European Disability Card and European Parking Card

KEY POINTS

Scope

The directive applies to parking conditions and facilities and to situations where public authorities or private operators offer special conditions or preferential treatment to persons with disabilities.

It covers access to:

• services;
• passenger transport services;
• other activities or facilities, including those provided free of charge.

Member States must apply the directive for short stays of up to three months. However, Member States must apply the directive for longer than a short stay to cardholders participating in EU mobility programmes, for the duration of those programmes. Member States may also decide to apply it for periods longer than three months to cardholders visiting or staying in their territory.

The directive does not apply to:

• social security benefits;
• certain special social security, social protection or employment-related benefits;
• social assistance;
• services for the long-term inclusion, habilitation or rehabilitation of persons with disabilities;
• special conditions or preferential treatment offered to persons with disabilities in consideration of their individual needs and upon the fulfilment of additional criteria, based on an individual assessment or on a decision on entitlement to specific services.

The directive does not harmonise national rules on the assessment or recognition of disability status, or the entitlement to specific services based on a disability, or on granting the right to parking conditions and facilities for persons with disabilities.

Equal access

Member States must ensure that holders of a European Disability Card and of a European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, when travelling or visiting another Member State, can access on equal terms with persons with disabilities recognised in that Member State:

• special conditions or preferential treatment offered to persons with disabilities in relation to services, activities or facilities; and
• parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities.

Where such conditions apply to persons accompanying or assisting persons with disabilities, including personal assistants or assistance animals, they must also apply to persons accompanying or assisting the cardholder.

Issuance, format and mutual recognition of the cards

Member States must introduce the cards using the common standardised and accessible formats laid down in the directive.

Key rules include:

• cards issued by one Member State must be mutually recognised across the EU;
• cards must be issued, renewed or withdrawn by competent authorities in the Member State of residence, in accordance with national rules, procedures and practice;
• the European Disability Card must be issued or renewed free of charge, although a fee may be charged for replacement if lost or damaged;
• the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities may be issued free of charge or subject to a fee, provided that the fee does not exceed administrative costs;
• Parking cards for people with disabilities issued under Recommendation 98/376/EC must be replaced by the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities by 5 December 2029;
• cards must include QR codes and may include other security features, which must be set by the European Commission through delegated acts.

The European Disability Card must be issued as a physical card and be complemented by a digital version once common technical specifications are laid down in implementing acts. Persons with disabilities must be able to request the physical version of the card, the digital version or both.

The European Parking Card for persons with disabilities must be issued as a physical card and may also be complemented by a digital version, if a Member State so decides.

Digital versions and technical specifications

The Commission must adopt implementing acts establishing the accessible digital versions of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities and common technical specifications, including rules on verification, authenticity, prevention and combating of fraud, interoperability between Member States and the use of the cards in an EU digital identity wallet.

Enforcement, remedies and penalties

Member States must ensure adequate and effective means to ensure compliance with and enforcement of the directive. They must also establish effective, proportionate and dissuasive measures, such as penalties for non-compliance with the national rules implementing the directive.

Access to information

Member States must ensure that public authorities make publicly available clear and accessible information on special conditions, preferential treatment and parking conditions and facilities offered to persons with disabilities. They must encourage private operators to provide this information as well.

Each Member State must establish a national website with general information on the use of the cards.

The Commission must establish an EU web page, available in all official EU languages and in accessible formats, with links to the national websites.

Monitoring and evaluation

The Commission must report on the application of the directive by 5 June 2031 and every four years thereafter.

By 5 June 2029, it must also assess remaining gaps relating to the free movement of persons with disabilities and determine whether further EU action is needed.