Systems

Support for human rights systems and defenders

Many organisations work to defend your rights. We help their efforts with independent evidence, advice and expertise.

We support their frontline work. And we shine a light on potential risks and priority areas. Together we make your rights a reality.

Highlights

  • Report / Paper / Summary
    19
    December
    2023
    All EU funds must be spent in a way that respect fundamental rights. The EU spends billions of euros on creating jobs, economic growth, sustainable development and improving people’s lives. To prevent funds from being spent in ways that directly violate people’s fundamental rights, the EU strengthened the conditions how funds can be spent in 2021. This report looks at how the newly introduced conditions related to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can be upheld in practice. It analyses the potential role of national human rights institutions, ombudsperson institutions and equality bodies. These safeguards can advance compliance with fundamental rights.
  • Periodic updates / Series
    6
    February
    2024
    The 2024 update on NHRIs accreditation status and mandates also covers their engagement in the monitoring of fundamental rights compliance in the use of EU funds at national level. Moreover, the update also shows how NHRIs make use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in their work when advising government or in education, training and awareness raising activities. Since its 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions – challenges, promising practices and opportunities', the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has been regularly tracking the accreditation status and mandates of NHRIs.
  • Periodic updates / Series
    18
    October
    2023
    Civil society organisations struggle to maintain an environment safe from threats and attacks. FRA’s sixth annual update on civic space explores the challenges for organisations across the EU. While there has been significant development since FRA began monitoring the situation in 2018, civil society organisations remain under immense pressure. Abusive lawsuits and attacks against those involved in migrant search and rescue at sea are just some of the challenges identified. This report presents ways forward to protect civil society and human rights.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    11
    October
    2021
    This report proposes a framework for becoming, and functioning as, a ‘human rights city’ in the EU. It includes ‘foundations’, ‘structures’ and ‘tools’ for mayors, local administrations and grassroots organisations to reinforce fundamental rights locally. It is based on existing good practice and expert input by representatives of human rights cities in the EU, academic experts, international organisations and city networks.
    Products
    On 23 February 2021, FRA’s Director, Michael O’Flaherty, listened to fundamental rights concerns and discussed ways to solve them. The second Fundamental Rights Dialogue invited young people to participate in shaping our societies, placing human rights centre stage.
    On 13 November, the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) hosted its first Fundamental Rights Dialogue - a virtual event that gave young people an opportunity to voice their fundamental rights concerns and discussed ways to solve them with FRA's Director Michael O'Flaherty.
    Key statements from the FRA/Euractiv online event Reinforcing the EU Charter: rights of people in the EU in the next decade, 7 December 2020.
    16
    December
    2020
    All language versions now available
    20 July 2021
    The EU is founded on the values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights. Yet these values, and discussions on fundamental rights at the EU and Member State level, can seem remote in people’s daily lives. With this in mind, FRA explored what people understand, know and experience with respect to their fundamental rights in practice. The resulting data provide comprehensive and comparable evidence on these aspects.
    This year, the COVID-19 pandemic leaves a lasting mark on society worldwide. It affected everyone but some people more than others. As we look ahead, on Human Rights Day, on 10 December, we need to make the new normal a better normal. In his video message, FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty underlines the need to stand up for human rights to make 2021 a better year. This means ensuring we respect and take into account everybody's human rights.
    30
    November
    2020
    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.
    This video statement by FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty was recorded for the 2020 General conference of the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities (ICCAR): “CommunicAction – A common front to protect human rights at the local level”.
    This video statement by FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty was recorded for the Annual Conference of the Geneva Human Rights Platform: ''Connectivity between regional and global human rights mechanisms".
    This video statement by FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty was recorded for the e-conference "70 years of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: challenges and prospects".
    3
    September
    2020
    Summary version now available
    21 January 2021
    National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are a vital part of the country-level human rights protection system. This report, published 10 years after FRA’s first in-depth study on NHRIs, looks at such bodies in the EU, as well as the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Serbia, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It explores relevant developments, challenges to their effectiveness and ways to maximise their impact.
    The Agency cooperates with the EEA and Norway Grants as a strategic partner in the protection, promotion and fulfillment of fundamental rights.
    The cooperation aims to support the design and implementation of EEA and Norway Grants funded programmes and projects in selected EU Member States. It also aims to raise awareness on fundamental rights, combating social exclusion and discrimination, and supporting related civil society initiatives.
    29
    July
    2020
