Stöd till människorättssystem och människorättsförsvarare

FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2024 analyses the year’s developments in fundamental rights. It focuses on the most pressing fundamental rights concerns facing Europe in 2023: the cost-of-living crisis, rights concerns at the EU’s external borders and migration, and threats to democracy. Re-structured, this year’s new approach is a shorter and sharper analysis. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a summary of the evidence supporting these opinions.

År 2023 innebar både framgångar och motgångar för skyddet av de grundläggande rättigheterna. FRA:s rapport om grundläggande rättigheter 2024 innehåller en granskning av händelserna på området och pekar ut både framsteg och återstående problemområden. I publikationen presenteras FRA:s yttranden om den huvudsakliga utvecklingen på de berörda tematiska områdena, tillsammans med en översikt över det underlag som ligger till grund för dessa yttranden. Den ger en kortfattad men informativ översikt över de viktigaste utmaningarna för EU och dess medlemsstater när det gäller grundläggande rättigheter.

The 2024 update on NHRIs accreditation status and mandates also covers their engagement in the monitoring of fundamental rights compliance in the use of EU funds at national level. Moreover, the update also shows how NHRIs make use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in their work when advising government or in education, training and awareness raising activities. Since its 2020 report 'Strong and effective national human rights institutions – challenges, promising practices and opportunities', the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has been regularly tracking the accreditation status and mandates of NHRIs.

All EU funds must be spent in a way that respect fundamental rights. The EU spends billions of euros on creating jobs, economic growth, sustainable development and improving people’s lives. To prevent funds from being spent in ways that directly violate people’s fundamental rights, the EU strengthened the conditions how funds can be spent in 2021. This report looks at how the newly introduced conditions related to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can be upheld in practice. It analyses the potential role of national human rights institutions, ombudsperson institutions and equality bodies. These safeguards can advance compliance with fundamental rights.

FRA’s strategic priorities and objectives are based on the agency’s role and mission as defined in its amended founding regulation. They build on FRA’s 2018–2022 strategy as well as how it performed, its experience and its vision. Their design takes into account future fundamental rights challenges facing Europe, the agency’s mandate, the broader operational context and the resources available.

Civil society organisations struggle to maintain an environment safe from threats and attacks. FRA’s sixth annual update on civic space explores the challenges for organisations across the EU. While there has been significant development since FRA began monitoring the situation in 2018, civil society organisations remain under immense pressure. Abusive lawsuits and attacks against those involved in migrant search and rescue at sea are just some of the challenges identified. This report presents ways forward to protect civil society and human rights.

Across the world, human rights defenders protect and uphold human rights in some of the most challenging situations. In some countries they face worrying levels of threats and attacks, intimidation and harassment. This report outlines how human rights defenders can enter and stay in the EU when they need protection. It suggests how EU institutions and Member States could use the flexibility in existing legal provisions and provide shelter for defenders who seek protection.

FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2023 reviews major developments in the field in 2022, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.

National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) continue to play a key role in upholding fundamental rights. FRA keeps track of the accreditation status and the mandates of the NHRIs. In 2022, the NHRI in Cyprus was upgraded to an ‘A-status’ institution. In addition, the mandates of six NHRIs changed to include child protection or the protection of LGBTI people.

Europe stands at a delicate moment in its history. It is a moment of existential significance for the wellbeing and sustainability of our societies. It is emerging from the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease, only to face a set of major overlapping challenges. These pose profound questions about the political, economic and societal future of the continent. To discuss elements of a human rights vision for the future and to identify opportunities for action, FRA brought together a group of sixty human rights leaders and experts with diverse backgrounds
from across the continent. This report distils the meeting discussions, including analysis and ideas, and concludes with proposals for action. It does not represent the views either of individual participants or of FRA.

Europe stands at a delicate moment in its history, facing a convergence of major tests. Each of them taken on their own is significant. Together, they pose profound questions about the political, economic, and societal future of the continent. This is a moment for strong commitment to put human rights at the heart of our vision for Europe’s future. It is also time to demonstrate our determination to work together to this end. Against this backdrop, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) brought together around sixty human rights leaders and experts from across the continent to discuss elements of a human rights vision for the future and to identify opportunities for action. A full conference report will be available soon, including the specific ideas and proposals which arose from the meeting. Meanwhile, this is a summary of the conclusions.

Europeiska unionens stadga om de grundläggande rättigheterna är
Europeiska unionens regelverk för rättigheter. Den är alltid bindande
för EU:s institutioner och medlemsstater när de agerar inom ramen för
EU-rätten. Det är dock allt annat än enkelt att bedöma om ett konkret
fall omfattas av EU-rätten. Därför är det nödvändigt att tillhandahålla
utbildningsmaterial till jurister och att utbilda dem så att de förstår
tillämpningsområdet för stadgan enligt dess artikel 51.
Syftet med denna manual för utbildare är att ge vägledning om både
organisation och genomförande av sådana utbildningar på grundval av en
rad fallstudier, som kommer att utvidgas i framtiden.

Civilsamhällsorganisationer runtom i EU ställs inför olika utmaningar. I sin rapport Protecting civic space in the EU (Att skydda det medborgerliga utrymmet i EU) diskuterar FRA de slutsatser byrån dragit avseende dessa utmaningar. Rapporten gavs ut i september 2021, och denna sammanfattning innehåller de viktigaste slutsatserna och FRA:s yttranden i rapporten.

Civil society is a key component of Europe’s fundamental rights architecture. From supporting people affected by the pandemic to helping those fleeing the war in Ukraine, civil society plays a crucial role in upholding people’s rights. In so doing, it contributes to a healthy rule of law culture. FRA’s civic space report provides an overview of the many ways in which civil society contributes to the checks and balances that underpin the rule of law.