IF recommendations to the new European Commission 2019-2024
Last year, after months of difficult negotiations the Members of the European Parliament – MEPs – elected the new European Commission (Commission) for the next mandate 2019-2024.
For the first time in history, this new Commission is the most gender-balanced, consisting of 12 women and 15 men. Von der Leyen is also the first female president of the European Commission. This time, the Commission is composed of 27 Commissioners, since the United Kingdom did not nominate any Commissioner.
The Commission is the guardian of the treaties and has the monopoly of the legislative initiative, this means that the Commission has the power to make proposals for new European legislation and implement current EU policies. Therefore, the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (IF) would like to make several recommendations to the Commission for the next 5 years of the European mandate.
We hope that the new European Commission will take our recommendations into account and will improve the daily life of people living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus (SBH) and ensure their inclusion and participation in society – not only related to employment. The European Union should continue to design and implement policies and programming for persons with disabilities and especially take into consideration the complex needs of people living with SBH and respecting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
