Implications of EU Accession for Disability Rights Legislation and Housing in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Abstract

The effects of European Union (EU) candidacy and accession on disability rights in areas of legislation and housing—especially deinstitutionalization—are examined in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Analysis is based on the existing literature, including reports from the European Commission and national and international watchdog groups. Although considerable progress has been made in antidiscrimination legislation in the four countries, a lack of political will and inadequate financing means that real on-the-ground progress in advancing disability rights is limited. Nongovernmental organizations and watchdog groups can play an important role in monitoring and reporting human rights abuses in the area of disability. The article concludes with recommendations on how the EU and its administrative bodies and members of disability communities in the four countries can work together to better advance disability rights issues as part of the accession process.