The EU Hungarian Presidency held the high-level conference “New Challenges in the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020” on 20 April. One of the conclusions was that the education is essential in order to involve disabled people into the labour market.

In addition, a second meeting was organised on 21 April about the work capacity of people living with rheumatism and locomotor diseases. In the European Union, around 80 million citizens are disabled and in the conference the participants pointed out the fact that their relatives must be heeded in every field, and families must also be supported and prevented from disintegration, in the interest of seriously ill and disabled children.

One of the participants underlined that disability is a multi-dimensional phenomenon; therefore, action must be taken in all fields of policy, such as education, employment, healthcare and transportation. The Polish Counsellor for Employment and Social Policy of the Polish Permanent Representation in Brussels, Janusz Galeziak, reassured his counterparts that the life of disabled people will remain a key item on the EU’s agenda during the upcoming Polish Presidency’s term.

Jean-Marc Delizée, Secretary of State for Social and Disability Affairs, stated that the Spanish-Belgian-Hungarian Presidency Trio should be proud of its achievements so far. In particular, speaking about Belgium, he highlighted that his country had worked hard during its term of EU Presidency, when encouraging the EU to ratify the UN Convention of 2006, on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.