eu-charter

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Nothing in this Charter shall be interpreted as implying any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms recognised in this Charter or at their limitation to a greater extent than is provided for herein.

Explanations

  • Text:

    This Article corresponds to Article 17 of the ECHR:

    "Nothing in this Convention may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein or at their limitation to a greater extent than is provided for in the Convention."

    Source:
    Official Journal of the European Union C 303/17 - 14.12.2007
    Preamble - Explanations relating to the Charter of Fundamental Rights:
    These explanations were originally prepared under the authority of the Praesidium of the Convention which drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Although they do not as such have the status of law, they are a valuable tool of interpretation intended to clarify the provisions of the Charter.

Case Law References

National Constitutional Law

16 results found

  • Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
    Country:
    Germany

    Article 18 Whoever abuses the freedom of expression, in particular the freedom of the press (paragraph (1) of Article 5), the freedom of teaching (paragraph (3) of Article 5), the freedom of assembly (Article 8), the freedom of association (Article 9), the privacy of correspondence, posts and telecommunications (Article 10), the rights of property (Article 14), or the right of asylum (Article 16a) in order to combat the free democratic basic order shall forfeit these basic rights. This forfeiture and its extent shall be declared by the Federal Constitutional Court.

  • Constitution of the Hellenic Republic
    URL:
    Country:
    Greece

    Article 25(...) Abuse of rights shall be prohibited. (...)

  • Constitution of the Hellenic Republic
    Country:
    Greece

    Article 25 (3) The abusive exercise of rights is not permitted […]

  • Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria
    Country:
    Bulgaria

    Art. 57. (2) Rights shall not be abused, nor shall they be exercised to the detriment of the rights or the legitimate interests of others.

  • Constitution of the Republic of Croatia
    Country:
    Croatia

     

     

     

  • Constitution of the Republic of Estonia
    Country:
    Estonia

    Article 10. The rights, freedoms and duties set out in this chapter do not preclude other rights, freedoms and duties which arise from the spirit of the Constitution or are in accordance therewith, and which are in conformity with the principles of human dignity, social justice and democratic government founded on the rule of law.

  • Czechia / Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
    Country:
    Czechia

    Article 4 (...) (4) When employing the provisions concerning limitations upon the fundamental rights and freedoms, the essence and significance of these rights and freedoms must be preserved. Such limitations shall not be misused for purposes other than those for which they were enacted.

  • European Convention on Human Rights - Article 17
    Country:
    Austria

    Article 17

    Nothing in this Convention may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein or at their limitation to a greater extent than is provided for in the Convention.

  • Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland
    Country:
    Germany

    Artikel 18 Wer die Freiheit der Meinungsäußerung, insbesondere die Pressefreiheit (Artikel 5 Abs. 1), die Lehrfreiheit (Artikel 5 Abs. 3), die Versammlungsfreiheit (Artikel 8), die Vereinigungsfreiheit (Artikel 9), das Brief-, Post- und Fernmeldegeheimnis (Artikel 10), das Eigentum (Artikel 14) oder das Asylrecht (Artikel 16a) zum Kampfe gegen die freiheitliche demokratische Grundordnung mißbraucht, verwirkt diese Grundrechte. Die Verwirkung und ihr Ausmaß werden durch das Bundesverfassungsgericht ausgesprochen.

  • Konvention zum Schutze der Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten
    Country:
    Austria

    Artikel 17 Keine Bestimmung dieser Konvention darf dahin ausgelegt werden, daß sie für einen Staat, eine Gruppe oder eine Person das Recht begründet, eine Tätigkeit auszuüben oder eine Handlung zu begehen, die auf die Abschaffung der in der vorliegenden Konvention festgelegten Rechte und Freiheiten oder auf weitergehende Beschränkungen dieser Rechte und Freiheiten, als in der Konvention vorgesehen, hinzielt.

  • Portugal / Constitution of the Portuguese Republic
    Country:
    Portugal

    Article 16 (Scope and interpretation of fundamental rights) (1) The fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution shall not exclude any other set out in applicable international laws and legal rules. (2) The constitutional precepts concerning fundamental rights must be interpreted and completed in harmony with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    ...
    Article 18 (Legal force) (1) The constitutional precepts with regard to rights, freedoms and guarantees are directly applicable and are binding on public and private entities. (2) The law may only restrict rights, freedoms and guarantees in cases expressly provided for in the Constitution, and such restrictions must be limited to those needed to safeguard other constitutionally protected rights and interests. (3). Laws that restrict rights, freedoms and guarantees must have a general and abstract nature and may not have a retroactive effect or reduce the extent or scope of the essential content of the constitutional precepts.

  • Slovakia / Constitution of the Slovak Republic
    Country:
    Slovakia

    Article 1 (1) The Slovak Republic is a sovereign, democratic state governed by the rule of law.(...)

  • The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus
    Country:
    Cyprus

    Article 34
    Nothing in this Part may be interpreted as implying for any Community, group or person any right to engage in any activity or perform any act aimed at the undermining or destruction of the constitutional order established by this Constitution or at the destruction of any of the rights and liberties set forth in this Part or at their limitation to a greater extent than is provided for therein.

