Embedding Fundamental Rights in Foresight: A guide for practitioners

This guide is intended for foresight practitioners, policymakers, fundamental rights experts, public authorities, civil-society organisations and others involved in forward-looking policy development, at the EU level and in the EU Member States. It is important to ensure, when foresight informs policy decisions, that applicable fundamental rights and corresponding obligations are taken into account and form part of the baseline for the exploration of future scenarios. Integrating fundamental rights considerations from the outset helps identify how choices made today and future developments may affect the exercise, protection and enforcement of rights.

The guide can be consulted when designing, commissioning, conducting or reviewing a foresight exercise. It can be used at the start of an exercise to identify relevant rights and groups affected, during the exercise to inform participation and analysis, and at the end to review findings, policy options and communication.

The guide is organised into three sections: a section on why fundamental rights matter in foresight, a section laying down principles for embedding fundamental rights in foresight and a section on the implementation of these principles. These sections are followed by a glossary of selected terms and a list of useful resources.

Readers who need a quick entry point can begin with the section ‘How to get started’ and the section on the ‘Implementation guide’. Readers who want to find out about the underlying rationale and principles on which the guide is based can first consult the following sections; ‘Why fundamental rights matter in foresight’, and ‘Principles for embedding fundamental rights in foresight principles’.