EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Preamble 

(64) Where the expulsion of a beneficiary of international protection from the territory of a Member State is permitted under Directive 2011/95/EU, the Member State should ensure that all information is obtained from relevant sources, including, where appropriate, from the Member State that granted international protection, and that the information is thoroughly assessed with a view to guaranteeing that the decision to expel that beneficiary complies with Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’).

Preamble 

(31) Applicants who are in detention should be treated with full respect for human dignity and their reception should be specifically designed to meet their needs in that situation. In particular, Member States should ensure that Article 24 of the Charter and Article 37 of the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are applied.

(38) In applying this Directive, Member States should seek to ensure full respect for the principles of the best interests of the child and of family unity, in accordance with the Charter, the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and, where applicable, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

(75) This Directive respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter. In particular, this Directive seeks to ensure full respect for human dignity and to promote the application of Articles 1, 4, 6, 7, 18, 21, 24 and 47 of the Charter and has to be implemented accordingly.

Article 19: General rules on material reception conditions and health care

2.   Member States shall ensure that material reception conditions and health care received in accordance with Article 22 provide an adequate standard of living for applicants, which guarantees their subsistence, protects their physical and mental health and respects their rights under the Charter.

Article 21: Reception conditions in a Member State other than the one in which the applicant is required to be present

From the moment applicants have been notified of a decision to transfer them to the Member State responsible in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1351, they shall not be entitled to the reception conditions set out in Articles 17 to 20 of this Directive in any Member State other than the one in which they are required to be present in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1351. This shall be without prejudice to the need to ensure a standard of living in accordance with Union law, including the Charter, and international obligations.

Preamble 

(46) In accordance with the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and with the Charter, the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration of Member States when applying this Regulation. In assessing the best interests of the child, Member States should, in particular, take due account of the minor’s well-being and social development in the short, medium and long term, safety and security considerations and the views of the minor in accordance with his or her age and maturity, including his or her background. In addition, specific procedural guarantees for unaccompanied minors should be laid down on account of their particular vulnerability, including the appointment of a representative.

(48) In accordance with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and with the Charter, respect for private and family life should be a primary consideration of Member States when applying this Regulation.

(62) In order to guarantee the effective protection of the applicants' fundamental rights to respect for private and family life, the rights of the child and the protection against inhuman and degrading treatment because of a transfer, applicants should have a right to an effective remedy, limited to those rights, in accordance, in particular, with Article 47 of the Charter and the relevant case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

(63) In order to facilitate the smooth application of this Regulation, Member States should in all cases indicate the Member State responsible in Eurodac after having concluded the procedures for determining the Member State responsible, including in cases where the responsibility results from the failure to respect the time limits for sending or replying to take charge requests, carrying out a transfer, as well as in cases where the Member State of first application becomes responsible or it is impossible to carry out the transfer to the Member State primarily responsible due to a real risk that the applicant will be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter as a result of the transfer to that Member State and subsequently another Member State is determined as responsible.

(87) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles which are guaranteed in Union and international law, including in the Charter. In particular, this Regulation seeks to ensure full observance of the right to asylum guaranteed by Article 18 of the Charter as well as the rights recognised under Articles 1, 4, 7, 24 and 47 thereof. Member States should therefore apply this Regulation accordingly, in full observance of those fundamental rights.

Article 16: Access to the procedure for examining an application for international protection

3.   Where it is impossible for a Member State to transfer an applicant to the Member State primarily designated as responsible because there are substantial grounds for believing that the applicant, because of the transfer to that Member State, would face a real risk of violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights that amounts to inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter, the determining Member State shall continue to examine the criteria set out in Chapter II or the clauses set out in Chapter III of this Part in order to establish whether another Member State can be designated as responsible.

