What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Changed:Recital 14: (14) Furthermore, not knowing whether and, if so, to what extent, their disability status and formal documents recognising this status may be recognised when travelling to or visiting another Member State, creates huge uncertainty for them. Moreover, limited availability of online information regarding their specific rights and available advantages exacerbates this problem. Ultimately, persons with disabilities may be deterred from exercising their rights of free movement.movement and full and effective participation and inclusion in society.

Removed:Recital 15: (15) Alongside various physical and other barriers in accessing both public and private spaces and services, high expenses are a key factor discouraging many persons with disabilities from travel12, because they have specific needs resulting in additional expenses related to their disability and may also require person(s) accompanying or assisting them including those recognised as personal assistant(s) in accordance with national legislation or practices, making their travel costs higher than for persons without disabilities13. The lack of recognition of disability status in other Member States might limit their access to special conditions, such as free access or reduced tariffs, or preferential treatment and has an impact on their travel costs, lives and personal autonomy.

Added:Recital 14 a (new): (14a) In view of both demographic changes and the need to facilitate the mobility of persons with disabilities, Member States should increase measures aiming to improve the accessibility of public spaces and infrastructure, in particular public transport, and to adjust them to the requirements of persons with disabilities.

Changed:Recital 16:15: (16)(15) PreferentialAlongside treatmentvarious (suchvisible asand personalinvisible, assistance,physical, prioritysocial access,and etc.)other offeredbarriers within oraccessing withoutboth remunerationpublic and private spaces and services, high expenses are oftena importantkey forfactor discouraging many persons with disabilities tofrom betravel able48 to, accessbecause variousthey services,have activitiesspecific orneeds facilitiesresulting andin additional expenses related to bettertheir experiencedisability them.and However,may duealso torequire theperson(s) lackaccompanying ofor mutualassisting recognition,them inincluding thethose Memberrecognised Stateas theypersonal visitassistant(s) in accordance with national legislation or practices, making their travel to,costs ofhigher theirthan disabilityfor statuspersons andwithout ofdisabilities formal49 documents. recognisingThe thislack statusof issuedrecognition of disability status in other Member States,States personsmight withlimit disabilitiestheir mayaccess notto bespecial ableconditions, tosuch benefitas fromfree theaccess specialor conditionsreduced tariffs, priority seating on public transport, reserved parking spaces or preferential treatment offeredand byhas privatean operatorsimpact oron publictheir authoritiestravel incosts, thatlives, Membersocial Stateand toeconomic holdersintegration ofand apersonal disabilityautonomy. certificate,Furthermore, disabilitythe cardwidespread orlack anyof otherknowledge formalof documentpsychosocial, recognisingcognitive, theirphysical disabilityor statussensorial issuedaccessibility there.policies can result in discriminatory behaviour.

Changed:Recital 17: (17)16: While(16) voluntaryPreferential andtreatment limited(such inas scope,personal theassistance, Pilotpriority Projectaccess, onetc.) theoffered EUwith Disabilityor cardwithout launchedremuneration inis 2016often andimportant carriedfor outpersons inwith eightdisabilities Memberto States,be demonstratedable thatto facilitatingaccess mutualvarious recognitionservices, ofactivities disabilityor statusfacilities betweenand Memberto Statesfully providedbenefit advantagesfrom forthem. personsHowever, withdue disabilitiesto inthe accessinglack benefitsof andmutual servicesrecognition, in the areas ofMember culture,State leisure,they sport,visit and,or intravel someto, cases,of transport,their anddisability supportingstatus theirand cross-borderof movementformal indocuments therecognising EUthis forstatus aissued shortin period14.other InMember addition,States, itpersons includedwith otherdisabilities examplesmay ofnot services,be activitiesable andto facilitiesbenefit whichfrom offerthe special conditions or preferential treatment offered by private operators or public authorities in that Member State to personsholders withof disabilities.a disability certificate, disability card or any other formal document recognising their disability status issued there.

