The decisions taken at European Union (EU) level have a significant impact on the daily lives of blind and partially sighted people here in the UK. In some areas, decisions taken in other international bodies such as the United Nations (UN) also affect us.
RNIB campaigns make sure that the interests of blind and partially sighted people in the UK are taken into account in all EU and international decisions which affect them.
To achieve this, we actively seek to influence policies being formulated in Brussels and beyond. We have good links with the European Parliament and Commission, European Expert groups such as the European Disability Forum, UN bodies, the European and World Blind Unions and many other organisations.
Our international campaign work focuses on our organisation's eleven goals. In particular we work on travel, access to technology, television and reading, and measures which can help prevent sight loss.
Current campaigns
Improving access to information and information systems
Reduced VAT on Audio books
Access to TV
Telecommunications equipment
General Anti Discrimination Directive
Smoking and blindness
International "Right to read"/ Copyright campaign
International free postal service
UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People
The EU and You
Campaign success
Reduced VAT on Audio books
Many blind and partially sighted people use audio books instead of print. But the same book in audio is usually more expensive than the printed version.
Working with our European Blind Union partners and the Federation of European Publishers we helped ensure that EU ministers agreed to authorise governments to reduce VAT on audio books. This agreement allows the government to bring this rate down in the UK from 15 per cent to five per cent. RNIB will now campaign hard with the UK Publishers Association and the Right to Read Alliance to ensure a speedy implementation, so blind and partially sighted people can read more audio books.