In the context of Disability Week, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Marilena Evangelou, was invited and attended two important public debates at the European Parliament and the European Commission, in Brussels.
A joint press release by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and the Secretariat of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU said that on Thursday Evangelou participated in an event of the European Commission, in cooperation with the European Disability Forum, where she delivered the opening speech together with the Danish Minister of Social Affairs and Housing, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, and the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib.
‘The Deputy Minister stressed that inclusion and integration are not an abstract idea, but active participation in all areas of life through the empowerment and support that people with disabilities need for full and meaningful integration into an inclusive and stereotype-free society,’ the press release said.
‘On the sidelines of the event, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare had a bilateral meeting with the European Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, with whom she had the opportunity to discuss the work programme of the upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU and in particular the issues related to disability, while at the same time informing her about the new legislative reform being promoted in Cyprus for people with disabilities, which will upgrade social benefits and introduce new services in kind,’ it added.
On Wednesday, Marilena Evangelou participated in a public hearing of the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee, discussing the quality of support for people with disabilities and the actions that can be taken at European Union (EU) level.
‘Evangelou stressed the importance of ensuring the quality of services for people with disabilities, in order to achieve their equal participation and inclusion in all aspects of social, economic and political life, as well as their personal development,’ the press release noted.
‘The Deputy Minister underlined, among other things, the crucial importance of the participation of people with disabilities themselves in the design of policies that concern them, but also in the promotion of innovation, in the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of services. She also noted the value of exchanging good practices between Member States to enhance knowledge, something that will be promoted in the context of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU,’ it added.
‘She also held bilateral meetings with MEPs, members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as well as with her counterparts in the margins of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)’, the press release concluded.