  • Tο Σύνταγμα της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας
    Country:
    Cyprus

    ΑΡΘΡΟΝ 34
    Ουδέν εκ των εν τω παρόντι, μέρει διαλαμβανομένων δύναται να ερμηνευθή ως παρέχον οιονδήποτε δικαίωμα εις οιονδήποτε κοινότητα, ομάδα ή άτομον να επιδοθή εις οιανδήποτε δράσιν ή εκτέλεσιν οιασδήποτε πράξεως σκοπούσης την υπονόμευσιν ή την κατάργησιν της υπό του Συντάγματος καθιδρυομένης συνταγματικής τάξεως ή την κατάργησιν οιουδήποτε εκ των εν τω παρόντι μέρει καθοριζομένων δικαιωμάτων ή ελευθεριών ή τον περιορισμόν αυτών εις μεγαλύτερον του οριζομένου εν τω παρόντι μέρει βαθμόν.

  • Το Σύνταγμα της Ελλάδας
    Country:
    Greece

    Άρθρο 25 (3) Η καταχρηστική άσκηση δικαιώματος δεν επιτρέπεται. [...]

  • КОНСТИТУЦИЯ на Република България
    Country:
    Bulgaria

    Чл. 57. (2) Не се допуска злоупотреба с права, както и тяхното упражняване, ако то накърнява права или законни интереси на други.

EU Law

0 results found

International Law

0 results found

Publications and data

  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    23
    October
    2018
    UA version now available
    30 April 2026
    As a very modern human rights catalogue containing many rights not found in established bills of rights, the Charter indeed looks good on paper. Those familiar with the main principles of EU law can usually quickly recite that the Charter is always binding on the EU, and binding on Member States only when they are "implementing EU law". But what does this often-quoted language from Article 51 of the Charter actually mean?
  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    7
    April
    2022
    12 new language versions now available
    04 March 2026
    Children are full-fledged holders of rights. They are beneficiaries of all human and fundamental rights and subjects of special regulations, given their specific characteristics. This handbook aims to illustrate how European law and case law accommodate the specific interests and needs of children. It also considers the importance of parents and guardians or other legal representatives and makes reference, where appropriate, to situations in which rights and responsibilities are most prominently vested in children’s carers. It is a point of reference on both European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE) law related to these subjects, explaining how each issue is regulated under EU law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as under the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and other CoE instruments.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    14
    December
    2020
    Slovenian version now available
    20 December 2024
    Artificial intelligence (AI) already plays a role in deciding what unemployment benefits someone gets, where a burglary is likely to take place, whether someone is at risk of cancer, or who sees that catchy advertisement for low mortgage rates. Its use keeps growing, presenting seemingly endless possibilities. But we need to make sure to fully uphold fundamental rights standards when using AI. This report presents concrete examples of how companies and public administrations in the EU are using, or trying to use, AI. It focuses on four core areas – social benefits, predictive policing, health services and targeted advertising.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    28
    February
    2023
    12 new language versions available
    17 December 2024
    Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine triggered scenes not seen in Europe for decades. It has since caused death, immense destruction, and unspeakable suffering. It also set in motion a mass movement of people not seen since World War II. To protect them, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time. In doing so, all EU Member States must offer protection to those displaced from Ukraine.
  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    19
    August
    2022
    DA, ET, FI, LT, PT, SV versions now available
    30 July 2024
    The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFREU) is the EU’s bill of rights. It always binds the EU institutions and the Member States when they act within the scope of EU law. However, it is far from easy to assess whether a concrete case falls within the scope of EU law. This is why it is necessary to provide training and training material to legal professionals so that they can understand the field of application of the Charter as laid out in its Article 51. This trainer’s manual aims at providing guidance on both the organisation and the implementation of such trainings based on a series of case studies,
    which will be extended in the future.
  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    25
    May
    2018
    Arabic version now available
    18 July 2024
    The rapid development of information technology has exacerbated the need for robust personal data protection, the right to which is safeguarded by both European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE) instruments. Safeguarding this important right entails new and significant challenges as technological advances expand the frontiers of areas such as surveillance, communication interception and data storage. This handbook is designed to familiarise legal practitioners not specialised in data protection with this emerging area of the law.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    25
    October
    2022
    02 November 2022
    This report presents findings from FRA’s 2021 survey on Roma in Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain, as well as in North Macedonia and Serbia. The survey includes interviews with more than 8,400 Roma, collecting information on more than 20,000 individuals living in their households. By focusing on Roma, the survey provides unique data and information that are not available from European general population surveys, which do not disaggregate on grounds of ethnic origin. The findings present a bleak but familiar picture of exclusion, deprivation, discrimination and racism.
  • Fundamental Rights Report
    8
    June
    2022
    All language versions now available
    14 September 2022
    The year 2021 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2022 reviews major developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered, and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.
  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    24
    July
    2020
    All language versions now available
    12 September 2022
    This practical guidance addresses border-management staff in European Union (EU) Member States who work at the operational level. It aims to support them in implementing the fundamental rights safeguards of the Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) No. 2016/399) and related EU law instruments in their daily work, when carrying out controls at external land borders.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    7
    July
    2021
    Italian version now available
    12 September 2022
    This report examines why victims do not report bias-motivated incidents and the barriers that they face when reporting incidents through national crime reporting systems. By mapping existing practices that have a bearing on the victim’s experiences when reporting bias-motivated violence and harassment, it aims to provide evidence to support national efforts to encourage and facilitate reporting – and ultimately assist Member States in delivering on their duties with regard to combating hate crime.