In June 2010, the European Council met in Brussels to adopt "Europe 2020”. This includes the new ten-year plan for growth and employment that guarantees the sustainability of public financing in the European Union. The focus of this action are the promotion of employment, the improvement of conditions for innovation, research and development, the achievement of the climate and energy goals, the improvement of the level of education and the promotion of social inclusion, particularly through the reduction of poverty.

In March 2010, "Europe 2020” was presented for the first time. Back then, the Disability Intergroup together with the European Disability Forum (EDF) had already demanded that a "Disability Pact” should be part of "Europe 2020”. However, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the leaders of the 27 Member States of the European Union did not consider this claim. EDF described this decision as a "missed opportunity to do justice to persons with disabilities” – with 65 million persons with disabilities not exactly a small group of Europe’s population.

The EDF expressed its disappointment: "In the midst of the worst economic crisis in decades, Member States have not understood the message of persons with disabilities united behind the proposition of a Disability Pact. The European Council’s conclusions do not recognise persons with disabilities and the part they can play in achieving the targets of Europe 2020.” Unfortunately, the main objectives of the strategy,"education” and "employment“, do not take "disability“ expressly into account.

The strategy "Europe 2020” can be found >> here .
The position of the EDF on „Europe 2020“ is available >> here .