As the European Union (EU) prepares the next generation of its external financing architecture under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034, the Global Europe Instrument (GEI) must ensure that increased scale and geopolitical focus do not come at the expense of human rights and social inclusion, including disability rights.
The current proposal (COM(2025) 551) risks falling short of the EU’s legal and political commitments. While the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is referenced in Recital 48, it is not included in the GEI Regulation’s Articles and therefore does not create a binding legal obligation within the Instrument.
This is particularly concerning in light of the CRPD Committee’s 2025 Concluding Observations to the EU, which call on the EU to ensure that in the next MFF its external financing instrument is fully aligned and compatible with the Convention, promotes disability inclusion and has an intersectional approach (para. 75b).