Added:Recital 17: (17) While voluntary in nature and limited in scope, the Pilot Project on the EU Disability card launched in 2016 and carried out in eight Member States, demonstrated that facilitating mutual recognition of disability status between Member States provided advantages for persons with disabilities in accessing benefits and services in the areas of culture, leisure, sport, and, in some cases, transport, and supporting their cross-border movement in the EU for a short period 50 and shows that the card’s objectives continue to be relevant to the current needs of persons with disabilities. In addition, it included other examples of services, activities and facilities which offer special conditions or preferential treatment to persons with disabilities.

Changed:Recital 21: (21) Therefore, in view of facilitating the exercise by persons with disabilities of the rights to access special conditions or preferential treatment offered by private operators or public authorities when travelling to or visiting another Member State for a short period, without discrimination on grounds of nationality on the same basis as persons with disabilities in that Member State, and in view of facilitating the use of all means of transport and benefiting from parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities on the same basis as in that Member State, it is necessary to establish the framework, rules and common conditions, including a common standardised model, for a European Disability Card as proof of recognised disability status and for a European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, as proof of their recognised right to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities.

Removed:Recital 24: (24) Examples of special conditions or preferential treatment include free access, reduced tariffs, reduced fees or user charges for toll roads/bridges/tunnels, priority access, designated seats in parks and other public areas, accessible seating in cultural or public events, personal assistance, assistance animals, assistance on the beach to enter the water, support (such as access to braille, audio guides, sign language interpretation), provisions of aids or assistance, loan of a wheelchair, loan of a floating wheelchair, obtaining tourist information in accessible formats, using a mobility scooter on roads or a wheelchair in bike lanes without a fine, etc. Parking conditions and facilities include extended parking or reserved parking spaces. With respect to passenger transport services, in addition to the special conditions or preferential treatment offered to persons with disabilities, in accordance with national legislation or practices, assistance animals, personal assistants or other persons accompanying or assisting persons with disabilities (or reduced mobility) may travel free of charge or be seated, where practicable next to the person with disabilities. Persons accompanying or assisting persons with disabilities are designated by the persons with disabilities themselves and can change on an ad hoc basis depending on their needs.

Added:Recital 22: (22) Mutual recognition of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities should facilitate and guarantee persons with recognised disability status in a Member State, access to special conditions or preferential treatment offered by private operators or public authorities including hospitals, health care institutions and emergency services in a variety of services, activities and facilities, including when not provided for remuneration, as well as access to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities and, where applicable, persons accompanying or assisting them including personal assistants, on equal terms and conditions as those provided for on the basis of national certificates, disability cards or other formal documents recognising disability status and parking cards for persons with disabilities issued by the competent authorities in the host country.

Removed:Recital 25: (25) The issuance of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities in a Member State is to be determined by this Directive together with that Member State’s applicable procedures and competences for the assessment and recognition of disability status and parking rights for persons with disabilities. The issuance and renewal of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities should always be free of charge.

Added:Recital 23: (23) Beside parking conditions and facilities, the services, activities and facilities covered by this Directive concern a wide variety of ever-changing activities, including activities provided not for remuneration, by public authorities or private operators, either on a mandatory (on the basis of national/local rules or legal obligations) but often also on a voluntary basis (in particular by private operators) in a variety of policy domains, such as culture, leisure, tourism, sports, public and private transport, education and employment.

Changed:Recital 29:24 (29)b In(new): order(24b) toMember guaranteeStates should ensure that workersthe withoperators disabilitiesof cancross-border effectivelypassenger exercisetransport theirservices rightsprovide toclear freeinformation movementto fullytravellers andholding alsoa enjoyEuropean services,Disability activitiesCard andat facilitiesthe offeredtime byof Membertheir States,purchase includingof whena providedtravel notticket forwith remuneration,regard to the Europeanspecial Disabilityconditions Cardor andpreferential treatment that apply for the Europeandifferent Parkingparts Cardof forthe personsoperations withthroughout disabilitiesthe alsojourney, appliesin order to workersavoid whotravellers travelholding tothe orEuropean visitDisability anotherCard Memberfinding Statethemselves forwithout work-a relatedvalid purposestravel includingdocument frontierwhen andentering cross-borderanother workersMember withState disabilities.on the same transport service.