    As we enter the second half of 2020, the constraints on our daily lives brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic have become a firm reality. New local lockdowns and the reintroduction of restrictive measures prompted by fresh outbreaks of the virus are a stark reminder that COVID-19 continues to shape our lives – and our enjoyment of fundamental rights – in profound ways. There is compelling evidence of how the pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges in our societies. This FRA Bulletin outlines some of the measures EU Member States adopted to safely reopen their societies and economies while continuing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It highlights the impact these measures may have on civil, political and socioeconomic rights.
    28
    July
    2020
    This paper presents key findings from FRA’s second consultation of its Fundamental Rights Platform, focusing on the experiences of civil society organisations (CSOs) working on human rights. FRA started an annual consultation with organisations participating in its platform in 2018.
    This video was produced for the launch of the Fundamental Rights Survey in June 2020 and gives an overview of the main results.
    Michael O'Flaherty introduces the July edition of FRA's bulletin on the impact for fundamental rights of Covid-19. In this vlog he talks about the important role that people play who are engaged with the promotion and the protection of human rights in these times.
    The July edition of the COVID-19 bulletin will be available from 30 July.
    24
    June
    2020
    Summary version now available
    07 December 2020
    FRA’s Fundamental Rights Survey collected data from 35,000 people about their experiences, perceptions and opinions on a range of issues that are variously encompassed by human rights. This report presents a small selection of the survey results. It focuses on findings with respect to respondents’ opinions about human – or fundamental rights; their views and perceptions on the functioning of democratic societies – as a pillar on which human rights can flourish; and on their thoughts on and engagement with public services that have a duty to enforce human rights law and to protect people’s rights.
    19
    June
    2020
    In 2019, the International Organization for Migration estimated that 1,866 people have died or gone missing while crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe to escape war or persecution or to pursue a better life. This is an average of five people per day. In recent years, a significant proportion of migrants in distress at sea have been rescued by civil society vessels deployed with a humanitarian mandate to reduce fatalities and bring rescued migrants to safety. Since 2018, however, authorities in some EU Member States started viewing civil society-deployed rescue vessels with hostility. As a reaction, national authorities initiated about 40 administrative and criminal proceedings against crew members or vessels, including seizing the latter. In some cases, rescue vessels were blocked in harbours due to flag issues or the inability to meet technical requirements.
    In his latest vlog Michael O'Flaherty introduces FRA's survey of 35,000 people on attitudes to human and fundamental rights.
    11
    June
    2020
    This focus takes a closer look at the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which has been legally binding for 10 years. At EU level, it has gained visibility and sparked a new fundamental rights culture. At national level, awareness and use of the Charter are limited. Courts increasingly use the Charter, showing the impact of this modern instrument. But its use by governments and parliaments remains low. For instance, there is little indication of anyone regularly scrutinising national legislation that transposes EU law for compatibility with the Charter.
    11
    June
    2020
    Now available in Macedonian and Serbian
    13 November 2020
    The year 2019 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 reviews major developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered, and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. In so doing, it provides a compact but informative overview of the main fundamental rights challenges confronting the EU and its Member States.
    Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Implementing fundamental and human rights helps create a sustainable future.
    Here the EU plays a key role.
    In the latest edition of his video blog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty focuses on press freedom and the importance of an independent media for the society.
    This video blog by FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty is released periodically and will address burning fundamental rights themes.
    FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty focuses on ways to push back against challenges to our human rights system.
    In this third edition of his video blog FRA Director, Michael O'Flaherty, focuses on bolstering our human rights communications to underline why human rights matter to us all.
    FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty speaks about the role of civil society and the FRA’s mechanism for cooperation with civil society, the Fundamental Rights Platform. “A healthy civil society is vital for the protection and promotion of fundamental rights. (…) Without civil society, we are not able to achieve our goals, we are not able to deliver our results. (…) We can cooperate to ensure that our Europe of values remains and gets ever stronger.”
    This video message by Ulrike Lunacek, Vice-President of the European Parliament, was recorded on the occasion of FRA's 10th anniversary.
    In 2017 and beyond, the Fundamental Rights Agency will focus on today’s most urgent human rights quandaries, from migration and asylum, through xenophobia and discrimination, to the very contemporary challenges of privacy, surveillance and hate speech in the digital age.
    The FRA Director visited the Council of Europe from 4 to 6 October.
    FRA presented an overview of civic space challenges in the EU at the conference ‘Where do we stand with the European civil society strategy?’.
    On 18 September, FRA took part in roundtable discussions on establishing a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) in Czechia.
