Human rights

Respect for human rights and dignity, together with the principles of freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law, are values common to all European Union (EU) countries. They also guide the EU's action both inside and outside its borders.

European action in this area is based on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to which the Charter of Fundamental Rights, proclaimed in 2000, is annexed. Since 2009, the Charter has been legally binding on the EU institutions and national governments (when they are implementing EU law). The Charter is consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights​ ​​ (adopted in the framework of the Council of Europe). However, it does not, as such, establish any new rights but serves to gather together existing rights that had been scattered between different sources.

• Human rights in the EU: fundamental rights
  • Citizens, equality, rights and values programme (2021–2027)
  • Institutions, agencies & bodies
    • Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women
    • The European Ombudsman
    • European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
    • EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
  • The Charter of Fundamental Rights
    • Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
    • Putting the Charter of Fundamental Rights into practice
    • Promoting and safeguarding the EUs values
    • Dignity
      • EU ban on trade in instruments of torture
      • Report on impact of EU funding to stop torture and the death penalty
      • Protocol against the trafficking of people
      • ILO Forced Labour Protocol: ratification by EU countries
      • EU guidelines on torture and other cruel treatment
      • EU guidelines on death penalty
    • Freedoms
      • Data protection in the electronic communications sector
      • Right to be forgotten on the Internet
      • Procedural safeguards for vulnerable persons in criminal proceedings
      • Protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies
      • Protection at international level of the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities
      • Protecting personal data that is used by police and criminal justice authorities (from 2018)
      • Media freedom and pluralism in the digital environment
      • Non-EU workers - easier residence and work formalities
      • General data protection regulation (GDPR)
    • Equality
      • Non-discrimination and equal opportunities in the European Union
      • Racism and xenophobia
        • Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)
        • Roma equality, inclusion and participation
        • Returning illegal immigrants — common standards and procedures
        • Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law
        • Equal treatment irrespective of racial or ethnic origin
        • Citizens, equality, rights and values programme (2021–2027)
      • Equality between women and men
        • Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women
        • Equal treatment in employment and occupation
        • EU accession to Istanbul Convention
        • European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
        • Gender equality in the labour market
        • Protecting pregnant workers and new mothers
        • Parental leave
        • Principle of equal treatment of men and women outside the employment market
        • Work-life balance for parents and carers
        • Self-employment — equal treatment between men and women
        • Social security — equal treatment for men and women
      • Minorities
        • National Roma integration strategies: common European framework
        • Roma equality, inclusion and participation
      • Children's rights
        • EU strategy on the rights of the child
        • The European Union and Children's Rights
        • EU strategy on the rights of the child and the European child guarantee
      • Rights of the elderly
        • Using IT to improve the quality of life of the elderly
      • Integration of persons with disabilities
        • Directive implementing the Marrakesh Treaty in the EU
        • Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities
        • The Marrakesh Treaty
        • Regulation implementing the Marrakesh Treaty in the EU
        • Protection at international level of the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities
    • Solidarity
      • Collective redundancies: staff information and consultation
      • Reintegrating the long-term unemployed into the labour market
      • Protection of young people at work
      • Informing and consulting employees — European Works Councils
      • European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (2021-2027)
      • European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020)
      • EURES: Job search services across the EU
      • EU general rules on employee information and consultation
      • Ensuring that EU workers’ rights are respected when working abroad
      • Consumer information, right of withdrawal and other consumer rights
    • Citizens' rights
      • Accelerating the digital transformation of governments in the EU — 2016-2020 action plan
      • The European Ombudsman
      • The European Citizens’ Initiative
      • The right to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal elections
      • EU freedom of movement and residence
      • EU consular protection: better protection for EU citizens abroad
      • Emergency travel document (ETD)
