Highlights

  • Report / Paper / Summary
    13
    novembre
    2025
    FRA analysed 31 digital tools and systems across seven EU Member States, exploring potential positive and negative effects on victims, claimants and defendants. By identifying risks early, investing in skills and training, and embedding protections from the outset, policymakers and practitioners can build effective and inclusive justice systems. This report provides practical suggestions to help ensure that digitalised justice systems are accessible and deliver fair outcomes for all.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    7
    mars
    2024
    Tackling greenwashing is an issue where human rights, consumer rights and climate goals align. Companies use greenwashing to convince people to buy products that are not always as environmentally friendly as they claim to be. They mislead consumers and harm the environment. This report shows how a human rights approach can combat greenwashing. It is based on consultations with experts in 10 Member States. The report identifies gaps in existing laws and enforcement. It includes case studies of consumers seeking remedies for misleading environmental claims. The EU and Member States should enforce rules that make it harder for companies to make misleading environmental claims. They should strengthen rules that make it easier for consumers to prove that companies are greenwashing. Consumer and environmental organisations already hold governments and business to account. Governments should make it easier to use collective action for the protection of consumer rights and the environment.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    26
    mars
    2024
    The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) allows Member States to implement judicial decisions issued in another Member State. It applies to decisions such as arrests for the purpose of criminal prosecutions or the execution of custodial sentences. After being in force for over 20 years, FRA’s findings provide evidence for an assessment of the legislation in practice. This report looks at the fundamental rights challenges that people face who are requested through an EAW. It provides a unique insight into their experiences and those of the professionals involved. FRA’s findings indicate that shared challenges exist across EU Member States. They must increase efforts to ensure that people are able to take part in criminal proceedings and receive a fair trial.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    21
    juin
    2022
    Every child has a right to be protected even when they are accused or suspected of committing a crime. The basic principles of justice apply to adults and children alike. But children face specific obstacles during criminal proceedings, such as a lack of understandable information about their rights, limited legal support and poor treatment. The report looks at the practical implementation of Directive (EU) 2016/800 on procedural safeguards for children who are suspects or accused persons in criminal proceedings in nine Member States – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Italy, Malta, Poland and Portugal.
    Produits
    What are the next steps in the digitalisation of justice and of access to justice? This impulse video statement by FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty was recorded for the online conference “Access to Justice in the Digital Age”. The conference takes place on 16 July and is organised by the German Federal Ministry for Justice and Consumer Protection during the German Council Presidency.
    The EU Return Directive introduced an important fundamental rights safeguard for third-country nationals ordered to leave the EU because they do not or no longer fulfil the conditions for entry and/or stay. According to the Directive, Member States must provide for an effective forced-return monitoring system.
    11
    juin
    2020
    L’année 2019 a été marquée à la fois par des avancées et des régressions en matière de protection des droits fondamentaux. Le Rapport sur les droits fondamentaux 2020 de la FRA examine les principales évolutions dans ce domaine, en recensant les progrès accomplis et les sujets de préoccupation persistants. La présente publication expose les avis de la FRA sur les principales évolutions dans les domaines thématiques couverts ainsi qu’un résumé des éléments factuels qui étayent ces avis. Elle fournit ainsi une vue d’ensemble concise mais instructive des principaux défis en matière de droits fondamentaux auxquels l’Union européenne (UE) et ses États membres doivent faire face.
    11
    juin
    2020
    FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 reviews major developments in the field in 2019, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. This year’s focus chapter explores how to unlock the full potential of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
    28
    mai
    2020
    The Coronavirus pandemic continues to interrupt everyday life in the EU in unprecedented ways. But the way it affects our societies is shifting. As governments gradually lift some of the measures put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19, new fundamental rights concerns arise: how to ensure that the rights to life and health are upheld as daily life transitions to a ‘new normal’. This Bulletin looks at declarations of states of emergency, or equivalent, and how they came under scrutiny. It considers the impact on fundamental rights in important areas of daily life, and includes a thematic focus on the processing of users’ data to help contain COVID-19, particularly by contact-tracing apps. It covers the period 21 March – 30 April 2020.
    Check out the EU's modern human rights catalogue and its chapter about Justice.
    In the latest edition of his video blog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty speaks about the human rights challenges, but also the opportunities, that come along with the development of artificial intelligence technology.