Removed:Recital 30: (30) The envisaged framework for mutual recognition of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities does not impinge on the competences of a Member State to assess and recognise the disability status and to grant special conditions, such as free access, reduced tariffs or preferential treatment for persons with disabilities and/or person(s) accompanying or assisting them including personal assistant(s). It does not cover social security benefits, social protection or social assistance covered by Article 24(2) of Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council20. Exceptionally such social security benefits, social protection and social assistance shall be covered in certain time-limited instances, either when moving to another Member State for work or study or while participating in the Union mobility programmes such as ERASMUS+, to allow for the temporary continued recognition of the disability status while the persons with disabilities are undergoing the reassessment process to have their disability status recognised by another Member State.

Added:Recital 25: (25) The issuance, renewal and withdrawal of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities in a Member State is to be determined by this Directive together with that Member State’s applicable rules, procedures and competences for the assessment and recognition of disability status and parking rights for persons with disabilities. The issuance and renewal of the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities should always be free of charge.

Removed:Recital 31: (31) In order to raise awareness and facilitate access to special conditions or preferential treatment for persons with disabilities, while travelling to or visiting another Member State, all relevant information with respect to the conditions, rules, practices, and procedures applicable to obtain the European Disability Card and/or the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities and its subsequent use should be made publicly available by Member States in a clear, comprehensive, user-friendly manner and accessible formats for persons with disabilities respecting the relevant accessibility requirements for services established in Annex I to Directive (EU) 2019/882. Private operators or public authorities granting special conditions or preferential treatment to persons with disabilities should make such information publicly available in a clear, comprehensive, user-friendly manner and accessible formats, for persons with disabilities respecting the relevant accessibility requirements for services established in Annex I to Directive (EU) 2019/882.

Added:Recital 25 a (new): (25a) Experience shows that when presenting a European Disability Card or similar national recognition of disability, due to a lack of awareness, misunderstandings or communication barriers, persons with disabilities, particularly those with invisible disabilities, do not always receive the most appropriate support and accommodation for their disability including when travelling by public transport or dealing with national authorities, as well as during emergencies. Member States should therefore provide the option to persons with disabilities, when applying for the European Disability Card to the relevant authorities, to choose to display relevant symbols on that card in order to indicate their assistance requirements. The Commission should develop guidelines for commonly recognised pictograms illustrating the different types of assistance required by persons with disabilities.

Changed:Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point a: (a) the rules governing the issuance of the European Disability Card for persons with disabilities as proof of their disability status, in view of promoting equal rights and freedom of movement for persons with disabilities and facilitating short stays of persons with disabilities in a Member State other than that of which they are a resident, by granting them access to any special conditions or preferential treatment with respect to services, activities or facilities, including when provided not for remuneration, offered to or reserved for persons with disabilities orresiding person(s)in that Member State and, where applicable, persons accompanying or assisting them including their personal assistant(s);assistants;

Changed:Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point aaa a (new): (aa) the rules governing the issuance of the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities as proof of a right to parking conditions and facilities reserved for persons with disabilities, in view of promoting equal rights and freedom of movement for persons with disabilities and facilitating short stays of persons with disabilities in a Member State other than that ofin which they are a resident, by granting them access to any parking conditions and facilities offered to or reserved for persons with disabilities orand person(s)where applicable persons accompanying or assisting them including their personal assistant(s);assistants;

Changed:Article 2 – paragraph 2 a (new): 2a. Paragraph 2 shallBy exceptionallyway notof applyderogation infrom theparagraph following2, time-limitedthis situationsDirective inshall orderapply to ensure equalthe treatmentbenefits and equalsocial opportunitiesassistance betweenreferred nationalto andin otherparagraph Union2, citizenspoints with(b) disabilities:and /(c), a)where: where/ (a) European Disability Card holders move to another Member State to engage in an employment contractwork or enrol in an educational institution until such time as their disability status is re-assessed and formally recognised by the competent authorities in the other Member StateState; orand / b) where(b) a European Disability Card holder participates in an EU mobility programme, for the duration of that programme. / Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that holders of a European Disability Card, while in the situations referred to in this paragraph, are granted access to the benefits and social assistance referred to inparagraph 2, points (b) and (c), by the Member State that issued the European Disability card.

