Mental Health Europe’s Alternative Report – January 2025
For the second review of the European Union by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
About Mental Health Europe
Mental Health Europe is the largest independent European non-governmental network working in the field of mental health. We are committed to the promotion of mental well-being, the prevention of mental distress and improvement of care. We advocate for social inclusion and the protection of the rights of (ex)users of mental health services, persons with psychosocial disabilities, their families and carers.
We also raise awareness of mental health to end mental health stigma and discrimination.
Mental Health Europe represents associations and individuals in the field of mental health including users of mental health services, their supporters, professionals, service providers, human rights experts and volunteers. We work closely with the European Institutions and international bodies to mainstream mental health in all policies and end mental health stigma. For a better understanding of the essence of our work, check our Mental Health Europe explained page and our introductory video.
The European Union (EU) ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) in 2010. In 2015, it was reviewed for the first time by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD Committee).
Its second review, originally planned for 2022, was postponed to March 2025. As a unique economic and political union between 27 Member States, the EU listed the areas in which it has an exclusive or shared competence with its Member States vis-à-vis the implementation of the UN CRPD.
The EU has exclusive competence about the compatibility of state aid with the common market and the common custom tariff. It
shares competence with Member States on actions to combat discrimination towards persons with disabilities, improve free movement of goods, persons, services and capital agriculture, transport by rail, road, sea and air transport, taxation, internal market, equal pay regardless of gender, disability or other grounds of discrimination, Trans-European network policy and statistics. It also shares competence with Member States towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment.
The declaration of competence also contains a list of EU laws and regulations that are relevant for the implementation of the UN CRPD on topics related to accessibility, equality, independent living standards, social inclusion, work and employment, personal mobility, statistics and data collection, and international cooperation.
