Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law

This page is also available in:

The EU is not only a common market; it is a union of common values that shape the European identity. These values are set out in the Treaty on the European Union and also include the rights, freedoms and principles laid out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights: the "indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; [the Union] is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing the citizenship of the Union and by creating an area of freedom, security and justice."

The Charter brings together into a single text all the personal, civic, political, economic and social rights enjoyed by people within the EU and apply to the EU institutions and Member States when they implement EU law.

The EESC is very active in the promotion of fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy, and especially in the fight against discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, disability or gender. In 2018, it established the Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law to further expand analysis of the situation across Europe and promote a constructive dialogue amongst all stakeholders.

  • Antagna on 17/01/2024 - Bureau decision date: 25/01/2023
    Dokumentreferens
    INT/1023-EESC-2023-01711-00-00-AC-TRA
    Workers - GR II
    Spain
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Romania
    Plenary session number
    584
    -

    Corruption and the lack of rule of law undermine the mutual trust that is underpinning the internal market. The EESC believes that efforts to fight corruption should be better aligned with efforts to safeguard and develop democracy in the EU. Moreover, the EESC stresses that the EU must prioritise evaluating the legislative framework on the integrity of public procurement and its implementation in practice and believes that the cross-debarment system could be useful for protecting the internal market from misuse of public resources allocated to tenders.

    EESC opinion: Corruption in public procurement and its impact on the internal market
  • Antagna on 13/12/2023 - Bureau decision date: 11/07/2023
    Dokumentreferens
    SOC/780-EESC-2023
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Lithuania
    Plenary session number
    583
    -

    The revision of the Victims' Rights Directive aims to ensure that victims' rights are ensured, easier to access and improved for all victims' of crimes throughout the Union. The EESC welcomes this proposal and supports the following: improving the individual assessment of victims' needs, paying particular attention to more vulnerable or marginalised groups; improving guidelines and training so that such assessments are done correctly; enhancing the victim's right to information and having the right to review a decision during court proceedings; strengthening compensation schemes for victims.

    EESC opinion: Revision of victims' rights directive
  • Antagna on 13/12/2023 - Bureau decision date: 11/07/2023
    Dokumentreferens
    INT/1042-EESC-2023-03796-00-00-AC-TRA
    Employers - GR I
    Latvia
    Plenary session number
    583
    -

    This initiative aims at providing detailed rules to support the smooth functioning of the cooperation and consistency mechanism established by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

    EESC opinion: GDPR - additional procedural rules
  • Antagna on 25/10/2023 - Bureau decision date: 25/04/2023
    Dokumentreferens
    SOC/776-EESC-2023
    Workers - GR II
    Spain
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Portugal
    Plenary session number
    582
    -

    The EESC welcomed the European Commission's proposal to modernise the EU legislative framework against corruption by incorporating international standards, including those in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The EESC recommended that Member States adopt rules in a number of areas, including on incompatibility, lobbying, access to elected officials, recruitment of public officials and funding of political parties. Other ways to reinforce anti-corruption measures would be through an extension of the competences of the EU Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the creation of an independent corruption prevention authority at EU-level. The opinion also suggested to extend the legal basis of the Directive and introduce speedy procedures to administer justice for corruption-related crimes.

    EESC opinion: Update of the anti-corruption legislative framework
  • Antagna on 21/09/2023 - Bureau decision date: 25/01/2023
    Dokumentreferens
    SOC/762-EESC-2023
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Romania
    Workers - GR II
    France
    Plenary session number
    581
    -
    EESC opinion: Civil society support and funding in the area of fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy
  • Antagna on 14/06/2023 - Bureau decision date: 21/03/2023
    Dokumentreferens
    NAT/900-EESC-2023-01-01
    Plenary session number
    579
    -
    EESC opinion: Digital labelling of EU fertilising products
  • Pågående (updated on 27/02/2024) - Bureau decision date: 25/04/2023
    Dokumentreferens
    SOC/773-EESC
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Germany
    Workers - GR II
    Spain
    Plenary session number
    587
    -
  • Antagna on 27/04/2023 - Bureau decision date: 13/12/2022
    Dokumentreferens
    SOC/752-EESC-2022
    Workers - GR II
    Spain
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Italy
    Plenary session number
    578
    -

    The EESC welcomes the Commission's proposal to amend the Anti-Trafficking Directive, as it agrees with the need for further progress and improvement in the fight against trafficking in human beings and the protection of victims. The gender dimension in the content and implementation of the directive should be strengthened, given that the vast majority of victims are women and girls. The EESC believes that the directive should pay greater attention to victims of trafficking, and wishes to highlight the Member States' obligation to care for and protect victims and ensure their social inclusion as far as possible.

    EESC opinion: Anti-trafficking directive
  • Antagna on 27/04/2023 - Bureau decision date: 13/12/2022
    Dokumentreferens
    SOC/751-EESC-2023
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Poland
    Plenary session number
    578
    -
    EESC opinion: Advance Passenger Information
  • Antagna on 22/03/2023 - Bureau decision date: 25/10/2022
    Dokumentreferens
    SOC/750-EESC-2022
    Plenary session number
    577
    -
    EESC opinion: Strengthening the role and independence of equality bodies