Disabled people have won a victory with the EU signing up to UN convention on disability rights

The decision by the EU to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities is a landmark victory in the struggle of Europe's 65 million disabled people for equal rights, says Lib Dem Euro MP Liz Lynne.

The decision confirmed last week is the first time the EU has become a party to an international human rights treaty. Disability campaigners including the West Midlands MEP have long been lobbying for the EU as a whole to back the UN treaty, which sets out clear minimum standards on political, civil and economic rights for people with disabilities.

Liz Lynne, First Vice President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, was the Parliament's Rapporteur for a Report on the Convention in 1993 and has lobbied strongly for the Convention to be ratified by the EU and all member states in the years since.

She said: "This decision marks a huge victory for Europe's 65 million disabled people. The convention promotes and protects the human rights of disabled people across the EU and also obliges the EU bodies to produce regular reports on what practical steps they are taking to stop discrimination and help disabled people enjoy their rights to work, education, travel and healthcare and so on, just like anyone else.

"Though all 27 EU member states have signed the convention, only 16 have ratified it. It is very good news that the Belgian presidency decided not to wait for the remaining 11 states to complete the process, which could take years.

"This decision is also a massive boost to the campaign to persuade all EU member governments to pass laws to stop disabled people from discrimination in buying goods and services.

"Disabled people need and deserve equal access not just to the job market but also to buying goods and services. In some countries the level of discrimination is still appalling. A number of member states are still blocking progress on the proposed Equal Treatment Directive.

"This was drawn up by the Commission after the European Parliament adopted my own-initiative report calling for new laws to stop discrimination in access to goods and services on the grounds of disability, age, religion or belief, and sexual orientation.

"The text is currently being discussed by the Council of Ministers. I am afraid that despite much pressure from myself and other MEPs there has been little movement on this dossier as yet. The historic move by the EU as a whole now to accede to the UN Convention will increase pressure on footdragging governments like Germany to allow this legislation to go ahead.

"We already have a good legal framework in the UK but in some countries discrimination against disabled people travelling or working or in buying goods and services is still very widespread."