Skip to main content

Top Menu

  • Eolas maidir le FRA
  • Comhar
  • Newsroom
  • Cookies
  • Contact

Select site language

  • Български
  • Čeština
  • Dansk
  • Deutsch
  • Ελληνικά
  • English
  • Español
  • Eesti
  • Suomi
  • Français
  • Gaeilge
  • Hrvatski
  • Magyar
  • Italiano
  • Lietuvių
  • Latviešu
  • Malti
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Română
  • Slovenčina
  • Slovenščina
  • Svenska

Custom Topbar

Home

Search the FRA website

      • Work on rights
        • Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
          • Victims’ rights
          • Defendants’ rights
          • Civil justice
          • Judicial cooperation and rule of law
          • Security
          • Business and human rights
        • Equality, non-discrimination and racism
          • Children, youth and older people
          • People with disabilities
          • Hate crime
          • Racial and ethnic origin
          • Religion and belief
          • Roma
          • Sex, sexual orientation and gender
        • Asylum, migration and borders
          • Access to asylum
          • Borders and information systems
          • Child protection
          • Irregular migration, return and immigration detention
          • Legal migration and integration
          • Trafficking and labour exploitation
        • Data protection, privacy and new technologies
          • Artificial intelligence and big data
          • Borders and information systems
          • Data protection
          • Unlawful profiling
        • Support for human rights systems and defenders
          • EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
          • Inter-governmental human rights systems
          • National human rights systems and bodies
          • Civil society
        • Environmental and social sustainability
          • Climate change and environmental protection
          • Just and green transition
          • Business and human rights
          • Human rights due diligence
          • Consumer protection
      • Cairt um Chearta Bunúsacha an Aontais Eorpaigh
        • Céard iad cearta bunúsacha?
        • What is the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights?
        • Brollach
        • Teideal I: Dínit
          • 1 - Dínit an duine
          • 2 - Ceart chun beatha
          • 3 - An ceart chun iomláine an duine
          • 4 - Toirmeasc ar chéastóireacht agus ar íde nó ar phionós atá mídhaonna nó táireach
          • 5 - Toirmeasc ar an sclábhaíocht agus ar shaothar éignithe
        • Teideal II: Saoirsí
          • 6 - An ceart chun saoirse agus slándála
          • 7 - Meas ar an saol príobháideach agus ar shaol an teaghlaigh
          • 8 - Sonraí pearsanta a chosaint
          • 9 - An ceart chun pósadh agus an ceart chun teaghlach a bhunú
          • 10 - Saoirse smaoinimh, coinsiasa agus reiligiúin
          • 11 - Saoirse chun tuairimí a nochtadh agus faisnéis a fháil
          • 12 - Saoirse comhthionóil agus comhlachais
          • 13 - Saoirse na n-ealaíon agus na n-eolaíochtaí
          • 14 - An ceart chun oideachais
          • 15 - Saoirse chun slí bheatha a roghnú agus an ceart chun obair a dhéanamh
          • 16 - Saoirse chun gnó a sheoladh
          • 17 - An ceart chun maoine
          • 18 - An ceart chun tearmainn
          • 19 - Cosaint i gcás ina dtarlaíonn aistriú, díbirt nó eiseachadadh
        • Teideal III: Comhionannas
          • 20 - Comhionannas os comhair an dlí
          • 21 - Neamh-idirdhealú
          • 22 - Éagsúlacht chultúrtha, reiligiúnach agus teanga
          • 23 - Comhionannas idir mná agus fir
          • 24 - Cearta an linbh
          • 25 - Cearta daoine scothaosta
          • 26 - Daoine faoi mhíchumas a lánpháirtiú
        • Teideal IV: Dlúthpháirtíocht
          • 27 - Ceart oibrithe chun faisnéise agus comhairliúcháin sa ghnóthas
          • 28 - An ceart chun cómhargántaíochta agus chun gníomhaíochta comhchoitinne
          • 29 - An ceart chun rochtain a fháil ar sheirbhís socrúcháin
          • 30 - Cosaint i gcás ina dtarlaíonn dífhostú neamh-inleithscéil
          • 31 - Dálaí oibre cothroma agus córa
          • 32 - Toirmeasc ar leanaí a bheith ag obair agus cosaint daoine óga ag an obair
          • 33 - Saol an teaghlaigh agus an saol gairmiúil
          • 34 - Slándáil shóisialta agus cúnamh sóisialta
          • 35 - Cúram sláinte
          • 36 - Rochtain ar sheirbhísí ar mhaithe le leas eacnamaíoch ginearálta
          • 37 - Cosaint an chomhshaoil
          • 38 - Cosaint tomhaltóirí
        • Teideal V: Cearta na saoránach
          • 39 - An ceart chun vótáil agus chun seasamh mar iarrthóir i dtoghcháin do Pharlaimint na hEorpa
          • 40 - An ceart chun vótáil agus chun seasamh mar iarrthóir i dtoghcháin bhardasacha
          • 41 - An ceart chun dea-riaracháin
          • 42 - An ceart chun rochtain a fháil ar dhoiciméid
          • 43 - Ombudsman Eorpach
          • 44 - An ceart chun achainí a dhéanamh
