# Work of the European Ombudsman in relation to persons with disabilities - Author: European Ombudsman - Date: 2025-12-02T00:00+01:00[Europe/Paris] - [URL](https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/speech/en/216378) --- Dear Chair, Honourable Members, Good afternoon. Thank you to the European Parliament and particularly the PETI Committee for organising this annual workshop, placing the rights of persons with disabilities at the heart of our reflections and discussions. As European Ombudswoman, my role is to deal with complaints and to carry out own-initiative inquiries into cases of maladministration in the activities of the EU institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies. When dealing with matters concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, my Office draws on the standards of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and on the authoritative interpretation of the Convention by the CRPD Committee, including its concluding observations and general comments. The ratification of the CRPD by the EU marked a historic moment: it was the first time the Union became party to a UN human rights treaty. And it represented a profound shift in the way disability is understood---from a medical or charitable approach to a fully-fledged human-rights model that emphasises equality, autonomy, participation, and inclusion. Under this model, barriers in society---not individual impairments---create disability. This new way of thinking about disabilities guides my Office's work every day. So, the EU itself---and all its Member States, each acting autonomously---are parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). An important dual level of commitment that highlights the role played by the European Ombudsman as well as national and regional ombudsmen in promoting and safeguarding disability rights. Many ombudsman institutions form part of their country's CRPD monitoring mechanisms or actively assume related responsibilities. As you know, my Office is also a fully independent member of the EU CRPD Monitoring Framework, and in this role, we contribute to the Framework's monitoring and reporting activities, including the CRPD Committee's periodic review of the EU. Nevertheless, allow me also to stress, separately from the UN's formal CRPD monitoring structures, both my Office and many national and regional Ombudsman institutions continue to handle complaints and conduct own-initiative inquiries concerning the rights of persons with disabilities. This work forms part of our core mandate to address maladministration. And the fact that Ombudsman institutions across Europe share this mandate also underscores the relevance of the collaborative mechanisms provided by the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO). As coordinator of the Network, the European Ombudsman brings together institutions committed to upholding EU law and the principles of good administration. Through parallel investigations and joint inquiries, as well as queries procedures, the ENO enables us to address issues that involve both the EU administration and national or regional administrations, thereby strengthening the overall implementation of the CRPD across Europe. Let me give you an example. In 2022, my Office issued a decision following an own-initiative inquiry into how the European Commission monitors EU funds intended to support the right of persons with disabilities to independent living. Throughout the inquiry, we received valuable input from several national Ombudsmen. Based on our findings, we [issued suggestions](https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/news-document/155398) to improve the Commission's monitoring processes and stressed that it must take a more active enforcement role, particularly where there are concerns that EU-funded activities may conflict with the goal of promoting deinstitutionalisation. This is a shared concern with other institutions, namely the Fundamental Rights Agency. FRA's latest report highlights the need to end institutionalisation and prioritise the inclusion of people with disabilities in the community. In March of this year---as we know---the CRPD Committee completed its second periodic review of the EU and issued its concluding observations. My Office submitted information based on the complaints and inquiries we have handled in recent years. The Committee highlighted several recurring problems that we have also identified, namely: deinstitutionalisation and the use of EU funds, working conditions for persons with disabilities within the EU administration, including recruitment, benefits for carers, and reasonable accommodation, and health insurance coverage for EU staff. It is now for the European Commission---as the focal point for the EU on CRPD matters---to lead the reforms and actions needed to address these challenges. I am encouraged that, on one of these issues---the reimbursement of health-related needs of persons with disabilities---the Commission has drawn on my Office's findings and on the CRPD Committee's observations and is considering a new CRPD-compliant approach. The Committee also noted that the recommendations of the European Ombudsman should be followed. While our recommendations are not legally binding, EU institutions generally respond positively. When they do not, we may issue a finding of maladministration and, where appropriate, submit a special report to the European Parliament. So far, it wasn't necessary to issue such a report concerning disability rights. Let me also mention some welcome developments at EU level. The recently adopted Council conclusions on independent living are a positive step, particularly in a field where the CRPD Committee has called for more progress. The Commission's confirmation that in 2026 it will update the 2021--2030 EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is equally important. Building on flagship initiatives such as the EU Disability Card, I look forward to an ambitious and concrete set of new actions, in line with the Committee's recommendations. The Commission has also launched a public consultation to enhance the Strategy. Public consultations, petitions to the PETI Committee, and complaints to my Office are all vital tools for strengthening citizen participation and for identifying gaps and problems that persist. According to Eurostat, one in four adults in the EU is a person with a disability. The EU has made meaningful progress in protecting and promoting their rights, but there is still work to be done to ensure full equality and participation. This is clear from the complaints my Office continues to receive and for sure from the petitions submitted to the PETI Committee. In times of uncertainty, it is especially important for all EU actors to remain focused, to follow up on the CRPD Committee's concluding observations, and to continue playing our part in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. It is also paramount to bring together collaborative efforts on this topic, not only at the level of Ombudsman institutions, but also important stakeholders such as FRA, building on their findings and solutions. Because ultimately, disability rights are not special rights. They are equal rights - and protecting them is a measure of the Union's integrity, its fairness, and its commitment to every individual. Leading by example. Thank you.