Changed:Article 2 – paragraph 5:4: 5.4. This Directive shall be without prejudicedoes tonot theimpinge rightson thatnational personscompetences withto disabilitiesgrant or person(s) accompanying orrequire assistingto them,grant includingspecial theirbenefits personalor assistant(s),specific, maypreferential deriveconditions, fromsuch otheras provisionsfree ofaccess, Unionreduced lawtariffs, or nationalpreferential lawtreatment implementingfor Unionpersons law,with includingdisabilities thoseand, grantingwhere specificprovided, benefits,for specialperson(s) conditions,accompanying or preferential treatment. In this regard, aassisting Europeanthem Disabilityincluding Cardtheir shallpersonal neverassistant(s), beas requiredwell as proof ofassistance disabilityanimals insuch orderas toguide accessdogs or exercise any suchassistance rights.dogs.

Removed:Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d: (d) “personal assistant” is a person, whichever the(ir) nationality, accompanying or assisting persons with disabilities, who is recognised in accordance with the national legislation or practices as such;

Added:Article 2 – paragraph 5: 5. This Directive shall be without prejudice to the rights that persons with disabilities or person(s) accompanying or assisting them, including their personal assistant(s), or assistance animals such as guide dogs and assistance dogs may derive from other provisions of Union law or national law implementing Union law, including those granting specific benefits, special conditions, or preferential treatment. A European Disability Card shall not be required as proof of disability in order to access or exercise any of the rights referred to in this paragraph.

Removed:Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e: (e) “special conditions or preferential treatment” means any specific conditions, including those related to financial conditions, or any differentiated treatment related to assistance and support such as free access, reduced tariffs, priority access, offered to persons with disabilities and/or, when applicable, to person(s) accompanying or assisting them including personal assistant(s) or assistance animals recognised in accordance with the national legislation or practices as such, irrespective of whether provided on a voluntary basis or imposed by legal obligations;

Added:Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d: (d) “personal assistant” is a person, whichever their nationality, accompanying or assisting persons with disabilities, who is recognised in accordance with the national legislation or practices as such;

Changed:Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point f:e: (f)(e) “parking“special conditions andor facilities”preferential treatment” means any parking spacespecific reservedconditions, forincluding personsthose withrelated disabilities,to eitherfinancial exclusivelyconditions, or inany general,differentiated astreatment wellrelated to assistance and support such as anyfree associatedaccess, parkingreduced benefitstariffs, for,priority oraccess, preferentialaccess conditionsto affordedrestricted to,traffic zones and pedestrian zones, priority seats in public transports, offered to persons with disabilities,disabilities and/or, when applicable, to person(s) accompanying or assisting them including personal assistant(s), sign language interpreters, or assistance animals. such as freeguide parking,dogs reducedor tariffs,assistance reduceddogs. feesrecognised orin useraccordance chargeswith forthe tollnational roads/bridges/tunnelslegislation or extendedpractices parkingas spacessuch, irrespective of whether provided on a voluntary basis or imposed by legal obligations.obligations;

Removed:Article 5 – paragraph 1: 1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that holders of a European Disability Card, while travelling to or visiting a Member State other than that of which they are a resident, shall be granted access on equal terms and conditions as those provided to persons with disabilities who are holders of a disability certificate, disability card or any other formal document recognising their disability status in that Member State, to any special conditions or preferential treatment offered with respect to the services, activities and facilities referred to in Article 2(1) or situations referred to in Article 2(2a).