          • 45 - Saoirse gluaiseachta agus saoirse cónaithe
          • 46 - Cosaint taidhleoireachta agus chonsalach
        • Teideal VI: Ceartas
          • 47 - An ceart chun leigheas éifeachtach agus triail chóir a fháil
          • 48 - Toimhde na neamhchiontachta agus ceart chun cosaint a fháil
          • 49 - Prionsabail na dlíthiúlachta agus na comhréireachta i dtaca le cionta coiriúla agus pionóis
          • 50 - An ceart chun nach ndéanfar duine a thriail ná a phionósú faoi dhó in imeachtaí coiriúla i ngeall ar an gcion coiriúil céanna
        • Teideal VII: Forálacha ginearálta
          • 51 - Raon feidhme
          • 52 - Raon feidhme agus léiriú na gceart agus na bprionsabal
          • 53 - Leibhéal na cosanta
          • 54 - Toirmeasc ar chearta a mhí-úsáid
      • Tools
        • EU Fundamental Rights Information System - EFRIS
        • Criminal detention database
        • Anti-Muslim hatred database
        • Case-law database
        • Charterpedia
        • FRA e-learning platform
        • Data visualisation
        • Equality data collection: promising practices
        • Fighting hate crime: promising practices
      • Táirgí
    • About FRA
      • Who we are
        • Structure of FRA
        • Management Board
          • Management Board members
          • Management Board meeting documents
        • Executive Board
        • Scientific Committee
          • Scientific Committee members
        • Director
        • Management team
      • What we do
        • Research and data
        • Capacity-building
        • Advising
        • Convening people
        • FRA for children
          • What are my rights?
          • Where do my rights come from?
        • Areas of work
          • Multi-annual Framework 2007-2022
        • Work Programme
          • Archive
        • Annual Activity report
          • Archive
        • Projects
      • Working at FRA
        • Vacancies and selections
          • Previous vacancies
        • What we offer
        • Work-life balance
        • Application instructions
        • Seconded National Experts
        • Traineeship
      • Procurement
        • Ongoing procedures
        • Closed procedures
        • Contracts awarded
      • Finance and budget
        • Financial Rules
        • Financial documents
      • Register of documents
        • Access to documents
        • Application for access to documents
      • Data protection within FRA
        • Records registry
    • Cooperation
      • Institiúidí AE agus comhlachtaí eile
        • European Parliament
        • Council of the European Union
        • European Commission
        • EU agencies
          • Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Network
        • European Committee of the Regions
        • European Economic and Social Committee
        • European Ombudsman
        • EU CRPD Framework
          • Promotion
          • Protection
          • Monitoring
          • Review process
          • Resources
      • Ballstáit AE Oibríonn
        • National Liaison Officers
        • National Parliaments
      • Comhairle na hEorpa
      • An tsochaí shibhialta agus an tArdán um Chearta Bunúsacha
        • Activities
        • Civic space
        • Platform library
        • How to register
      • Institiúidí Náisiúnta um Chearta an Duine, Comhlachtaí Comhionannais agus Institiúidí Ombudsman Oibríonn
      • Na Náisiúin Aontaithe, an Eagraíocht um Shlándáil agus Comhar san Eoraip agus eagraíochtaí idirnáisiúnta eile
        • EEA and Norway Grants
      • FRANET
    • Newsroom
      • Media contacts
      • News
      • Press releases
      • Stories
      • Events
        • Past Events
      • FRA products 2025
        • FRA products 2024
        • FRA products 2023
        • FRA products 2022
        • FRA products 2021
        • FRA Products 2020
        • FRA Products 2019
      • Multimedia
        • Videos
        • Infographics
        • Podcasts
      • Speeches
      • Press packs
        • EU LGBTIQ survey - Press pack
        • Fundamental Rights Survey
        • EU LGBTI survey II
        • From institutions to community living for persons with disabilities: perspectives from the ground
        • Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey – Main results
        • Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II) Muslims
        • Together in the EU: Promoting the participation of migrants and their descendants
        • Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II) Roma
        • Severe labour exploitation in the EU
        • Child-friendly justice – perspectives and experiences of professionals: Press pack
        • Fundamental rights at EU borders
        • Violence against women press pack
        • Jewish people’s experiences and perceptions of hate crime, discrimination and antisemitism
        • EU LGBT Press pack
        • Child-friendly justice – perspectives and experiences of children
      • Newsletter
      • Log in

