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Minister for Disabilities
Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Minister Locatelli: Italy is the first in Europe to transpose the directive on the Disability Card and Parking Card

Today, the Council of Ministers approved the draft legislative decree transposing Directive (EU) 2024/2841, which introduces and regulates the European Disability Card (EDC) and the European parking card for persons with disabilities.

“Italy is the first EU country to transpose the directive,” explains the Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli. “This is an important step that consolidates the achievements of the transition phase under the ‘EU Disability Card’ pilot project in which Italy participated. It moves toward an increasingly accessible Europe that guarantees equal rights for persons with disabilities, tangibly simplifying their lives when traveling, studying, working, or participating in cultural, sports, and recreational activities in another European country. We continue to work toward policies that genuinely center on the individual, support their life plan, and promote autonomy.”

The measure defines the procedures for the issuance, validity, renewal, and mutual recognition of both free documents—available in both physical and digital formats. This ensures that citizens with disabilities enjoy equal access to special conditions, preferential treatment, service concessions, and reserved parking spaces during short stays in EU member states.

Regarding the European parking card, the main innovations include:

  • Extended Duration: Validity is increased from 5 to 10 years.

  • Automatic Renewal: Automatic renewal upon the 10-year expiration for individuals holding a permanent (sine die) certification.

  • Digital Request & Delivery Platform: Implementation of a new platform to apply for the card, which will be printed by the State Printing House (Poligrafico) and delivered directly to the applicant's home.

  • Cost Exemption: Applications submitted through the platform will be completely free of charge.

  • Anti-Counterfeiting: The permit becomes an official high-security printed document (carta valori) to prevent forgery.

Regarding the European Disability Card (EDC), key provisions include:

  • Updated Beneficiary Eligibility: Alignment of the pool of eligible holders with Legislative Decree No. 62/2024 (specifically, the EDC marked with an “A”—entitling the holder to an accompanying person—will be issued to everyone certified under Article 3, Paragraph 3, of Law No. 104/92).

  • Application via App IO: The option to apply directly through the IO app.

  • Digital Portal: Development of a mobile-friendly portal to consult available benefits directly from a smartphone.

  • E-Commerce Integration: Development of digital infrastructure for remote card usage to integrate with e-commerce systems.

As a result of the directive, the Card will be enhanced and officially recognized across all EU countries, expanding beyond those that participated in the initial pilot project.