On 14 November, the European Disability Card and European Parking Card Directives were officially published in the EU Official Journal, marking a historic step forward for persons with disabilities in Europe.  

This milestone starts the final countdown for EU Member States to adopt and implement the Directives. With a maximum of 30 months for transposition into national laws and 42 months to issue the Cards, all EU countries are expected to have these systems in place by 14 May 2028. 

We urge Member States to make national implementation of these Directives a priority, establishing strong legal frameworks that embrace and expand upon the minimum requirements set by the EU. Early acceptance and implementation of the Cards will demonstrate a strong commitment to improving freedom of movement and access to services for persons with disabilities. 

EFHOH is dedicated to ensuring that these Directives meet the needs of all people with disabilities, particularly those who are hard of hearing.  However, for this potential to be fully realized, Member States must prioritize national legislation that actively addresses hearing accessibility as well. 

EFHOH’s next step will be to develop a specialized toolkit and guidance for implementing the Directives from a hard of hearing perspective to provide our members with practical tools and advocacy support. 

While implementing the Directives is a crucial step forward, true freedom of movement requires the right to live, work, and study across the EU without losing essential support, with the hard of hearing perspective fundamental to providing comprehensive support for all people with disabilities. EFHOH will continue to advocate for EU legislation to ensure these rights.