Newsroom

On 22 January, the FRA Director visited the first reception centre in Pournara, where 118 asylum applicants, including some unaccompanied children, were staying. The visit enabled FRA to engage with operational staff, gain insight into practical challenges, and better tailor its work to on-the-ground realities.
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On 21 January, FRA and the Frontex Consultative Forum on Fundamental Rights attended the 108th Frontex Management Board meeting.
FRA met with the Ombudsman of Cyprus and her team on 20 January to discuss the status of the establishment of an independent mechanism to monitor fundamental rights under the Screening and Asylum Procedure Regulations.
On 19-20 January, FRA visited international IDEA to scope out possibilities of closer cooperation in the area of democracy and fundamental rights.
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FRA Director will travel to Dublin on 4-5 February to carry out a preparatory mission to learn about Ireland’s priorities for its upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union (July-December 2026) and to offer FRA’s expertise, evidence, and support.
FRA’s Director will take part in the EU-OHCHR strategic dialogue on 3 February, chaired by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Kajsa Ollongren.
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FRA will take part in the opening panel of the Council of Europe conference, Shaping democratic renewal: Civic space and the path to a New Democratic Pact for Europe, held on 2–3 February in Strasbourg.
The lack of reliable and comparable data continues to undermine efforts to counter antisemitism, finds the latest report on antisemitism from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
Sirpa Rautio
FRA Director joined the working lunch discussions during the informal Justice and Home Affairs Agencies meeting in Nicosia on 23 January. The focus was on a Cypriot EU Presidency discussion paper promoting diversion to drug treatment for youngsters within the criminal justice system.
FRA held an online information session on 22 January for national authorities on the findings of the FRA report Assessing High-risk Artificial Intelligence: Fundamental Rights Risks.
The European Commission in cooperation with FRA is organising a national dialogue on the rule of law in Croatia that will take place on 28 January. It will be held at the premises of the Commission Representation in Zagreb.
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FRA and the EEA and Norway Grants have stepped up their cooperation, including on civic space and Roma inclusion. For civic space, the Grants are funding a 5-year programme implemented by FRA, which comprises three pillars: an online civic space information hub, providing advice to Member States on civic space protection which includes national civic space dialogues, a community of practice and capacity building.
FRA’s Director will exchange views on the OSCE’s human dimension with Heads of the EU Member States Permanent Representations to the OSCE, and the Head of the EU Delegation to the International Organisations in Vienna.
On 29 January, FRA Director Sirpa Rautio will meet with the Head of the Council of Europe’s Liaison Office in Vienna, Ambassador Gerhard Doujak at FRA premises.
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Next week in Brussels from 28 to 29 January, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) will take part in the European Commission’s foresight process, led by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Secretariat-General.
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FRA will host a consultation meeting in Vienna from 28 to 29 January. It will bring together Ombuds Offices for Children and leading child rights advocates from across Europe.
FRA took part in an International Organisation for Migration webinar on the training of guardians on 13 January. FRA presented its Manual for Guardians’ Trainers and related e learning modules available on its e-learning platform.
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on European standardisation related to artificial intelligence (AI).
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FRA will host a consultation meeting in Vienna from 28 to 29 January. It will bring together Ombuds Offices for Children and leading child rights advocates from across Europe.