Added:Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point f: (f) “parking conditions and facilities” means any parking space reserved for persons with disabilities or where applicable person accompanying or assisting them including personal assistants, either exclusively or in general, as well as any associated parking benefits for, or preferential conditions afforded to, persons with disabilities, such as free parking, reduced tariffs, reduced fees or user charges for toll roads/bridges/tunnels or extended parking spaces irrespective of whether provided on a voluntary basis or imposed by legal obligations.

Removed:Article 6 – paragraph 1: 1. Each Member State shall introduce the European Disability Card following the common standardised and accessible format set out in Annex I. Member States shall introduce digital features in physical cards using electronic means addressing fraud-prevention as part of the European Disability Card, as soon as the requirements concerning the digital features referred to in Annex I, are laid down by the Commission in the technical specifications referred to in Article 8. The digital storage medium shall not contain more personal data than the data provided for the European Disability Card in Annex I.

Added:Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new): (fa) “reasonable accommodation” means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments that do not impose a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rights provided for in this Directive;

Changed:Article 76 – paragraph 1: 1. Each Member State shall introduce the European ParkingDisability Card for persons with disabilities following the common standardised format and accessibleuniversal formataccessibility requirements set out in Annex II.I. Member States shall introduce digital features in physical cards using electronic means addressing fraud-prevention as part of the European Parking Card for persons withDisability disabilities,Card, as soon as the requirements concerning the digital features referred to in Annex II,I, are laid down by the Commission in the technical specifications referred to in Article 8. The digital storage medium shall not contain more personal data than the data provided for the European Disability Card in Annex II.I.

Changed:Article 76 – paragraph 4: 4.2: The2. European ParkingDisability CardCards forissued personsby withMember disabilitiesStates shall be issued ormutually renewedrecognised byin theall Member State of residence uponStates applicationand byshall thebe personcompatible with disabilities. Itany shallcertificate, bedisability issuedcard or renewedany freeother offormal chargedocument for the beneficiary and within a reasonable period from the datepersons ofwith thedisabilities applicationissued whichat shallnational, notregional exceedor 60local days.level.

Removed:Article 7 – paragraph 4 a (new): 4a. Member States shall ensure that persons with disabilities, or designated representatives acting on their behalf and with their approval, may appeal a decision by the competent authorities regarding the issuance, renewal or withdrawal of a European Parking Card.

Added:Article 6 – paragraph 4: 4. The European Disability Card shall be issued or renewed by the Member State of residence directly where already provided for in the national disability assessment and recognition procedure or upon application by the person with disabilities. Persons with disabilities shall be duly informed about the possibility to apply for the European Disability Card where it is not issued directly. It shall be issued and renewed free of charge to the beneficiary and within either 60 days or within the period set in the applicable national legislation for issuing disability certificates, disability cards or any other formal document recognising the disability status of a person with disabilities whichever is shorter.

Removed:Article 7 – paragraph 7: 7. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 11 to supplement the Directive in order to set the digital format of the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities and ensure interoperability, including through the development and deployment of digital tools, and to amend Annex II in order to modify the common features of the standardised and accessible format, adapt the format to technical developments, prevent forgery and fraud, address abuse or misuse and ensure interoperability, including through the development and deployment of digital tools.

Added:Article 6 – paragraph 4 a (new): 4a. Member States shall ensure that persons with disabilities, or designated representatives acting on their behalf and with their or their legal guardian´s approval, are able to appeal against a decision by the competent authorities regarding the issuance, renewal or withdrawal of a European Disability Card in accordance with national law and practice.

Changed:Article 9 – paragraph 33: –3. subparagraphMember 1States ashall (new):take Anyall measuresnecessary takensteps to avoid the risk of forgery or fraud shall have due regard and considerationshall toactively thecombat, rightsthoroughly ofinvestigate personsand, withwhere disabilitiesrelevant, andprovide shallfor notadministrative resultor injudicial anyproceedings interferenceto withaddress the legitimate interestsfraudulent ofissuance, personsuse withand disabilitiesforgery inof the use ofEuropean eitherDisability cardCard orand leadEuropean inParking anyCard wayfor topersons theirwith stigmatisation.disabilities.

