We welcome the European Commission’s (EC) legislative proposal of 14 June 2018 for a regulation establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession III (IPA III)1, notably the strong references to fundamental rights, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda. However, in our considered view, the proposed regulation does not adequately reflect the EC’s commitments to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), including to foster the transition from institutional to family and community-based care through targeted investments. It also fails to ensure consistency and coherence with the European Union’s (EU) internal and external policies and funding instruments. We make the following recommendations to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission: