The European Union of the Deaf (EUD) has shared its feedback to the European Commission’s public evaluation on the Lifts Directive(2014/33/EC) to ensure the perspective of deaf users are not left behind. The main objectives of the Lifts Directive are (1) to guarantee the free circulation of lifts and safety components for lifts within the EU and (2) to ensure a high level of protection of the health and safety of lift users and lift maintenance staff, including deaf people. The Lifts Directive is mainly of interest for manufacturers and installers of lifts and safety components lifts but can be impactful for lift owners and users, including deaf people.
During the consultation, the European Union of the Deaf (EUD) took the opportunity to share its concerns on the lack of accessibility requirements in the Lifts Directive for deaf people, putting their safety in danger. The Lift Directive refers to European Standard EN 81-70 (2022) for its accessibility technicalities. However, this stands do not foresees any communication system that is accessible for deaf people, which is hugely problematic as there are no opportunities to contact the lift operators by other means than auditory communication, in case of a break down.
Thus, the EUD recommended the European Commission to revise both the Directive and the EN 81-70 Standard to include two-way communication requirements that are not only auditory based but also visually based. This is achieved by mandating the provision of a video intercom system connected to a remote sign language interpreting service. The EUD provided detailed argumentation and recommendations by contributing to the public consultation: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14131-Lift-safety-Evaluation-of-the-Lifts-Directive/F3519050_en
Time schedule:
Five years after its publication, in 2019, the Directive has been subject to an initial evaluation whose results showed that the Directive is still serving its purpose. The aim of the current public consultation led by the European Commission is to assess the development of the policy context since 2019, the legislative and non-legislative actions that followed the 2019 evaluation, and any new issues stakeholders raise during the consultation.
The public consultation ended on 13 February 2025 and the European Commission will analyse the feedback provided by the stakeholders, including the EUD, to revise the 2019 evaluation’s findings where relevant. The European Commission will conclude the evaluation process by the third quarter of 2025. The EUD will keep an eye on the outcomes, hoping the conclusions will indicate the need to proceed to the revision of the Lifts Directive.
Link to the PDF: EUD contribution to the European Commission Public Consultation on the Lifts Safety Directive.pdf
