Memo: EU fully committed to protecting persons with disabilities, says Commission report on UN Convention

The European Commission published on the 5 June 2014 its first report on how the EU is giving effect to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). This Convention is the first international legally binding instrument setting minimum standards for a range of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights for people with disabilities around the world.

It is also the first comprehensive human rights convention to which the EU has become a party. The publication of this report coincides with the launch, by the European Commission, of the 5th Access City Award competition – an annual prize recognising cities for their efforts to make it easier for disabled and older people to gain access to public areas such as housing, public transport or communication technologies.