Changed:Article 9 – paragraph 4: 4.3 Member– Statessubparagraph shall1 takea the(new): necessaryAny measures taken to ensureavoid thatthe holdersrisk of a Europeanforgery Disabilityor Cardfraud orshall Europeanrespect Parkingthe Cardrights forof persons with disabilities returnand theirshall cardsnot toresult thein competentany authorityinterference shouldwith the conditionslegitimate underinterests whichof theypersons werewith issueddisabilities noin longertheir beaccess fulfilled.to or use of either card or lead in any way to their stigmatisation.

Added:Article 9 – paragraph 4: 4. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that holders of a European Disability Card or European Parking Card for persons with disabilities return their cards to the competent authority in the event that the conditions under which they were issued are no longer fulfilled.

Added:Article 9 – paragraph 5: 5. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that in case they encounter cases of abuse or misuse of the cards issued by another Member State on their territory, the competent authorities in the Member State who issued the European Disability Card or European Parking Card for persons with disabilities are informed. The Member State of issuance shall ensure appropriate follow-up in accordance with national law or practice. Member States shall exchange information with regard to abuse or misuse of the cards.

Changed:Article 9 a (new): Article 9a / Accessibility of information and awareness raising / 1. Member States shall makeprovide thefor conditions and rules, practices, and procedures to issue, renew or withdraw a European Disability Card and a European Parking Card for persons with disabilities publicly available in accessible formats, including in digital formats, national and international sign languageslanguages, braille and easyeasy-to-read toand readaudio format,formats, and uponin requestother inalternative assistive formats requestedupon bythe request of persons with disabilities. / 2. Member States shall take appropriate measures to raise awareness among the public, in particular to public authorities and informprivate operators having the potential to offer special conditions, preferential treatment and parking conditions and facilities for persons with disabilities,disabilities pursuant to Article 5 and other relevant stakeholders including representative organisations of persons with disabilities, and inform persons with disabilities, in accessible ways, about the existence and conditions to obtain, use, or renew the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities. The Commission shall undertake a European awareness raising campaign in cooperation with the Member States. / 3. The information referred to in paragraphparagraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall be made available free of charge in a clear, comprehensive, user-friendly and easily accessible way, including through private operators’ or public authorities’ official website where available, or by other suitable means, in accordance with the relevant accessibility requirements for services set in Annex I of Directive (EU) 2019/882. The Commission shall collate this information from Member States on a single dedicated Union website. / 4. The information referred to in paragraph 1 andofficial 2websites of this Article shallprivate beoperators easilyor understandable,public withoutauthorities exc…wh…

Removed:Article 11 – paragraph 4: 4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making as well as persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.

Added:Article 10 a (new): Article 10a / Representative organisations of persons with disabilities / Member States shall ensure that representative organisations of persons with disabilities can participate meaningfully in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of both the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities.

Changed:Article 1211 – paragraph 1:4: 1.4. TheBefore Commissionadopting shalla bedelegated assistedact, bythe aCommission committeeshall andconsult shallpersons meaningfullywith involvedisabilities and their representative organisations ofas personswell withas disabilities.experts Thatdesignated committeeby shalleach beMember aState committeein withinaccordance with the meaningprinciples laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of Regulation13 (EU)April No2016 182/2011.on Better Law-Making.

Added:Article 12 – paragraph 1: 1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee and shall ensure that representative organisations of persons with disabilities can participate meaningfully. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

Changed:Article 13 – paragraph 1: 1. Member States shall ensure that adequate and effective means exist to ensure thecompliance with and enforcement of this Directive.

Changed:Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new): (ba) provisions whereby persons with disabilities have a right toof redress, including adequate compensation, in casecases of infringements of their rights arising from this Directive.