Article 18 : Consequences of non-compliance

1.   Provided that the applicant has been informed of his or her obligations and the consequences of non-compliance therewith in accordance with Article 11(1), point (b), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1356 or Article 5(1) and 21 of Directive (EU) 2024/1346, the applicant shall not be entitled to the reception conditions set out in Articles 17 to 20 of that Directive in any Member State other than the one in which he or she is required to be present pursuant to Article 17(4) of this Regulation from the moment he or she has been notified of a decision to transfer him or her to the Member State responsible.

The first subparagraph shall be without prejudice to the need to ensure a standard of living in accordance with Union law, including the Charter, and international obligations.

Article 43: Remedies

1.   The applicant or another person as referred to in Article 36(1), points (b) and (c), shall have the right to an effective remedy, in the form of an appeal or a review, in fact and in law, against a transfer decision before a court or tribunal.

The scope of such remedy shall be limited to an assessment of:

(a) whether the transfer would, for the person concerned, result in a real risk of inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter;

Preamble 

(8) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights of third-country nationals and stateless persons and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’), in particular the respect and protection of human dignity, prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, respect for private and family life, the principle of the best interests of the child, the right to asylum and protection in the event of removal, expulsion or extradition, as well as the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, as supplemented by the New York Protocol of 31 January 1967 (the ‘Geneva Convention’). This Regulation should be implemented in compliance with the Charter and general principles of Union law as well as with international law. In order to reflect the primary consideration that must be given to the best interests of the child, in line with the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the need to respect family life, as well as to ensure the protection of the health of the persons concerned, safeguards should be applied in respect of minors and their family members, and of applicants for international protection (‘applicants’) whose state of health requires specific and adequate support. The rules and guarantees set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 should continue to apply in respect of persons subject to the derogations provided for in this Regulation, except where this Regulation provides otherwise. The rules set out in Directive (EU) 2024/1346 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7), including those concerning the detention of applicants, should continue to apply from the moment an application for international protection is made.

(18) In a situation of instrumentalisation, third-country nationals and stateless persons could apply for international protection at the external border or in a transit zone of a Member State, often being persons apprehended in connection with unauthorised crossings of the external border by land, sea or air or who are disembarked following search and rescue operations. This can lead, in particular, to an unexpected significant increase in the caseload of applications for international protection at the external borders. In that regard, effective and genuine access to the international protection procedure must be ensured in accordance with Article 18 of the Charter and the Geneva Convention.

(42) In situations of crisis and force majeure, the Member State should be authorised to derogate from Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 in order to register applications for international protection no later than four weeks after they are made. Such an extension should be without prejudice to the rights of asylum applicants guaranteed by the Charter, Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 and Directive (EU) 2024/1346. Without prejudice to the exception provided for during the period between the request and the adoption of the Council implementing decision, in a situation of crisis, characterised by mass arrivals of third-country nationals and stateless persons, the extension of the registration period should only be applied during the time period set out in the initial Council implementing decision.

Article 1: Subject matter

2.   Temporary measures adopted pursuant to this Regulation shall meet the requirements of necessity and proportionality, be appropriate to achieving their stated objectives and ensuring the protection of the rights of applicants and beneficiaries of international protection, and be consistent with the obligations of the Member States under the Charter, international law and the Union asylum acquis. This Regulation shall not affect the fundamental principles and guarantees, established by the legislative acts from which derogations are allowed pursuant to this Regulation.

Preamble 
(1) Trafficking in human beings is a serious crime, often committed within the framework of organised crime, a gross violation of fundamental rights and explicitly prohibited by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Preventing and combating trafficking in human beings is a priority for the Union and the Member States.

(8) Children are more vulnerable than adults and therefore at greater risk of becoming victims of trafficking in human beings. In the application of this Directive, the child’s best interests must be a primary consideration, in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

(10) This Directive is without prejudice to the principle of non-refoulement in accordance with the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (Geneva Convention), and is in accordance with Article 4 and Article 19(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

(33) This Directive respects fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and notably human dignity, the prohibition of slavery, forced labour and trafficking in human beings, the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the rights of the child, the right to liberty and security, freedom of expression and information, the protection of personal data, the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial and the principles of the legality and proportionality of criminal offences and penalties. In particular, this Directive seeks to ensure full respect for those rights and principles and must be implemented accordingly.

