Latest news from our ongoing campaigns

Marrakesh Treaty

In the EU, Cyprus has now adopted its national legislation to implement the Marrakesh Treaty Directive (see their article in this newsletter). Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovenia are still lagging behind.

No progress to report in the status of ratification of the Treaty in wider Europe.

European Accessibility Act

The EAA was published in the Official Journal of the EU of 7 June. This marks the start of the 3 year delay for the implementation (translation into national law) of the ‘Act’ – in fact a directive.

The European Disability Forum has produced an analysis of the EAA’s precise scope and strengths and weaknesses.

Noteworthy for the implementation EAA is that the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the EU approved on 14 June the new Regulation on market surveillance and enforcement – a text that the European Parliament already approved in April. The new regulation (totally binding) strengthens enforcement of EU harmonised legislation on products, including the EAA. The new rules will apply in just over two years. A number of provisions will however apply as of 1 January 2021.

Silent Cars

Under EU Regulation 540/2014, by 1 July 2019 all new types of electric vehicles will need to be equipped with an acoustic alert system.

It will take two further years for the obligation to extend to all new vehicles regardless of their type.

European elections 2019

In follow-up to their campaigning on the European elections, the European Disability Forum (EDF) and its members (including EBU) met to share and take stock of results. It was agreed to prioritise in the coming weeks and months the re-establishment of an influential Disability Intergroup at the European Parliament. EDF, as secretariat of the intergroup, will coordinate the lobbying action, and EBU will be keen to participate, in line with the 10th and last point of its Statement on the European Elections.

MISCELLANEOUS

EBU participated in the Third European LHON Patient Groups and Advocates Advisory Board Meeting, organised by the pharmaceutical company Santhera in Porto, 17-18 June) to present its campaigns of interest to the community of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.