Liz Lynne re-elected as Vice President of Disability Intergroup of MEPs

1.36.01pm GMT Thu 17th Dec 2009

Liz Lynne viewing an adapted wheelchair accessible taxi at Coventry. Liz has been a longstanding campaigner for the rights of disabled people as an MEP and before that as an MP in Westminster

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne has been re-elected as Vice President of the all party Disability Intergroup of MEPs at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The West Midlands region MEP is a longstanding campaigner for the rights of disabled people, and has made the issue a key part of her work over the last ten years.

The Intergroup brings together Euro MPs from all major party blocs around Europe to co-operate on campaigns for the European Union and member states to enable people with disabilities to have a strong voice.

MEPs meeting at the Intergroup's AGM yesterday also elected their new President, who is the Parliament's first deaf Euro MP, Ádám Kósa from Hungary .

Liz Lynne said:

"I am pleased to continue my work as Vice President of the Disability Intergroup of MEPs. Over the last ten years we have had some success, although there is still a huge amount of work to be done to ensure that disabled people are treated as equal citizens all around the EU.

"An early priority will be to put pressure on EU Member States to adopt proposed new laws which will outlaw discrimination across the EU in access to goods and services on all grounds not covered by existing laws, which includes disability."

Liz Lynne's report on antidiscrimination in the EU was adopted by the Parliament last year and contributed to the Commission's proposals for legislation. She is currently campaigning to ensure that the recession is not used as an excuse to water down the draft text of the directive.

Note:

Liz Lynne was also the European Parliament's rapporteur on the 2005 United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. She continues to campaign for the convention's signing and ratification around the world. She was instrumental in the 2003 European Year of Disabled People.

As an MP in the Westminster Parliament, Liz Lynne also played a key role in drafting and amending the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995.