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EU should do better – CRPD Committee reviews disability rights situation

The UN CRPD Committee looked into how the EU is keeping its obligations regarding rights of people with disabilities. Here’s a summary of their conclusions.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee) reviewed how the European Union fulfills its obligations under the UN CRPD. There were many consultations, and a hearing in Geneva on 11 – 12 March 2025, and now the Committee has published its conclusions.

In this article, we summarise issues specifically important for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. We explain:

  1. What the EU is doing well
  2. What the main problems are and what the Committee recommends
  3. What Inclusion Europe will do next

Some progress

Since the last review in 2015, the EU adopted the Disability Rights Strategy 2021–2030 to promote the rights of people with disabilities.

And there have been important laws and initiatives, for example:

European disability organisations in Geneva (group of people in a room)

Concerns and recommendations

Inclusion Europe worked with the European Disability Forum and other disability organisations to bring the Committee’s attention to specific issues.

Misuse of EU funds and lack of monitoring

The Committee is worried that EU money is still being used to support institutions, instead of helping people live in the community. The current monitoring system is not strong enough to stop this.

There are also not enough policies or funding for support in the community.

The Committee recommends that the EU:

  • Clearly say that no EU money should go to institutions, in all laws, policies and future budgets
  • Check how past funds were used — together with organisations of people with disabilities
  • Collect data about disability services and the people using them
  • Invest more in community-based support and housing

Legal capacity and the right to vote

The Committee is concerned that the EU is not doing enough to stop taking away people’s legal capacity.

For example, the EU is working on a Regulation on protection of adults in cross-border cases that could allow substituted decision-making.

The Committee said that there are still barriers to voting and running for office, especially in EU elections — like inaccessible information and voting procedures. The Committee recommends that the EU:

  • Ask member states to replace substituted decision-making with supported decision-making and better promote the right to decide
  • Train public officials, families, and service providers on supported decision-making
  • Stop the work on the cross-border regulation
  • Ensure everyone can vote and run for the European Parliament — no matter their legal capacity
  • Make voting and information fully accessible, including in easy-to-read

Lack of inclusion in EU institutions

The Committee says the EU lacks a proper strategy to include people with disabilities in its own institutions — as staff, visitors, or participants.

The Committee noticed problems with discrimination and lack of adaptations, inaccessible information (especially online).

This makes public participation and jobs more difficult for people with disabilities. No data on how many people with disabilities work in EU institutions.

The Committee recommends that the EU:

  • Create a disability inclusion strategy for all its institutions and activities
  • Set clear accessibility standards for events and information
  • Collect data on staff with disabilities and ensure reasonable accommodations

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