Assessment of 3rd European Commission Report on the application of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights

Date: 15th December 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

Eurochild has published an assessment of the third annual European Commission report on the application of the EU Fundamental Rights Charter.

The EU Fundamental Rights Charter is a single document that brings together the fundamental rights protected in the EU under six titles: Dignity, Freedoms, Equality, Solidarity, Citizens' Rights, and Justice. The Charter has become legally binding on the EU with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, in December 2009.

The third annual Report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights aims to illustrate what has been done by the European Commission to ensure the effective application of the Charter through concrete examples. Children's rights have a separate section in the Report within the Equality title and are furthermore mentioned across the other five titles (Dignity, Freedoms, Solidarity, Citizens' Rights and Justice).

The European Commission Report has been analysed by Eurochild according to what is included on children's rights, what's missing and what they believe it can and should report on in the future.

Whilst welcoming the Report, Eurochild say they regret that it fails to provide a more comprehensive picture of the EU's role in protecting and promoting children's rights.

Eurochild have therefore called on the European Commission to:

• Ensure a comprehensive analysis and monitoring of children's rights in EU policy and action.
• Develop a Framework for EU action on the rights of the child to be adopted under the aegis of the new Commission and European Parliament in 2015.
• Put in place mechanisms to mainstream children's rights across the work of EU institutions by developing Commission policy to this end.

Download the full assessment here.