EU CRPD Framework - contribution to EU review process

Under Article 35 of the CRPD, each party to the convention must submit regular reports on the measures it has taken to implement the CRPD to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee).

The first report is due two years after the entry into force of the CRPD in the State Party, with subsequent reports submitted every four years.

These reports form the basis of the CRPD Committee’s review of progress in respect of the implementation of the CRPD by the State Party.

Review of the EU’s implementation of the CRPD

In line with its obligations, the European Commission submitted the first report on the EU’s implementation of the CRPD, on behalf of the EU, in June 2014. The report summarises the actions the EU has taken to implement the CRPD within its sphere of competence, covering both EU law and policy, and internal implementation by EU institutions, agencies and bodies.

In April 2015, the CRPD Committee published the ‘list of issues’ in response to the EU report, asking a series of questions on which it would like additional information from the EU. The European Commission responded on behalf of the EU with further information in June 2015.

The main part of the review process took place in August 2015, with a public ‘constructive dialogue’ between the EU – represented by the European Commission – and the CRPD Committee.

Following this discussion, the CRPD Committee published in September 2015 its assessment of the EU’s implementation of the CRPD and recommendations for follow up in the form of ‘concluding observations’. The concluding observations address almost all articles of the CRPD, giving concrete recommendations for how the EU can better implement the convention.

In addition to the formal documents prepared by the European Commission and the CRPD Committee, a large number of national human rights bodies, civil society organisations and disabled persons organisations submitted their own reports to the CRPD Committee concerning the implementation of the CRPD by the EU.

In February 2022, the EU Framework sent a submission to the CRPD Committee ahead of the preparation of the list of issues for the European Union’s 2nd and 3rd periodic review by the CRPD Committee. 

In April 2022, the CRPD Committee issued the list of issues prior to submission of the 2nd and 3rd periodic reports of the EU, to which the EU replied in the combined second and third periodic reports submitted under article 35 of the Convention, in June 2024.  

In January 2025, the EU Framework filed a second submission for the EU’s 2nd and 3rd periodic review by the CRPD Committee

In March 2025,  the European Ombudsman and the FRA (in their capacity as EU Framework members), sent the results of a survey which was made available to the EU Agencies Network (EUAN) between 1 December 2024 and 31 January 2025 to the CRPD Committee. The survey collected information on how agencies mainstream disability both in their administrative structures and operations/projects/activities under their mandates.  

The second and third reviews of the EU took place in March 2025. Following the constructive dialogue between the CRPD Committee and the EU on 10-12 March, the CRPD Committee published the concluding observations on the combined 2nd and 3rd periodic reports of the EU

All documents related to the review process are available online.

Contribution of the EU Framework to the review process

The EU Framework actively participated in all stages of the review process.

The EU Framework held two private briefings with the CRPD Committee, at the time of the discussion on the list of issues on the EU and of the constructive dialogue. The Framework also gave opening and closing statements during the constructive dialogue between the EU and the CRPD Committee.

Recommendations concerning the EU Framework

Part of the CRPD Committee’s 2025 concluding observations specifically concern the EU Framework:

  1. “The Committee notes with concern: 

    (a) That the Independent Monitoring Framework is not compliant with the Paris Principles, lacking, among others, a specific legal basis, a specific and broad mandate, and earmarked funding, and that organizations of persons with disabilities lack timely access to information to effectively participate in the work of the monitoring mechanism;

    (b) The lack of mechanisms to enforce the European Ombudsman’s recommendations on the rights of persons with disabilities.           

  2. The Committee recommends that the European Union:

    (a) Enact a legislative basis for an independent monitoring mechanism, compliant with the Paris Principles, limit the European Parliament to an advisory role, provide the mechanism with a comprehensive mandate that includes the review of all existing and proposed legislation and policy and that covers all the rights under the Convention, establish procedures for other EU entities to take note of the mechanism’s findings, provide earmarked funding, and clarify the legal status of organizations of persons with disabilities in the monitoring mechanism, their access to information and their modes of participation; 

    (b) Establish a mechanism for the implementation of the European Ombudsman’s recommendations.

    The combined fourth and fifth reports are in principle due on 23 November 2032, under the simplified reporting procedure. The Committee will establish and communicate the exact due date of the combined periodic reports of the European Union in line with a future clear and regularized schedule for reporting by States parties … and following the adoption of a list of issues and questions prior to reporting for the State party.”