    On 11 September, the Secretariat of the Council of the EU hosted a training session on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights for Justice and Home Affairs Councillors.
    FRA took part in the Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and Databases Expert Roundtable online. The Geneva Human Rights Platform held the meeting on 14 and 15 September.
    FRA joined the OECD’s Civic Space Advisory Group meeting on 8 September.
    FRA took part in a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Agencies’ Network at EU Asylum Agency in Valetta on 5 September.
    FRA contributed to the OSCE’s human dimension committee meeting on 12 September.
    FRA spoke at a seminar on civil society policy on 12 September.
    The newly-appointed Scientific Committee of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency elected John Morijn as its Chair and Kirsten Roberts Lyer as its Vice-Chair for a term of one year.
    FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty presented two new FRA reports to the European Parliament and the Council.
    Across the world, human rights defenders take action to protect and promote human rights. But many of them face persecution in their home countries due to their human rights work. As there is no common, consistent EU approach, it is often difficult for them to find safety in the EU. Lack of information and obstacles in obtaining visa are some of the main challenges they face, finds an EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) report. More flexible relocation programmes and practical support would help.
    FRA organised an information session on its data explorers. The session provided an overview of available datasets, and explained how to search, visualise or export the data. More than 40 representatives of national authorities across the EU joined the presentation.
    On 8 and 9 June, the FRA Director met with Spanish government officials in the run-up to the Presidency of the Council of the EU in Madrid.
    The European Commission and FRA hosted a seminar on ‘Supporting civil society organisations and human rights defenders through funding’ on 19 June in Brussels.
    FRA launched a major new version of its European Fundamental Rights Information System – EFRIS.
    FRA presented its ongoing work on a report on human rights defenders’ access to the EU at the annual meeting of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform.
    Fundamental rights have weathered multiple storms recently as various crises impact Europe and the wider world. Participants at a high-level conference drew lessons from crises, past and present, and charted a way forward to make human rights structures more resilient.
    FRA took part in the regular meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Heads of Communication
    FRA had its annual Directors level meeting with the EEA and Norway Grants in Oslo on 5 June.
    FRA will join Equinet’s online meeting on 20 March about Equality Bodies’ standards. There will be an update on the current state of the legislative initiative and the expected conclusion.
    -
    The Council of Europe will host a networking conference in Strasbourg from 29 February to 1 March for its Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme.
    -
    FRA will host the closing conference of its EEA and Norway Grants-funded regional cooperation project ‘Supporting National Human Rights Institutions in monitoring fundamental rights and the fundamental rights aspects of the rule of law’. The event takes place in Brussels from 21 to 22 February.
    FRA will present its Draft Programming Document 2025-2027 to the Council of the EU’s Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizen’s Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP) on 30 January in Brussels.
    FRA will give an online presentation on its work and activities to a delegation of Turkish authorities on 25 January.
    -
    The next Fundamental Rights Forum will take place in Vienna on 11 and 12 March 2024. It will unite policymakers, thought leaders, human rights defenders, corporate executives, artists, and other influential figures with a simple goal: to embrace human rights for Europe’s brighter future.
    -
    The CharterXchange is a forum for legal practitioners and stakeholders to explore current and potential applications of the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and its role in driving positive changes for people’s rights. It will convene annually in December.
    On 21 November, the representatives of the EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies’ Network will meet in Malta.
    On 17 November, FRA will conduct a pilot foresight exercise to identify emerging issues, trends, opportunities, and risks associated with safeguarding fundamental rights related to climate change and environmental protection.
    FRA will speak at the opening panel of the European Commission’s conference on ‘A thriving civic space for upholding fundamental rights in the EU: a framework for future action’.
    FRA will host an expert meeting for its new project on ensuring the right to environmental protection.
    -
    On 9 and 10 November, FRA will organise a meeting of its National Liaison Officers in Vienna. The meeting will bring together government representatives from 27 Member States and three Candidates Countries (Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia).
    The Vice Chair of FRA's Management Board, Rick Lawson, will speak on behalf of the FRA Director at the 10-years Anniversary event of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions.
    The Annual General Meeting of FRA’s Fundamental Rights Platform will take place online on 2 October.
    FRA Director will visit the Council of Europe on 5 October in Strasbourg.
    FRA Director will be a keynote speaker at the 2023 OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference Council on 2 October in Warsaw.
    FRA's Executive Board and Management Board will convene on 29 September.
    The meeting will take place online on Monday 2 October 2023 from 11:00-15:30 CEST.
    -
    FRA will present the Slovene translation of FRA's Handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration in Ljubljana on 11 and 12 September.
    The Council of Europe Programme for human rights education for legal professionals (HELP) will host a hybrid conference on 6 July.