Changed:Article 13 – paragraph 2 a (new): 2a. Member States shall ensure thesethat the design and implementation of provisions referred to in paragraph 2 comply with the principle of reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities in their design and implementation.disabilities.

Added:Article 14 – paragraph 1: 1. Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to public authorities or private operators for violations of the national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented.

Changed:Article 15 – paragraph 1: 1. Member States shall ensure that private operators or public authorities make information on any special conditions or preferential treatment pursuant to Article 51 publicly– availablesubparagraph in1 a clear, comprehensive, user-friendly and easily accessible way and in accessible formats.(new): /Each Member StatesState shall establish a single dedicated website collating the special conditions or preferential treatment offered by their public authorities.authorities and shall ensure this information is up to date. Member States may also facilitate information concerning the special conditions or preferential treatment offered by private operators on the website where available. The website shall be in the official language(s)languages of the Member StatesStates, national and international sign languages for audio and video content, in accessible and easy-to-read formats, in English as well as in any other relevant language(s)languages as determined by the Member State.

Changed:Article 15 – paragraph 2:1 2.a (new): 1a. Member States shall supportensure, andwhere encourageapplicable, privatethat operators orof publiccross-border authoritiespassenger totransport voluntarilyservices provide specialclear conditionsinformation orto preferentialpassengers treatmentholding fora personsEuropean withDisability disabilitiesCard inon asthe widespecial aconditions rangeor ofpreferential services,treatment otherapplicable activitiesin anddifferent facilitiesparts asof possible.the operations.

Removed:Article 15 – paragraph 3: 3. The information referred to in paragraph 1 of this article shall be made available free of charge in a clear, comprehensive, user-friendly and easily accessible way, including through the private operators or public authorities’ official website where available, or by other suitable means, in accordance with the relevant accessibility requirements for services set in Annex I of Directive (EU) 2019/882 without exceeding a level of complexity superior to level B1 (intermediate) of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Added:Article 15 – paragraph 2: 2. Member States shall support and encourage private operators or public authorities to voluntarily provide special conditions or preferential treatment for persons with disabilities in as wide a range of services, other activities and facilities as possible. / In particular, Member States shall support and encourage private operators and public authorities through, inter alia, the provision of information and exchange of best practices on possible special conditions or preferential treatment to be offered and the provision of disability- awareness training so as to ensure the relevance, effectiveness and inclusivity of any special conditions or preferential treatment offered. Member States shall ensure all such measures are carried out in partnership with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.

Removed:Article 16 – paragraph 1: 1. By dd/mm/yy [two years after the date of application of this Directive], and every four years thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions a report on the application of this Directive.

Added:Article 15 – paragraph 3: 3. The information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 1a of this Article shall be made available free of charge in a clear, comprehensive, user-friendly and easily accessible way, including through the private operators or public authorities’ official website where available, or by other suitable means, in accordance with the relevant accessibility requirements for services set in Annex I of Directive (EU) 2019/882 without exceeding a level of complexity superior to level B1 (intermediate) of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and including in the national sign languages.

Changed:Article 18 – paragraph 1: 1. Member States shall adopt and publish, by dd/mm/yy [within 12 months afterfrom the date of entry into force of this Directive] at the latest, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.

Removed:Annexx II – paragraph 3 – point b – indent 1

Added:Annex I – paragraph 2: BACK SIDE National information in the national language or national languages to be decided by the issuing Member State. Member States shall provide the option to persons with disabilities, when applying for the card to the relevant authorities, to display relevant symbols on the card in order to indicate the nature of their required reasonable accommodation. The Commission shall develop guidelines for common pictograms illustrating different types of assistance.

Changed:Amendment:Annex •II – point 3 – point b – indent 1: – in capital letters, the words ‘European Parking Card for persons with disabilities’ in the language(s) of the Member State issuing the card and in braille using the Marburg code dimensions; after a suitable space, it shall appear in small type in the other languages of the European Union;