Am 19.th March 2024, the EUD policy team participated in the Petitions (PETI) Committee. The Policy Manager, Alexandre Bloxs, was invited to make a statement about the petition EUD submitted 8 years ago – Petition no.1056/2016. This petition, submitted in 2016, calls for the possibility for deaf EU citizens to table petitions in their national sign languages. Although the petition remained blocked for several years, recently, EUD has been actively working to get this petition back on the PETI Committee’s agenda.
Mr Bloxs provided the PETI Committee with an update on the progress of the petition whilst also renewing EUD’s call for its realisation. Mr Bloxs highlighted that the lack of possibility to table petitions in national sign languages of the EU, contradicts Articles 9 and 21 of the CRPD, of which the EU is a State Party.
A number of Members of European Parliament (MEPs) made interventions in support of our petition. Specifically, EUD would like to thank MEPs Kosa, Maestre Martin, Auken, Pagazaurtundua, and Jahr for their support. MEP Maestre Martin stated that it is “embarrassing and shameful that this petition has been on hold for 8 years. This is a basic right in the EU.” Moreover, MEP Kosa held that he would lodge a complaint if this petition isn’t progressed with urgency.
In summary, EUD called on the PETI Committee to reinterpret the EU Council Rule of Procedure no. 226(6) in such a way that allows EU deaf citizens to table petitions in one of the EU National Sign Languages and to foresee a line in the upcoming European Parliament budget to allow the tabling of petitions in EU National Sign Languages through translation. EUD will continue to work with those MEPs in support of this petition until we can fulfil its request to further the right of deaf EU citizens to full political participation in the EU.
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