Newsroom

Press Release
 Roma reported the highest overall levels of discrimination across all areas surveyed in the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights' EU-MIDIS survey.
Press Release
A new report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) gives evidence that Roma and Travellers are strongly disadvantaged in private and social housing throughout the European Union. This includes discrimination in access to housing, poor housing conditions, segregation, and forced evictions. The FRA report highlights shortcomings and good practices across the EU. The FRA is of the opinion that Member States should pay higher attention to the issue of residential segregation and poor housing conditions. Member States and local authorities should implement existing anti-discrimination legislation and policies for Roma inclusion, and intensify their efforts to better inform the Roma of their rights, and involve them in the planning and implementation of housing policies.
The European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) will today present a new report on ‘Developing indicators for the protection, respect and promotion of the rights of the child in the European Union'. This proposes a comprehensive series of indicators to measure child rights across the EU.
Press Release
"The discrimination and disadvantage faced by Roma and Travellers in Europe is a well-documented fact. Solutions have been outlined in action plans and numerous strategies. What we need now is more action on the ground, the rigorous implementation of adequately-resourced policies, and specific measures that tackle deep-rooted discrimination and negative stereotypes of Roma and Travellers," said Beate Winkler, interim Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, in a statement ahead of International Roma Day (8 April)".
Every day, women in Europe continue to suffer from violations of their human rights in the form of gender-based violence. In addition to the impact this has on the lives of the women concerned, the consequences of violence extend to women's families, their communities and society in general.
Irregular migrants throughout the European Union face labour exploitation and are denied access to basic services. The Fundamental Rights Conference will focus on how to promote minimum rights standards for irregular migrants - a group vulnerable to serious fundamental rights violations.
Press Release
Visit our new revamped Diversity Day Web siteThe European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (the FRA) brings you the Diversity Day 2010 Web site, a site dedicated to the youth event organised by the FRA to promote diversity among young people in Europe.http://www.diversityday.eu/index_en.htmlThe site is available in English and German.
Press Release
Currently, there is much debate about the position of the Roma, both living in their country of origin or in another EU Member State. The Fundamental Rights Agency is mandated to provide evidence-based advice to decision-makers in the EU. The Agency's evidence aims at informing EU and national policy-makers and contextualising debates on fundamental rights in the European Union.
Racism and xenophobia continue to affect the day to day lives of a significant number of people within the European Union warned the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights today in a joint statement with the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).
International Women's Day on the 8 March was an opportunity for men and women alike to remember that gender equality is a right shared by everyone in the European Union. The theme of this year's International Women's Day - ‘Equal rights, equal opportunities: progress for all' - underlined the fact that ‘progress for all' can only be achieved alongside fundamental rights for all.
On the 18 and 19 February, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) hosted a meeting to discuss its upcoming report on racism and ethnic discrimination in sport. The meeting brought together representatives from international sporting organisations such as UEFA, the European Basketball Federation (FIBA), the European Athletics Association and the European Olympic Committee, members of national sporting organisations and delegates from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. The participants discussed the report's draft recommendations and suggested ways in which the recommendations should be prioritised and implemented.
News Item
9 November 2009, FRA releases a new report on "The situation of Roma EU citizens moving to and settling in other EU Member States". This report provides evidence that Roma are strongly discriminated against and experience social exclusion when exercising their EU citizens' right of freedom of movement. The FRA report highlights shortcomings but also points out good practices across the EU. It gives concrete recommendations on how the situation could be improved.The Agency will present its Report and some positive initiatives at a Joint International Conference of the FRA, Council of Europe and the OSCE on Roma migration and freedom of movement, which takes place in Vienna on 09-10 November.
The practice of 'phallometric testing' consists in verifying the physical reaction to heterosexual pornographic material of gay men who have filed a claim for asylum on the basis of homosexual orientation. The test is performed by a professional sexologist and, in principle, only with the person's written consent, and once that person has been informed about the technique of the examination. This raises serious questions regarding the compliance of this practice with existing human rights standards.
News Item
The FRA has published two new reports to coincide with the first day of its annual Fundamental Rights Conference which this year looks into ensuring justice and protection for children.
Press Release
On World AIDS Day 2010, FRA Director Morten Kjaerum emphasises the importance of taking a rights-based approach to responding to HIV and AIDS. 
Press Release
Joint statement ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by the FRA and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
Press Release
The FRA participates in the Fourth Equality Summit held in Brussels on 15 and 16 November 2010. This Summit is an annual, high-level event focusing on equality. This year the event will concentrate on combating discrimination and promoting equality in employment.
Press Release
Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA): asylum procedures should be harmonised and improved - EU Ministerial Conference on Asylum on 13-14 September, Brussels Substantial differences exist between the asylum procedures in the 27 EU Member States, creating an uneven playing field. For the first time, EU research provides evidence about asylum-seekers' own experiences across the EU. The findings of the research will inform discussions at the ministerial conference on asylum.
Today the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is presenting its report on the fundamental rights of irregular migrants who are employed as domestic workers in the EU. Most irregular migrants in domestic work are women. The report shows that their irregular immigration status, coupled with challenges in regulating domestic work more generally, makes this group very vulnerable to exploitation, including cases of physical abuse. Typical forms of exploitation include low pay, often having to work excessive working hours, and usually not being able to obtain compensation for work-related accidents.
Fundamental rights: challenges and achievements in 2010, the flagship Annual Report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), charts the progress made in 2010 by the European Union (EU) and its Member States towards securing the rights guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights through developments in legislation, policies and practices. The FRA Annual Report, presented at the European Parliament today, points to promising practices and obstacles to rights protection across a range of policy areas. Some of the major challenges in 2010 related to asylum, the Roma and data protection.