Main menu

Home
  • Work on rights
    Work on rights
    • Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
      • Victims’ rights
      • Defendants’ rights
      • Civil justice
      • Judicial cooperation and rule of law
      • Security
      • Business and human rights
    • Equality, non-discrimination and racism
      • Children, youth and older people
      • People with disabilities
      • Hate crime
      • Racial and ethnic origin
      • Religion and belief
      • Roma
      • Sex, sexual orientation and gender
    • Asylum, migration and borders
      • Access to asylum
      • Borders and information systems
      • Child protection
      • Irregular migration, return and immigration detention
      • Legal migration and integration
      • Trafficking and labour exploitation
    • Data protection, privacy and new technologies
      • Artificial intelligence and big data
      • Borders and information systems
      • Data protection
      • Unlawful profiling
    • Support for human rights systems and defenders
      • EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
      • Inter-governmental human rights systems
      • National human rights systems and bodies
      • Civil society
    • Environmental and social sustainability
      • Climate change and environmental protection
      • Just and green transition
      • Business and human rights
      • Human rights due diligence
      • Consumer protection
  • Cairt um Chearta Bunúsacha an Aontais Eorpaigh
    Cairt um Chearta Bunúsacha an Aontais Eorpaigh
    • Céard iad cearta bunúsacha?
    • What is the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights?
    • Brollach
    • Teideal I: Dínit
      • 1 - Dínit an duine
      • 2 - Ceart chun beatha
      • 3 - An ceart chun iomláine an duine
      • 4 - Toirmeasc ar chéastóireacht agus ar íde nó ar phionós atá mídhaonna nó táireach
      • 5 - Toirmeasc ar an sclábhaíocht agus ar shaothar éignithe
    • Teideal II: Saoirsí
      • 6 - An ceart chun saoirse agus slándála
      • 7 - Meas ar an saol príobháideach agus ar shaol an teaghlaigh
      • 8 - Sonraí pearsanta a chosaint
      • 9 - An ceart chun pósadh agus an ceart chun teaghlach a bhunú
      • 10 - Saoirse smaoinimh, coinsiasa agus reiligiúin
      • 11 - Saoirse chun tuairimí a nochtadh agus faisnéis a fháil
      • 12 - Saoirse comhthionóil agus comhlachais
      • 13 - Saoirse na n-ealaíon agus na n-eolaíochtaí
      • 14 - An ceart chun oideachais
      • 15 - Saoirse chun slí bheatha a roghnú agus an ceart chun obair a dhéanamh
      • 16 - Saoirse chun gnó a sheoladh
      • 17 - An ceart chun maoine
      • 18 - An ceart chun tearmainn
      • 19 - Cosaint i gcás ina dtarlaíonn aistriú, díbirt nó eiseachadadh
    • Teideal III: Comhionannas
      • 20 - Comhionannas os comhair an dlí
      • 21 - Neamh-idirdhealú
      • 22 - Éagsúlacht chultúrtha, reiligiúnach agus teanga
      • 23 - Comhionannas idir mná agus fir
      • 24 - Cearta an linbh
      • 25 - Cearta daoine scothaosta
      • 26 - Daoine faoi mhíchumas a lánpháirtiú
    • Teideal IV: Dlúthpháirtíocht
      • 27 - Ceart oibrithe chun faisnéise agus comhairliúcháin sa ghnóthas
      • 28 - An ceart chun cómhargántaíochta agus chun gníomhaíochta comhchoitinne
      • 29 - An ceart chun rochtain a fháil ar sheirbhís socrúcháin
      • 30 - Cosaint i gcás ina dtarlaíonn dífhostú neamh-inleithscéil
      • 31 - Dálaí oibre cothroma agus córa
      • 32 - Toirmeasc ar leanaí a bheith ag obair agus cosaint daoine óga ag an obair
      • 33 - Saol an teaghlaigh agus an saol gairmiúil
      • 34 - Slándáil shóisialta agus cúnamh sóisialta
      • 35 - Cúram sláinte
      • 36 - Rochtain ar sheirbhísí ar mhaithe le leas eacnamaíoch ginearálta
      • 37 - Cosaint an chomhshaoil
      • 38 - Cosaint tomhaltóirí
    • Teideal V: Cearta na saoránach
      • 39 - An ceart chun vótáil agus chun seasamh mar iarrthóir i dtoghcháin do Pharlaimint na hEorpa
      • 40 - An ceart chun vótáil agus chun seasamh mar iarrthóir i dtoghcháin bhardasacha
      • 41 - An ceart chun dea-riaracháin
      • 42 - An ceart chun rochtain a fháil ar dhoiciméid
      • 43 - Ombudsman Eorpach
      • 44 - An ceart chun achainí a dhéanamh
      • 45 - Saoirse gluaiseachta agus saoirse cónaithe
      • 46 - Cosaint taidhleoireachta agus chonsalach
    • Teideal VI: Ceartas
      • 47 - An ceart chun leigheas éifeachtach agus triail chóir a fháil
      • 48 - Toimhde na neamhchiontachta agus ceart chun cosaint a fháil
      • 49 - Prionsabail na dlíthiúlachta agus na comhréireachta i dtaca le cionta coiriúla agus pionóis
      • 50 - An ceart chun nach ndéanfar duine a thriail ná a phionósú faoi dhó in imeachtaí coiriúla i ngeall ar an gcion coiriúil céanna
    • Teideal VII: Forálacha ginearálta
      • 51 - Raon feidhme
      • 52 - Raon feidhme agus léiriú na gceart agus na bprionsabal
      • 53 - Leibhéal na cosanta
      • 54 - Toirmeasc ar chearta a mhí-úsáid
  • Tools
    Tools
    • EU Fundamental Rights Information System - EFRIS
    • Criminal detention database
    • Anti-Muslim hatred database
    • Case-law database
    • Charterpedia
    • FRA e-learning platform
    • Data visualisation
    • Equality data collection: promising practices
    • Fighting hate crime: promising practices
  • Táirgí

