The aim is to facilitate, among legal and policy practitioners in the EU and in those candidate countries and EEA/EFTA countries which have decided to participate in the REC programme (rights, equality and citizenship programme), greater knowledge and a better understanding of the UNCRPD, its optional protocol and related European legislation as indicated in the EU declaration of competences and the EU report to the UN. The overarching idea is to foster information sharing and learning among Member States, academics, legal and policy practitioners, administrators and civil society.