Consolidated Annual Activity Report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights - 2025
FRA
1
June
2026

Consolidated Annual Activity Report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights - 2025

The report contains a comprehensive and thorough account of the activities carried out by FRA in the implementation of its mandate and programme of work during 2025. It provides a detailed account of the results achieved in relation to the objectives set out in the annual work programme and the five strategic areas defined in the FRA strategic plan for 2023–2028, of financial and management information and of the risks related to the organisation’s activities and measures.
Overview

Priority 1 – Support the upholding of fundamental rights standards in EU law and policymaking 

FRA’s contribution to new EU law and policy in 2025 was shaped by several active legislative processes running in parallel. The Agency provided evidence and legal analysis directly to Commission services, Council working parties and the European Parliament across a range of files. 

On artificial intelligence, FRA worked with the AI Office to develop a template for the Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment required under Article 27 of the AI Act. The Agency participated in AI Board subgroups on high-risk AI and in the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence, contributing to a Recommendation on Equality and AI. 

On migration and return, FRA published a legal analysis on return hubs identifying fundamental rights risks, several of which were reflected in the Commission’s subsequent proposal for a common return system. At the Council Presidency’s request, FRA provided expert input flagging provisions that may conflict with primary EU law, particularly on immigration detention and children. A second legal position paper addressed rights-compliant responses to the instrumentalisation of migrants at the EU’s eastern land border. 

On equality, FRA submitted formal input to the call for evidence for the next EU Anti-Racism Strategy and to consultations on the forthcoming LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy. FRA also provided extensive evidence to a Commission study on age discrimination, published in November 2025. On digital policy, FRA contributed to the Commission’s evaluation of the Terrorist Content Online Regulation and to guidelines on protection of minors under Article 28 of the Digital Services Act. Broad data collection on online hate speech, freedom of expression and child safety was completed, with publications planned for 2026. 

FRA also published guidance on human rights impact assessments in lawmaking and opened a Brussels Liaison Office to improve the timeliness of its engagement with EU institutions on emerging legislative and policy developments.

Priority 2 – Contribute to the respect, protection and fulfilment of
fundamental rights under existing EU law

A significant part of FRA’s 2025 work supported the implementation of existing EU frameworks, particularly in areas where enforcement gaps remain documented. 

On disability rights, FRA published a comparative EU-wide report and 40 national reports on violence against persons with disabilities in institutions, documenting systemic failures in prevention, oversight and accountability. The research fed into EU and national debates on deinstitutionalisation and access to justice, and FRA contributed to the EU’s second periodic review under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva. 

On Roma inclusion, FRA published findings from the Roma Survey 2024, covering 13 European countries and measuring progress towards the EU Roma Strategic Framework’s 2030 targets. Survey data were provided to the Commission for ongoing policy files, and results were presented to national stakeholders in Bulgaria, Czechia, Ireland and Slovakia. 

On migration, FRA continued supporting the Pact on Migration and Asylum. Most Member States moved to assign independent monitoring roles to national statutory human rights institutions, consistent with FRA’s guidance. FRA accompanied eight Schengen evaluation missions, and annual updates on return monitoring showed that five Member States monitored no national forced return in 2024, and one in four Frontex-supported operations were unmonitored. 

On border management, FRA issued practical guidance for border guards and managers when the Entry/Exit System entered into operation in October 2025 and used it in three Frontex training events. 

On justice and security, FRA’s report on 31 digital tools across seven Member States informed the Commission’s DigitalJustice@2030 strategy, while evidence on victims’ rights and access to digital data in criminal investigations fed into Commission and Council processes. FRA and the European Labour Authority published their first joint guide for labour inspectors on detecting and addressing exploitation of third-country workers. 

On LGBTIQ rights, FRA published a report on intersex people’s experiences in the EU. A joint EU-wide gender-based violence survey with EIGE and Eurostat is in finalisation, alongside a survey on violence against women from Ukraine.

Priority 3 – Cross-cutting actions to support the realisation of the EU’s
fundamental rights goals

FRA’s cross-cutting work in 2025 focused on strengthening the institutional architecture for rights protection, expanding civil society engagement and improving the agency’s operational presence close to where policy decisions are made. 

FRA opened a Brussels Liaison Office to improve the timeliness and relevance of its engagement with EU institutions and created a dedicated sector for national partnerships to increase the uptake of its work at Member State level. The Agency chaired the Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Network (JHAAN), organising thematic workshops on fundamental rights and internal security and coordinating joint activities marking the 25th anniversary of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. FRA co-organised a high-level Charter anniversary conference with the European Commission and the Danish Presidency. 

The Fundamental Rights Platform grew to over 1,200 participating organisations in 2025, a 31 % increase on the previous year, with strong growth from Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. Engagement included eight webinars, two roundtables, three consultations and an Annual General Meeting drawing over 300 participants. The European Economic and Social Committee joined the Platform as an observer. FRA also launched the National Human Rights Structures Navigator, an online tool mapping human rights bodies across 27 Member States and three pre-accession countries. 

FRA intensified cooperation with the Council of Europe on non-discrimination, Roma inclusion, children’s rights, migration, AI and the rule of law, and established a systematic approach for contributing to EU external human rights dialogues with the European External Action Service.

FRA completed its first foresight exercise on the futures of fundamental rights, with outputs to be published in 2026 to inform strategic planning and help anticipate emerging challenges. 

FRA produced 29 publications and 75 language versions of outputs in 2025. Media outlets published 4,781 articles referencing FRA, with 454 appearing in high-impact outlets such as The Guardian, El País and Euronews. The ‘What do you choose to see?’ campaign generated over six million impressions and received the EU Agencies Network Diversity and Inclusion Award Certificate of Excellence.