You are here

  • Home
  • Work On Rights
  • Environmental and social sustainability
  • Towards a fundamental rights-compliant European Green Deal
Towards a fundamental rights-compliant European Green Deal
glebzter/AdobeStock
15
January
2025

Towards a fundamental rights-compliant European Green Deal

Environmental and social sustainability
Business and human rights
Environmental and social sustainability
Climate change and environmental protection
Climate change affects the daily lives of everyone in the EU and has significant environmental, economic, social and health impacts. To tackle this, the European Green Deal was adopted in 2019. This report examines the Green Deal from a fundamental rights perspective, with the aim of protecting the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment for all. It highlights the lack of fundamental rights in EU climate policy and the need to incorporate these rights into future legislation. It also considers how applying a human-rights-based approach to climate policy could support a fair and inclusive transition.
Read news item
Order a printed copy from EU Publications website
  • Read Online
  • Related
Export to PDF
Search inside this publication
  • Introduction
  • 1. A human-rights-based approach to the Green Deal
  • 2. The human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
    • 2.1. The European Union’s commitment to environmental protection
    • 2.2. International recognition of the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
    • 2.3. The Council of Europe and the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
  • 3. The Green Deal through a fundamental rights lens
    • 3.1. EU funds and the common provisions regulation
      • 3.1.1. Just Transition Mechanism & Social Climate Fund
      • 3.1.2. Recovery and Resilience Facility
    • 3.2. EU action to address energy poverty
    • 3.3. The European Pillar of Social Rights
    • 3.4. The EU environment action programme to 2030
  • 4. Challenges from existing EU legislation and policies
    • 4.1. Reinforcing existing inequalities through the green transition
    • 4.2. Climate change, health and impact on vulnerable groups
    • 4.3. Energy poverty and fundamental rights
    • 4.4. Employment and green jobs in the just transition
    • 4.5. Equal access to essential services
    • 4.6. Monitoring the just transition
  • Ways forward
    • Systematic integration of fundamental rights in the EU’s green transition
    • Effective application of fundamental rights as enabling conditions of EU funds
    • A monitoring framework for a just transition
    • Ensure effective participation
    • Access to justice and adequate enforcement
  • Abbreviations
  • About this publication


