The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, together with the president of the ONCE Social Group, Miguel Carballeda, today presented a commemorative lottery ticket for the 40th anniversary of Spain's entry into what was then known as the European Communities. The ticket, which goes on sale on 15 December, will be drawn on 1 January, the exact date of Spain's accession.
For Minister Albares, the anniversary commemorated by the lottery ticket goes beyond a mere anniversary and celebrates something even greater: ‘the ability of a country to move forward without leaving anyone behind’ and to position itself ‘among the democracies that believe in freedom, human dignity and equality’.
The coupon, the design of which was created by the Commissioner of España en Libertad [Spain in Liberty], also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the end of the dictatorship. Without Europe, without accession to the European Communities, the process of democratic consolidation in Spain would not have been the same. That is why, the minister said, ‘this year invites us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves where we come from and everything we have achieved’.
Advances in rights
Following the presentation of the ONCE lottery ticket, a round table discussion was held to highlight the main milestones that have contributed to the advancement of the rights of people with disabilities in Spain within the framework of 40 years in the European Union.
Moderated by Jesús Celada, Ambassador-at-Large for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the round table was attended by Fernando Sampedro, State Secretary for the EU; Javier Güemes, Director of International Relations at the ONCE Social Group; María Andrés, Director of the European Parliament Office in Spain; and the Director of the European Commission Office in Spain, Daniel Calleja.
Teresa Sánchez, a person with deafblindness, also took part, sharing her personal experience of the progress she has experienced first-hand.
For images of the event, click
here
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—NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION—