Council of the European Union and Presidencies of the Council of the European Union
The Agency provides expertise and evidence-based advice to the Council to inform its deliberations on legislative and non-legislative files. The Council can also request formal opinions from the agency as well as to collect data to inform its work and deliberations.
Cooperation methods
The Agency contributes to the priorities and programmes of the rotating Presidencies in different ways.
The FRA Director contributes to formal and informal meetings of different Council configurations, including Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) and General Affairs (GAC). Examples of contributions include:
- Combatting violence against children: The need for effective measures, informal Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, 23 July 2025, under the Danish Presidency
- Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: Funding to promote, protect and enforce fundamental rights, Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, 7 March 2025, under the Polish Presidency
- Antisemitism in the EU, the General Affairs Council meeting, 15 October 2024, under the Hungarian Presidency.
- AI and its use in the digitalisation of justice, Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, 23 July 2024, under the Hungarian Presidency
- Upholding fundamental rights in times of crisis, Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, 13 October 2022, under the Czech Presidency
FRA regularly provides expertise and evidence to the work of a range of Council preparatory bodies, including the following:
- Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizens’ Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP)
- Working Party Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (COPEN)
- e-Justice Working Party
- Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI)
- Coordinating Committee in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters (CATS)
- Law Enforcement Working Party (LEWP)
- Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA)
- Working Party on Frontiers, the Working Party on Integration, Migration and Expulsion (IMEX) , the Information Exchange and Data Protection (DAPIX)
- Social Questions Working Party (SQWP).
FRA responds to requests for expertise, evidence or opinions on specific thematic topics made through the given Presidency. For instance:
- Following the request from the Council of the EU in its Conclusions on business and human rights in 2016, FRA released an Opinion on Improving access to remedy in the area of business and human rights at the EU level.
- Under the Irish Presidency (2013), the Council requested the FRA to issue an opinion on the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia – with special attention to the rights of victims of crime.
- Under the French Presidency (2008) the Council asked the FRA to submit an Opinion on the proposal for a Council Framework decision on the use of Passenger Name Record (PNR).
The Agency contributes to conferences, meetings and events organised by the Presidency as well as organising joint seminars with Presidencies. Examples of contributions to events include:
- 25th Anniversary of the Charter of Fundamental Rights Conference, 10-11 December 2025, Brussels, jointly with the Danish Presidency, the European Commission and FRA.
- International conference on the role of civil society in the protection of the rule of law, 22-23 April 2025, Warsaw, organised by the Polish Presidency.
- Seminar on ‘The Role of Civil Society in strengthening the rule of law and democratic resilience’, 7 April 2025, Brussels, jointly with the Polish Presidency.
- 'Pride Alliances and Policy: Towards a Union of Equality' conference, 17 May 2024 in Brussels, with the Belgian Presidency.
- High level conference on institutional protection of fundamental rights in times of crises, 20-21 April 2023, Lund, with the Swedish Presidency.
- FRA and the European Commission EU Charter trainings for Justice Councillors, with the Spanish and Hungarian Presidencies.
The Agency also regularly offers a training module for FREMP Councillors on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights with the European Commission.
FRA’s Single Programming Document and Fundamental Rights Report in FREMP
The Agency’s amended regulation (article 5a, paragraph 2) stipulates that it “shall submit the draft programming document to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission no later than 31 January each year, as endorsed by the Management Board. In the Council, the competent preparatory body shall discuss the draft multiannual work programme and may invite the Agency to present that draft”.
Every year, the Presidency invites FRA to participate in the discussion on the draft single programming document (February) and to present its Fundamental Rights Report in FREMP (June).