In his speech, the FRA Director gave an overview of the Agency’s main achievements since its establishment and presented its strategic priorities for the future.
He highlighted that over the past five years, the FRA has created a unique pool of comparable and objective fundamental rights data and analysis across the EU. Its aim has been to provide the needed evidence to allow for evidence-based policy-making.
The Agency has carried out legal and social studies, opinions and surveys, close to 100 reports, on a wide range of fundamental rights issues during that period. The value of its work was recently confirmed by over 300 external stakeholders in an external evaluation report.
The FRA has taken the lead in bringing different fundamental rights’ stakeholders together, helping to raise the profile of the Union’s fundamental rights policy and has become a place where key fundamental rights actors turn. It has also established itself as a well performing institution with robust procedures in place.
On the way ahead, the Director pointed out the Agency’s intention to be used even more in the context of the legislative processes at the European level and strengthen its interaction with the Member States.