Article 1: Subject matter

This Directive establishes minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of trafficking in human beings. It also introduces common provisions, taking into account the gender perspective, to strengthen the prevention of this crime and the protection of the victims thereof.

Preamble 
(33) The best interests of the child should be a primary consideration of Member States when applying this Directive, in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter) and the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In assessing the best interest of the child, Member States should in particular take due account of the minor’s well-being and social development, including his or her background.

(39) In determining whether a situation of uncertainty prevails in the country of origin of an applicant, Member States should ensure that they obtain precise and up-to-date information from relevant sources such as EASO, UNHCR, the Council of Europe and other relevant international organisations. Member States should ensure that any postponement of conclusion of the procedure fully complies with their obligations under Directive 2011/95/EU and Article 41 of the Charter, without prejudice to the efficiency and fairness of the procedures under this Directive.

(60) This Directive respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter. In particular, this Directive seeks to ensure full respect for human dignity and to promote the application of Articles 1, 4, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, and 47 of the Charter and has to be implemented accordingly.

Article 13: Obligations of the applicants

1. Member States shall impose upon applicants the obligation to cooperate with the competent authorities with a view to establishing their identity and other elements referred to in Article 4(2) of Directive 2011/95/EU. Member States may impose upon applicants other obligations to cooperate with the competent authorities insofar as such obligations are necessary for the processing of the application.

2. In particular, Member States may provide that:

(a) applicants are required to report to the competent authorities or to appear before them in person, either without delay or at a specified time;

(b) applicants have to hand over documents in their possession relevant to the examination of the application, such as their passports;

(c) applicants are required to inform the competent authorities of their current place of residence or address and of any changes thereof as soon as possible. Member States may provide that the applicant shall have to accept any communication at the most recent place of residence or address which he or she indicated accordingly;

(d) the competent authorities may search the applicant and the items which he or she is carrying. Without prejudice to any search carried out for security reasons, a search of the applicant’s person under this Directive shall be carried out by a person of the same sex with full respect for the principles of human dignity and of physical and psychological integrity;

(e) the competent authorities may take a photograph of the applicant; and

(f) the competent authorities may record the applicant’s oral statements, provided he or she has previously been informed thereof.

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Article 30: Collection of information on individual cases

For the purposes of examining individual cases, Member States shall not:

(a) disclose information regarding individual applications for international protection, or the fact that an application has been made, to the alleged actor(s) of persecution or serious harm;

(b) obtain any information from the alleged actor(s) of persecution or serious harm in a manner that would result in such actor(s) being directly informed of the fact that an application has been made by the applicant in question, and would jeopardise the physical integrity of the applicant or his or her dependants, or the liberty and security of his or her family members still living in the country of origin.

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Article 45: Procedural rules

1. Member States shall ensure that, where the competent authority is considering withdrawing international protection from a third-country national or stateless person in accordance with Article 14 or 19 of Directive 2011/95/EU, the person concerned enjoys the following guarantees:

(a) to be informed in writing that the competent authority is reconsidering his or her qualification as a beneficiary of international protection and the reasons for such a reconsideration; and

(b) to be given the opportunity to submit, in a personal interview in accordance with Article 12(1)(b) and Articles 14 to 17 or in a written statement, reasons as to why his or her international protection should not be withdrawn.

2. In addition, Member States shall ensure that within the framework of the procedure set out in paragraph 1:

(a) the competent authority is able to obtain precise and up-to-date information from various sources, such as, where appropriate, from EASO and UNHCR, as to the general situation prevailing in the countries of origin of the persons concerned; and

(b) where information on an individual case is collected for the purposes of reconsidering international protection, it is not obtained from the actor(s) of persecution or serious harm in a manner that would result in such actor(s) being directly informed of the fact that the person concerned is a beneficiary of international protection whose status is under reconsideration, or jeopardise the physical integrity of the person or his or her dependants, or the liberty and security of his or her family members still living in the country of origin.

