On July 18, 2024, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as President of the European Commission by the European Parliament for the 2024-2029 mandate. Following her re-election, President von der Leyen presented her Political Guidelines outlining the policy priorities for the European Commission’s upcoming term.

The European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH) extends its congratulations to President von der Leyen for her re-election, however, we are concerned by the lack of explicit commitment to advancing disability rights and the lack of reference to any future actions in the framework of the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2021-2030). We look forward to further clarifications on the matter and engaging in civil dialogue with the European Commission to design the next stage of the EU Disability Strategy.

We welcome inclusion of mental health in the program, but it remains unclear whether the program adequately addresses the needs of hard of hearing people and the crucial link between hearing loss and mental health.

We call on the European Commission to ensure that mental health initiatives are inclusive and accessible to hard of hearing people.

We are pleased to see the commitment to advancing “Union of Equality” with re-appointment of a Commissioner and commitment to further implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. EFHOH stands with the European Disability Forum (EDF), Autism-Europe (AE), and other disability organizations in calling for a clear and committed strategy to promote and protect disability rights, ensuring that no community is left behind. 

For the vision of a “Union of Equality” to become a reality, we must leave no one behind in the Commission’s political guidelines, and that includes 71 million people with hearing loss living in the EU.