      • Citizens, equality, rights and values programme (2021–2027)
      • Access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents
    • Justice
      • Legal aid in criminal proceedings
      • Legal aid in civil and commercial matters
      • Right to access a lawyer in criminal and European warrant arrest proceedings
      • Protecting personal data that is used by police and criminal justice authorities (from 2018)
      • Promoting videoconferencing between EU countries in the area of justice
      • Compensation for victims of crime in other EU countries
      • Better protection for victims in criminal proceedings
      • Criminal proceedings — Presumption of innocence and the right to be present at the trial
      • Right to information in criminal proceedings
      • Protection of persons who report breaches of EU law
      • Justice programme (2021-2027)
      • Fair trial: suspects’ right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings
• Human rights in non-EU countries
  • Guidelines on Human rights
    • EU guidelines on human rights dialogues with non-EU countries
    • EU guidelines on the promotion of compliance with international humanitarian law
    • Violence against women and girls: EU guidelines
    • EU guidelines on torture and other cruel treatment
    • Human Rights Defenders — EU support
    • Human Rights Defenders — EU support
    • EU guidelines on death penalty
    • Agreement between the EU and the International Criminal Court (ICC)
  • Promoting Human rights in non-EU countries
    • European Genocide Network
    • EU global election assistance and observation strategy
    • EU ban on trade in instruments of torture
    • EU restrictive measures against North Korea
    • Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities
    • Restrictive measures in view of the situation in Sudan
    • Restrictive measures against Zimbabwe
    • Restrictive measures against the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    • Restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses
    • Restrictive measures against Iran
    • General Framework for EU Sanctions
    • Imposition of EU sanctions to address the situation in Venezuela
    • Global Europe — the EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument
    • EU Restrictive measures against Syria
    • EU restrictive measures in view of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
  • Children's rights in non-EU countries
    • Protecting children’s rights — 2017 guidelines
    • Children as a focus of EU external action
    • Children’s rights and armed conflict
• Archived summaries
  • A framework strategy for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all
  • The Hague Programme: 10 priorities for the next five years
  • Social and economic integration of Roma
  • Trust in Europe’s transparent and democratic legal systems
  • The European Ombudsman
  • The EU's Social Investment package
  • The EU’s 2009 Annual Report on Human Rights
  • Towards a Strategy on the Rights of the Child
  • The citizens’ initiative
  • The Stockholm Programme
  • The principle of equal treatment between persons
  • Roma integration in the context of equal treatment
  • Recognition of decisions in criminal matters: strengthening mutual trust
  • Objective data for more effective justice: EU justice scoreboard
  • Promoting human rights and democratisation in third countries
  • Promoting democracy and human rights in non-EU countries (2014-20)
  • Justice Programme (2014-2020)
  • Integration of Roma in the area of housing
  • Integration of Roma in the area of employment
  • Integration of Roma in the area of education
  • Integration of Roma in the area of healthcare
  • Fundamental rights and citizenship (2007-13)
  • Green Paper on mutual recognition of non-custodial pre-trial supervision measures
  • Green Paper on criminal proceedings
  • Human rights and relations in the Mediterranean
  • Human rights and democracy - the EU's new action plan
  • European Union Annual Report on Human Rights - 2002
  • European Union Annual Report on Human Rights 2001
  • European initiative for democracy and human rights (EIDHR) (2000-2006)
  • European Disability Strategy (2010-2020)
  • Europe for Citizens: Bringing the EU closer to citizens
  • EU report on human rights in 2003
  • EU justice policy: the way forward
  • EU guidelines on the rights of the child
  • EU guidelines on the death penalty
  • Erasmus+ — EU transnational partnerships in education, training, youth and sport
  • Ensuring the consistent implementation of rights
  • Cooperation with indigenous peoples
  • Contribution to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
  • Community Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers
  • Combating violence towards children, adolescents and women: Daphne III programme (2007-2013)
  • Code of practice to clamp down on sexual harassment at work
  • Civil Justice specific programme (2007-2013)
  • Ban on trade in torture instruments
  • Annual Report on Human Rights 2008
  • Annual Report on Human Rights 2007
  • Annual Report on Human Rights 2006
  • Annual report on human rights 2005
  • A financing instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights in the world (2007 – 2013)
  • Action to combat violence against children, young persons and women: the Daphne programme
  • Action to prevent violence against children, young people and women: the DAPHNE II programme (2004-08)
  • Action plan on the Stockholm Programme
  • Action plan on unaccompanied minors (2010-14)