3. Member States shall ensure that the decision of the competent authority to withdraw international protection is given in writing. The reasons in fact and in law shall be stated in the decision and information on how to challenge the decision shall be given in writing.

4. Once the competent authority has taken the decision to withdraw international protection, Article 20, Article 22, Article 23(1) and Article 29 are equally applicable.

5. By way of derogation from paragraphs 1 to 4 of this Article, Member States may decide that international protection shall lapse by law where the beneficiary of international protection has unequivocally renounced his or her recognition as such. A Member State may also provide that international protection shall lapse by law where the beneficiary of international protection has become a national of that Member State. 

Preamble 
(25) During the screening, the best interests of the child should always be a primary consideration in accordance with Article 24(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’). Child protection authorities should, wherever necessary, be closely involved in the screening to ensure that the best interests of the child are duly taken into account throughout the screening. A representative should be appointed to represent and assist the unaccompanied minor during the screening or, where a representative has not been appointed, a person trained to safeguard the best interests and general wellbeing of the minor should be designated. Where applicable, that representative should be the same as the representative appointed in accordance with the rules on unaccompanied minors in Directive (EU) 2024/1346. The trained person should be the person designated to provisionally act as a representative under that Directive, where that person has been designated.

(37) A preliminary vulnerability check should be carried out with a view to identifying persons with indications of being vulnerable, of being victims of torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment, or of being stateless, or who may have special reception or procedural needs within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2024/1346 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1348, respectively. This should be without prejudice to further assessment in ensuing procedures following the completion of the screening. The vulnerability check should be carried out by specialised personnel of the screening authorities trained for that purpose.

(38) During the screening, all persons concerned should be guaranteed a standard of living complying with the Charter and have access to emergency health care and essential treatment of illnesses. Particular attention should be paid to individuals with vulnerabilities, such as pregnant women, elderly persons, single-parent families, persons with an immediately identifiable physical or mental disability, persons visibly having suffered psychological or physical trauma and unaccompanied minors. In particular, in the case of a minor, information should be provided in a child-friendly and age-appropriate manner. All the authorities involved in the performance of the tasks related to the screening should report any situation of vulnerabilities observed or reported to them, should respect human dignity and privacy, and should refrain from any discrimination.

Article 8 : Requirements concerning the screening

8.   Member States shall ensure that all persons subject to the screening are accorded a standard of living which guarantees their subsistence, protects their physical and mental health and respects their rights under the Charter.

Article 10 : Monitoring of fundamental rights

2.   Each Member State shall provide for an independent monitoring mechanism in accordance with the requirements set out in this Article, which shall:

(a) monitor compliance with Union and international law, including the Charter, in particular as regards access to the asylum procedure, the principle of non-refoulement, the best interest of the child and the relevant rules on detention, including relevant provisions on detention in national law, during the screening; and

(b) ensure that substantiated allegations of failure to respect fundamental rights in all relevant activities in relation to the screening are dealt with effectively and without undue delay, trigger, where necessary, investigations into such allegations and monitor the progress of such investigations.

Article 12: Preliminary health checks and vulnerabilities

3.   Third-country nationals subjected to the screening referred to in Articles 5 and 7 shall be subject to a preliminary vulnerability check by specialised personnel of the screening authorities trained for that purpose, with a view to identifying whether a third-country national might be a stateless person, vulnerable or a victim of torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment, or have special needs within the meaning of Directive 2008/115/EC, Article 25 of Directive (EU) 2024/1346 and Article 20 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1348. For the purpose of that vulnerability check, the screening authorities may be assisted by non-governmental organisations and, where relevant, by qualified medical personnel.

Article 13: Guarantees for minors

1.   During the screening, the best interests of the child shall always be a primary consideration in accordance with Article 24(2) of the Charter.

