30
November
2020

Coronavirus pandemic in the EU - Fundamental Rights Implications - Bulletin 6

This report outlines some of the measures EU Member States have put in place to protect public health as Europe faces the ‘second wave’ of the Coronavirus pandemic. It highlights how these may affect fundamental rights, especially social rights.
Overview

This report outlines some of the measures EU Member States have put in place to protect public health as Europe faces the ‘second wave’ of the Coronavirus pandemic. It highlights how these may affect fundamental rights, especially social rights. Where the report mentions specific articles, these refer to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which also serves as a proxy for the many other human rights standards that apply at national level.

The report covers the period 1 September – 31 October 2020 and focuses on three main areas:

  • Measures by governments and public authorities that have an impact on specific freedoms, notably states of emergency (or equivalent measures) and measures affecting the freedom of assembly and the freedom of movement.
  • The impact of COVID-19 and measures to contain it on social rights in four key areas of life – health, education, work and housing.
  • How COVID-19 and efforts to limit its spread affect the social rights of particular groups in society, namely people in institutional settings, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and Roma and Travellers.

The most widespread restrictions on daily life experienced in peacetime in modern Europe affect everyone living in the EU, albeit in different ways. This has implications for the enjoyment across our societies of nearly all the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter. The following paragraphs outline key findings from FRA’s data collection across the 27 EU Member States.

Key findings