    11
    décembre
    2019
    This report looks at five core aspects of detention conditions in EU Member States: the size of cells; the amount of time detainees can spend outside of these cells, including outdoors; sanitary conditions; access to healthcare; and whether detainees are protected from violence. For each of these aspects of detention conditions, the report first summarises the minimum standards at international and European levels. It then looks at how these standards are translated into national laws and other rules of the EU Member States.
    2
    décembre
    2019
    Growing global efforts to encourage responsible business conduct that respects human rights include steps to ensure access to effective remedies when breaches occur. In 2017, the European Commission asked the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) to collect evidence on such access in the EU Member States, with the ultimate goal of identifying the EU actions most needed in this field. FRA’s resulting research involved two phases: desk research on different incidents of abuse; and interview-based fieldwork on professionals’ views on the availability and effectiveness of different complaint avenues.
    27
    novembre
    2019
    La technologie de reconnaissance faciale permet de comparer des images faciales numériques afin de déterminer s’il s’agit d’une seule et même personne. La comparaison d’images obtenues à partir
    de caméras vidéo avec des images stockées dans des bases de données est appelée «technologie de reconnaissance faciale en temps réel». Les exemples d’autorités répressives nationales de l’Union européenne (UE) utilisant cette technologie sont rares, mais plusieurs d’entre elles testent actuellement son potentiel. Le présent document examine donc les implications en matière de droits fondamentaux de l’utilisation de la technologie de reconnaissance faciale en temps réel, en mettant l’accent sur son utilisation à des fins répressives et de gestion des frontières.
    27
    septembre
    2019
    Protecting the rights of anyone suspected or accused of a crime is an essential element of the rule of law. Courts, prosecutors and police officers need certain powers to enforce the law – but trust in the outcomes of their efforts will quickly erode without effective safeguards. Such safeguards take on various forms, and include the right to certain information and to a lawyer.
    This handbook provides an overview of key aspects of access to justice in Europe.
    Opening Video for FRA event - From wrongs to rights: ending severe labour exploitation.
    25
    juin
    2019
    This report is the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s fourth on the topic of severe labour exploitation. Based on interviews with 237 exploited workers, it paints a bleak picture of severe exploitation and abuse. The workers include both people who came to the EU, and EU nationals who moved to another EU country. They were active in diverse sectors, and their legal status also varied.
    Fundamental Rights Report 2019: In some Member States access to justice faces challenges. Judicial independence continues to cause
    concerns. Victims’ procedural rights need more effective implementation. Gaps in preventing
    violence against women and domestic violence remain.
    13
    juin
    2019
    Le présent guide Enfants privés de protection parentale et devant être protégés dans un État
    membre de l’UE autre que le leur vise à renforcer la réponse de l’ensemble des acteurs concernés en
    matière de protection des enfants. La protection de ces filles et garçons est capitale et constitue une
    obligation pour les États membres de l’UE, qui découle du cadre juridique international et européen.
    Ce guide, qui met en oeuvre une action clé de la communication de 2017 visant à renforcer l’action
    de l’UE en matière de lutte contre la traite des êtres humains, met particulièrement l’accent sur les
    enfants victimes de la traite et sur les enfants vulnérables et tient compte des schémas recensés,
    notamment en ce qui concerne les spécificités liées au genre de cette infraction.
    11
    juin
    2019
    Algorithms used in machine learning systems and artificial intelligence (AI) can only be as good as the data used for their development. High quality data are essential for high quality algorithms. Yet, the call for high quality data in discussions around AI often remains without any further specifications and guidance as to what this actually means.
    6
    juin
    2019
    How much progress can we expect in a decade? Various rights-related instruments had been in place for 10 years in 2018, prompting both sobering and encouraging reflection on this question.
    6
    juin
    2019
    L’année 2018 a été marquée à la fois par des avancées et des régressions
    en matière de protection des droits fondamentaux. Le Rapport sur les droits
    fondamentaux 2019 de la FRA examine les principales évolutions dans ce
    domaine, en recensant les progrès accomplis et les sujets de préoccupation
    persistants. La présente publication expose les avis de la FRA sur les principales
    évolutions dans les domaines thématiques couverts ainsi qu’un résumé des
    éléments factuels qui étayent ces avis.