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The European Commission launched its public consultation on "Enhancing the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030" (deadline: 6 February).
We participated in EDF concertation meeting with members and other DPOs on advocacy concerning the next Multiannual Financial Framework (EU long-term budget), to protect social spending therein and specifically for social inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Employment
Our draft note for the European Semester process – a deliverable under CERV25 funding – is almost final, including related demands, pending last comments from our member organisations.
Inclusive design
We relayed to the Advocacy Committee and Accessibility Working Group an EDF action request to support at national level, with national standardisation bodies, the ANEC comments to the draft revision of the European built environment standard.
We are in contact with EDF for a concerted response to a targeted survey on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which precedes an eventual call for evidence and a public consultation.
Payment terminals
The review of the EN 301 549 standard for the implementation of the European Accessibility Act is expected in January 2026 already. Rather than to try and influence the outcome, it seems pragmatic to act through additional user-experience-level guidance to influence how industry actors will implement the standard. A coordination meeting took place between EBU, EDF, and the market leader Ingenico. There is a shared understanding that while manufacturers are already aligning their devices with the EN 301 549 standard, the real fragmentation occurs at the software and implementation level: different acquirers and service providers are developing their own approaches for activating and using accessibility features, which could lead to significant inconsistency across Europe. There is agreement on the need for a joint European-level working group to define common guidelines for entering and navigating accessibility mode on payment terminals, and that the European Banking Federation (EBF) should be the coordinator. Ingenico will approach the EBF, who has already expressed interest in helping convene banking members. The working group would ideally be chaired or hosted by EBF, with EBU and EDF contributing the user and accessibility perspective. Other leading actors from the private sector such as Worldline, a key provider of payment solutions, should also be involved in the work of such a group. We hope to get a green light during December, and start official formation in January. Our Spanish member ONCE have a questionnaire ready for EBU members in that perspective. Also to be taken into account, in that perspective, is that our UK member, RNIB, who had not participated in the Pay-Able Taskforce, now requests modifications of EBU recommendations for payment terminals. They were signposted to Accessibility and Digitalisation Working Groups for this.
Mobility
A European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) study makes the case of addressing the gaps of the European Disability Card for persons with disabilities who move their residence to another EU country (i.e., beyond mere travelling in the EU) as a matter of equal mobility of workers with disabilities. We wrote to them to thank them for the study and signal ourselves as their allies on this.
We were contacted by Czech Public Defender of Rights and Defender of Children’s Rights, the body that monitors the implementation of the UN CRPD in Czechia, with questions about EBU positions/recommendations on AVAS, and road safety in general. We responded in concertation with our German member, DBSV, leader on AVAS.
Miscellaneous
We have submitted an EBU response to the Commission’s call for evidence on future communication about sport, based on input from the Sport Taskforce.
Our Danish member Dansk Blindesamfund and the Chairwoman of the Advocacy Committee represented EBU at the Danish Presidency of EU conference on independent living.
The Commission launched a public consultation on the revision of Public Procurement Directive (deadline 26 January 2026). We are in liaison with EDF for a concerted response.