Preamble 

(19) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by Articles 2 and 6 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and by the Charter, in particular respect for human dignity, the right to life, the prohibition of torture and of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the prohibition of trafficking in human beings, the right to liberty and security, the right to the protection of personal data, the right to asylum and to protection against removal and expulsion, the principles of non-refoulement and non-discrimination, the right to an effective remedy and the rights of the child. This Regulation should be applied by Member States and the Agency in accordance with those rights and principles.

Preamble

(13) In accordance with the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration of Member States when applying this Regulation. In assessing the best interests of the child, Member States should, in particular, take due account of the minor’s well-being and social development, safety and security considerations and the views of the minor in accordance with his or her age and maturity, including his or her background. In addition, specific procedural guarantees for unaccompanied minors should be laid down on account of their particular vulnerability.

(19) In order to guarantee effective protection of the rights of the persons concerned, legal safeguards and the right to an effective remedy in respect of decisions regarding transfers to the Member State responsible should be established, in accordance, in particular, with Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In order to ensure that international law is respected, an effective remedy against such decisions should cover both the examination of the application of this Regulation and of the legal and factual situation in the Member State to which the applicant is transferred.

(39) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles which are acknowledged, in particular, in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In particular, this Regulation seeks to ensure full observance of the right to asylum guaranteed by Article 18 of the Charter as well as the rights recognised under Articles 1, 4, 7, 24 and 47 thereof. This Regulation should therefore be applied accordingly.

Article 3: Access to the procedure for examining an application for international protection

2.   Where no Member State responsible can be designated on the basis of the criteria listed in this Regulation, the first Member State in which the application for international protection was lodged shall be responsible for examining it.

Where it is impossible to transfer an applicant to the Member State primarily designated as responsible because there are substantial grounds for believing that there are systemic flaws in the asylum procedure and in the reception conditions for applicants in that Member State, resulting in a risk of inhuman or degrading treatment within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the determining Member State shall continue to examine the criteria set out in Chapter III in order to establish whether another Member State can be designated as responsible.

Where the transfer cannot be made pursuant to this paragraph to any Member State designated on the basis of the criteria set out in Chapter III or to the first Member State with which the application was lodged, the determining Member State shall become the Member State responsible.

Preamble 

(1) Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the  European Union (the Charter), Article 6 of the European  Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and  Fundamental Freedoms (the ECHR) and Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the ICCPR) enshrine the right to a fair trial. Article 48(2) of the Charter guarantees respect for the rights of the defence.

(12) This Directive lays down minimum rules concerning the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and in proceedings for the execution of a European arrest warrant pursuant to Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA of 13 June 2002 on the European arrest warrant and the surrender procedures between Member States (European arrest warrant proceedings) and the right to have a third party informed upon deprivation of liberty and to communicate with third persons and with consular authorities while deprived of liberty. In doing so, it promotes the application of the Charter, in particular Articles 4, 6, 7, 47 and 48 thereof, by building upon Articles 3, 5, 6 and 8 ECHR, as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights, which, in its case-law, on an ongoing basis, sets standards on the right of access to a lawyer. That case-law provides, inter alia, that the fairness of proceedings requires that a suspect or accused person be able to obtain the whole range of services specifically associated with legal assistance. In that regard, the lawyers of suspects or accused persons should be able to secure without restriction, the fundamental aspects of the defence.

(52) This Directive upholds the fundamental rights and principles recognised by the Charter, including the prohibition of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, the right to liberty and security, respect for private and family life, the right to the integrity of the person, the rights of the child, integration of persons with disabilities, the right to an effective remedy and the right to a fair trial, the presumption of innocence and the rights of the defence. This Directive should be implemented in accordance with those rights and principles.

Article 1: Subject matter

This Directive lays down minimum rules concerning the rights of suspects and accused persons in criminal proceedings and of persons subject to proceedings pursuant to Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA (‘European arrest warrant proceedings’) to have access to a lawyer, to have a third party informed of the deprivation of liberty and to communicate with third persons and with consular authorities while deprived of liberty.

Article 11: Legal aid