the long awaited Equal Treatment Directive. These provide a new
framework in which to ground the staple concerns of the disability movement
regarding education, employment and standard of living. On top of these come
our specific concerns about information--copyright, Braille and
telecommunications, including television; streets, and freepost services.
5 We have also reaffirmed our desire to work in partnership with other
organisations with whom we already have a good relationship, such as EDF and
the Social Platform.
6 The EBU is also working better than ever, with more organisations
participating in the work of the Liaison Commission and sharing the work,
which has increased our information base and the authority of our
submissions.
7 All that being the case we will be able to look back on the Dublin
conference as a milestone in the development of the EBU and a base from
which we can move forward with renewed confidence.
Disclaimer: This document has been supported by the European Commission. The
content of this document is the sole responsibility of its publishers and
represents in no way the views of the Commission and its services.