In 2013, EDF welcomed the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) regulations for the period 2014-2020 as being in line with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The ESI Funds, over the decades, have improved the situation of persons with disabilities by financing accessibility, fight against poverty and social exclusion and increasing education and employment opportunities, across the European Union (EU). They have financed key services in the community reducing disparities and promoting solidarity.