How do the EU's new disability cards facilitate cross-border travel?

The right to move freely and reside within the EU is a cornerstone of European citizenship. But for many people with disabilities, while this is possible in theory, the reality is very different. 

The new EU-wide European Disability Card and the updated EU parking card for people with disabilities aim to solve issues around this by enabling users to prove their disability status anywhere in the bloc.

Approximately 101 million people, or 27 per cent of EU citizens over the age of 16, have a disability according to the European statistics agency Eurostat. 

Eight EU countries - Belgium, Italy, Finland, Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovenia and Romania - have been piloting the European Disability Card since 2016. The trial's success led Brussels to push for a full roll-out across the bloc and on February 8 this year the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement. 

Lawmakers have also agreed to update the European Parking Card for Persons with Disabilities with a standardised EU design to end confusion and fraud caused by the current patchwork of national cards.

The agreed text is expected to be formally adopted by both the Parliament and Council and put to a vote in the European Parliament's final plenary session between 22-25 April.

The European Disability Forum has described the latest policy developments as a "momentous victory", but has also emphasised that they are a first step. For instance, the new rules will only apply for short stays of up to three months with an exception for disability card holders who move to another member state for a mobility programme, such as Erasmus+.

In addition, member states will have 30 months to adapt and another 12 months to formally implement the new rules, meaning it could