Introduction

With temperatures rising and the rate and severity of natural disasters increasing, efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change are accelerating. Pursuant to its commitments under the Paris Agreement, the European Union (EU) has adopted a broad range of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while transitioning the economy and the overall way of life to more sustainable and ‘green’ sources and ways.

The European Green Deal was adopted in 2019, aimed at setting the EU on the path to a green transition. It is the EU’s principal strategic measure designed to transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy by ensuring that: (i) no more net greenhouse gas emissions are generated by 2050; (ii) net greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by at least 55 % by 2030; (iii) economic growth is decoupled from resource use; and (iv) no people and places are left behind.

Fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the Treaty on European Union (TEU), are both values (Article 2 of the TEU) and general principles of EU law (Article 6(3) of the TEU).

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter) is a cornerstone of primary EU law. In 2020, the European Commission reinforced its commitment to compliance with the Charter by adopting a new strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter in the EU. It proposes that the Charter serve as a compass for EU institutions and enumerates specific actions to strengthen people’s awareness of their rights and ensure the effective implementation of the Charter by the Member States. The strategy underscores that impact assessments of EU legislative processes should address fundamental rights.

Thus, fundamental rights are an integral part of the applicable legal framework which binds the EU and Member States as they develop, adopt and implement EU secondary law. The Green Deal and related policies are therefore not implemented in a legal vacuum or fundamental rights-free zone: the Charter, applicable international human rights law and EU fundamental rights law also govern in this policy area.

The results of this initial analysis are based on desk research of a selected number of legislative files of the green transition or EU climate policy, including those of the Green Deal. They reveal a fragmented and incomplete approach to addressing the specific fundamental rights impacts of climate change and an inchoate approach to mainstreaming fundamental rights in EU climate policy generally.

The consequences of climate change already affect all Europeans’ daily lives with significant environmental, economic, social and health impacts. However, climate change particularly impacts the rights of people in vulnerable situations. Those with limited financial resources or living on the margins of poverty or in poverty, individuals experiencing discrimination based on their ethnicity or geographical background, along with children, young people and older people, or those with disabilities, are likely to suffer the most severe repercussions of climate change and environmental degradation. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) reports show that Roma people, who are the largest minority in Europe, face high numbers of housing deprivation, discrimination and poverty. Every second Roma person lives in damp, dark dwellings or housing without proper sanitation facilities, and every fifth person has no access to tap water inside their dwelling. The European Environmental Bureau, Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations, describes such a ‘push to the wastelands’ as environmental racism against Roma communities. Similarly, the 2024 European Environmental Agency (EEA) report on climate risk assessment shows that climate change can exacerbate existing risks and crises, leading to system-wide challenges affecting whole societies, with vulnerable social groups particularly affected.

While the EU and its Member States have committed significant funding and programmes to reach the climate targets, these implementing policies and measures rarely reflect fundamental rights explicitly. The Communication setting out the Green Deal does not specify how the Charter or fundamental rights obligations that Member States have under EU or international law should be complied with when implementing the Green Deal. In its commitment to tackle climate change, the EU has established as an aim of the Green Deal that the transition be just and inclusive and put people first, emphasising that such a socially just transition be reflected in EU policies and at the national level. The Green Deal stresses the need to tackle energy poverty and ensure a fair transition, including through designing measures for households unable to afford key energy services, financing renovation schemes and reducing energy bills.

In its Strategic Plan 2023–2028, FRA identified climate change as one of seven key megatrends with implications for fundamental rights. In 2023, the agency launched an initial project looking into the fundamental rights challenges of the green transition, with a specific focus on people in vulnerable situations and the principle to leave no one behind.

FRA activity - research on the just transition of the Green Deal

This paper is part of the ongoing FRA project ‘Ensuring the right to environmental protection’, which was launched in 2023 and seeks to identify the most urgent social and fundamental rights challenges, gaps and promising practices, relevant implementing legislation related to climate change, and the commitment of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) to leave no one behind.

This project consists of a mix of fieldwork research via expert interviews and desk research on selected programmes or projects carried out in 10 selected Member States (Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden).

As a first step, the project focuses on projects which aim to contribute to the climate targets within the priority of energy efficiency and to tackle energy poverty. The research will focus, in particular, on legal and policy measures affecting those in precarious living conditions and those most exposed to negative impacts of environmental changes.

The main results of the field research will be published in the second half of 2025.

In the context of the agency’s emerging research on environmental protection, this paper explores the Green Deal through a fundamental rights lens, including its commitment to a just transition and to leave no one behind. It marks a first step to raise awareness about the relative absence of fundamental rights in EU climate policy and the need to mainstream fundamental rights in future climate legislative and policy files. It reflects on how the systematic, explicit and comprehensive application of fundamental rights as part of a human-rights-based approach (HRBA) to climate policy could advance a just and inclusive transition.

This paper does not purport to offer a comprehensive analysis of the implementing legislation and policy files of the Green Deal. However, it provides a preliminary appraisal of the extent to which fundamental rights are reflected in said files and finds that it is limited and ad hoc. This paper is based on initial desk research which sought to identify and analyse key elements of the Green Deal with potential impact on fundamental rights. The research explored whether and how selected legislative measures adopted under the Green Deal had an explicit link to rights, freedoms and principles referred to the Charter or reflected the nexus of fundamental rights as general principles of the Union's law pursuant to Article 6 of the TEU. The paper addresses EU institutions, policymakers in Member States and other stakeholders concerned with environmental policy and fundamental rights, with the aim of raising awareness about the need to take fundamental rights into account in strategies and legislation aimed at implementing the Green Deal.

This paper provides an overview of the relevant and applicable fundamental rights obligations of Member States and EU institutions as they implement the Green Deal, and can serve as a baseline for further research and analysis to inform future policies. Consistent with the Commission’s communication on the Green Deal, it considers how fundamental rights obligations and principles can be leveraged to ensure that the ‘Green Deal can make consistent use of all policy levers: regulation and standardisation, investment and innovation, national reforms, dialogue with social partners and international cooperation.’

The first section of the paper outlines the elements of a hypothetical HRBA to the Green Deal. In the second section, the paper discusses the EU’s and international human rights obligations to ensure a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The third section provides an overview of the elements of the Green Deal with potential implications for social rights, particularly for the EU funds, the EPSR, specific action to tackle energy poverty and the EU environment programme to 2030. The fourth section sheds light on challenges and risks if fundamental rights are not explicitly taken on board in the implementation of the Green Deal. The ‘Ways forward’ offer preliminary suggestions of how an HRBA can be developed and fundamental rights strengthened in the EU’s green transition.

1. A human-rights-based approach to the Green Deal
Related
Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
10
June
2025

Fundamental Rights Report 2025 - FRA opinions

This publication is an excerpt from the Fundamental Rights Report 2025, the annual report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). It presents selected critical developments in fundamental rights in 2024, as well as the key findings and FRA opinions from the report’s chapters.
Read press release
Download full report
Download opinions
Lady justice with EU flag as background
respiro888 / Adobestock.com, 2019
Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
10
June
2025

Fundamental Rights Report 2025

The Fundamental Rights Report 2025 is the annual report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). It provides an overview of the state of fundamental rights in the EU and highlights selected critical developments and trends in 2024. The report covers issues such as inclusive elections, gender-based violence, and the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, setting out the actions that the EU and Member States should take. This annual publication is a valuable resource for those seeking to stay informed about the EU’s shifting landscape of fundamental rights.
Read press release
Download full report
Download opinions
Report / Paper / Summary
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Hate crime
Racial and ethnic origin
Religion and belief
25
October
2024

Being Muslim in the EU - Experiences of Muslims

Racism towards Muslims is increasing in countries across the EU. Muslims face racial discrimination and racist harassment because of their religion, skin colour or ethnic background. This report shows a sharp rise since the last survey in 2016.
Read press release
FRA's Fundamental rights report 2024
Fundamental Rights Report
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Environmental and social sustainability
5
June
2024

