Liberties, and other human rights organizations, call for a stronger use of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to enhance rights protection in the EU. Despite the Charter’s comprehensive framework, its effectiveness is hindered by a lack of transparency and underutilization of available tools. This, coupled with the European Commission’s slow and cautious approach, threatens accountability and puts its role as the guardian of the treaties at stake. During the last legislative cycle, key developments occurred. In a landmark judgment in Commission v Hungary, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Hungary’s 2017 NGO law was discriminatory and violated several rights, including the right to freedom of association. Additional rights-based cases followed, including a pending case on LGBTQI+ rights. Under the new financial framework, the European Commission also launched a novel funding stream to enhance skills and knowledge for litigating Charter rights. Human rights groups advocate for a concerted approach, including strategic funding, to maximize the Charter’s impact in the new legislative term. Read more here.
Source: Liberties