Newsroom

On 23 June, FRA jointly with the Spanish Maritime Rescue Agency delivered an awareness raising session on Search and Rescue at sea for staff from the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA).
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FRA, the French Equality body (Défenseur des droits) and the French NHRI (Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme - CNCDH), will hold a round-table discussion to jointly launch the results of FRA’s Roma and Traveller Survey in France.
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On 7 July, FRA will launch a new report on encouraging hate crime reporting during the EU high-level group on racism. The group serves as a platform to support EU and national efforts to prevent and combat hate crime and hate speech.
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The FRA Director will attend the informal meeting of the Council’s Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) on 8 July.
FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty and the Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić agreed and exchanged letters on further developing cooperation for the European Union Fundamental Rights Information System (EFRIS). EFRIS brings together data about the acceptance of human rights treaties as well as assessment by monitoring mechanisms.
FRA’s Director Michael O’Flaherty will meet Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, in Vienna on 5 July. They will discuss how to further strengthen cooperation between FRA and ODIHR and exchange views on respective current and future priorities.
Michael O’Flaherty
FRA Director delivers a speech on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, 20 years later, on 28 September 2020 at a conference to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Charter’s entering into force, organised by the University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona.
Significant barriers to reporting hate crime across the EU hinder victims’ access to protection and justice, finds a new report of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Many victims do not report attacks, as it is too difficult or they do not trust the police. FRA calls on EU countries to encourage hate crime reporting, improve its recording and ensure victims can get support, protection and justice.
Michael O'Flaherty
FRA Director address a Peer Learning Activity under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU on 22 June 2021 on a rights-based approach to youth policies.
Over 70 representatives from EU Member States, EU and UN agencies took part in a migrant children expert group meeting on 24 June.
FRA presented key findings at two events from its latest Coronavirus Bulletin on ensuring fair and equal access to vaccines for all. The first took place on 23 June, during a webinar hosted by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
FRA joined other EU justice and home affairs agencies in a European Commission meeting on the new 2021-2027 HOME Funds. The funds include the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund, the Border Management and Visa Instrument, and the Internal Security Fund.
FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty addressed the European Economic and Social Committee’s Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship Section on 21 June. He presented different FRA tools that can support EESC members in their work.
FRA will join an online panel discussion on 1 July on good practices for a child-friendly court. The panel aims to discuss good models of multi- and inter-disciplinary approaches in criminal proceedings that can support child participation, protect their best interests, and improve the quality of professional interventions through individual assessments.
On 30 June, FRA will hold a webinar on interviewing techniques for child victims of trafficking. CEPOL, the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training, runs the webinar. Law enforcement officers and police psychologists who are confronted with child victims in their daily work will take part.
On 30 June, FRA will present key findings from its Fundamental Rights Report 2021 during a workshop organized by the European Policy Institute in North Macedonia, the agency’s research contractor in the country. North Macedonia’s Minister of Justice, its observers to FRA’s Management Board and National Liaison Officer will join the event.
The FRA Director will exchange views with the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on inhumane prison conditions in the EU - before and during the pandemic.
FRA will speak on 22 June during an online workshop on human rights-based public services.
Irregular migrants can fall victim to exploitative employers. The EU has rules to protect migrant workers in an irregular situation from exploitation and abuse, but gaps remain in their enforcement, finds a new report by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Workers do not know their rights or how to complain, and even when they do, they may not receive compensation due. EU countries should do better to protect migrant workers’ rights under existing EU rules.
On World Refugee Day on 20 June, the Council of Europe and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) are joining forces to strengthen their cooperation on human rights protection at the European borders.