Fundamental Rights Report 2024

FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2024 analyses the year’s developments in fundamental rights. It focuses on the most pressing fundamental rights concerns facing Europe in 2023: the cost-of-living crisis, rights concerns at the EU’s external borders and migration, and threats to democracy. Re-structured, this year’s new approach is a shorter and sharper analysis. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a summary of the evidence supporting these opinions.
Read press release
Download full report
Download opinions
Industry smoking chimneys with forest overlay.
Report / Paper / Summary
Environmental and social sustainability
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Consumer protection
7
March
2024

Enforcing consumer rights to combat greenwashing

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.
Read news item
Report / Paper / Summary
Child protection
Asylum, migration and borders
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Children, youth and older people
31
January
2024

Mapping Child Protection Systems in the EU – Update 2023

Children’s rights exist to ensure the safety and wellbeing of every child. Improved child protection systems ensure that these rights are met. In recent years, the EU has taken significant steps to improve child protection systems. This mapping of child protection systems gives an overview of the state of such systems at national level and developments since 2015. It promotes the improvement of integrated child protection systems. It is an update of FRA’s mapping of child protection systems in 2015, based on data collected in 2023 in the 27 EU Member States. By publishing this, FRA aims to support securing the sustainable well-being, safety and rights of all children living in the EU.
Access the data explorer
Montage of faces of various Black people.
Report / Paper / Summary
Racial and ethnic origin
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Hate crime
25
October
2023

Being Black in the EU – Experiences of people of African descent

FRA's first Being Black in the EU report exposed widespread and entrenched racism against people of African descent in Europe. Now updated with new data, this report revisits the situation revealing persistent racial discrimination, harassment and violence. Overall, experiences of racial discrimination increased in the EU countries since 2016, reaching as high as 77%. The lack of progress is alarming despite binding anti-discrimination law in the EU since 2000 and significant EU policy developments since then.
Read press release
Report / Paper / Summary
Support for human rights systems and defenders
Asylum, migration and borders
Data protection, privacy and new technologies
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
20
October
2023

FRA Strategic Plan 2023-2028

FRA’s strategic priorities and objectives are based on the agency’s role and mission as defined in its amended founding regulation. They build on FRA’s 2018–2022 strategy as well as how it performed, its experience and its vision. Their design takes into account future fundamental rights challenges facing Europe, the agency’s mandate, the broader operational context and the resources available.
Little Girl With Down Syndrome And Boy Hugging
kali9 © iStockphoto.com, 2022
Handbook / Guide / Manual
People with disabilities
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
20
March
2023

Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Human rights indicators

This guide helps independent national monitoring frameworks to fulfil their monitoring responsibility set out in Article 33 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It focuses on the use of indicators. It does not deal with aspects such as compliance with the Paris Principles or the efficiency of complaints mechanisms. Its objective is to support national monitoring frameworks in designing or improving indicators for assessing progress of CRPD implementation at national level.
Read news item
Roma man outside housing in Hungary
Christophe Vander Eecken / EEA and Norway Grants
Report / Paper / Summary
Roma
Equality, non-discrimination and racism
Children, youth and older people
Hate crime
25
October
2022
02 November 2022

Roma in 10 European Countries - Main results

This report presents findings from FRA’s 2021 survey on Roma in Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain, as well as in North Macedonia and Serbia. The survey includes interviews with more than 8,400 Roma, collecting information on more than 20,000 individuals living in their households. By focusing on Roma, the survey provides unique data and information that are not available from European general population surveys, which do not disaggregate on grounds of ethnic origin. The findings present a bleak but familiar picture of exclusion, deprivation, discrimination and racism.
Read Press Release
Explore survey data
Download dataset
Eolas maidir le FRA

Tá tuilleadh eolais faoin nGníomhaireacht agus faoi obair na Gníomhaireachta le fáil anseo.

  • Eolas maidir le FRA
  • Cairt um Chearta Bunúsacha an Aontais Eorpaigh
  • Cá háit a bhfuil cúnamh le fáil
  • Nuacht
  • Liostáil chun nuashonruithe a fháil
Contact
Address
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Schwarzenbergplatz 11
A-1040 Vienna, Austria
E-mail
Nous contacter
Newsletter
S’abonner aux mises à jour
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Newsletter
  • E-mail
  • RSS

© European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2007-2025

  • About this website
  • Legal notice
  • Cookies
  • Data Protection
  • Accessibility