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Research project

The protection role of the Committee on Petitions in the context of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

  • Start date: 1 July 2015
  • End date: 31 December 2018
  • Funder: European Parliament
  • Value: €20,000
  • Primary investigator: Professor Mark Priestley

This study was commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the PETI Committee. It explains the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) with reference to the PETI Committee’s role in the EU Framework for its implementation. It considers the petitions received on disability issues and developments in the CRPD protection mechanisms implemented at level of the UN, the EU and the Member States. Recommendations are made to assist the EP in deliberating on disability issues in its protection role.

Impact

The European Parliament started to monitor disability issues in citizens’ petitions. The Petitions Committee held a televised public hearing in 2015, at which the European Ombudsman, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, European Disability Forum, European Commission, and a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities were invited to respond to the report. A consequent Resolution of the European Parliament, drew ‘attention to the importance of the findings of the study’ and resolved that: ‘the Committee on Petitions continues to organise events focusing on petitions in the field of disability; calls for the capacity of the Committee on Petitions and its Secretariat to be enhanced to enable it to properly fulfil its protection role; calls for the establishment of a designated officer responsible for the processing of disabilities-related issues', noting 'the Committee’s significant follow-up action' to the research.

Publications and outputs

Priestley, M., de Beco, G. and Raley, M. (2015, revised 2016) The protection role of the Committee on Petitions in the context of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (study report) PE.571.384 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5bd07833-aaff-11e6-aab7-01aa75ed71a1

Priestley, M (2017) The protection role of the Committee on petitions in the context of the implementation of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (briefing) PE.696.827 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0ee2bf2e-1071-11e8-9253-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

Priestley, M (2018) 2018 update of the study on the protection role of the Committee on Petitions in the context of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (briefing) PE.608.830 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/634835ce-c783-11e8-9424-01aa75ed71a1/