EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

ACT

Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

SUMMARY

The Agency for Fundamental Rights provides EU institutions and governments with assistance on fundamental rights when implementing EU law.

WHAT DOES THIS REGULATION DO?

It creates a dedicated, EU-level body for fundamental rights - the Agency - and lays down its main tasks and objectives, functioning and internal governance.

KEY POINTS

The regulation defines the Agency’s activities as the following:

• supplying expertise to EU institutions and EU countries on fundamental rights, so they can make sure any action they take or laws they pass complies with these rights,
• formulating opinions for EU institutions and governments either on its own initiative or at their request (for example on whether their actions or legislative proposals are compatible with fundamental rights),
• collecting, analysing and distributing reliable and comparable information on the specific effects of EU action on people’s fundamental rights,
• undertaking scientific research and surveys on fundamental rights,
• issuing publications on specific topics or on the implementation of fundamental rights law by EU institutions and governments,
• publishing an annual report on the issues covered by its remit, highlighting examples of best practice,
• designing communication strategies or campaigns and promoting dialogue with civil society to raise public awareness of fundamental rights,
• suggesting mechanisms for enforcing these rights.

The Agency does not, however, deal with individual complaints.

5-yearly activity plans

The Agency’s activities are based on a Multiannual Framework adopted by the EU Council which identifies the specific issues it will work on over a 5-year period, in line with the EU’s overall priorities.

These must include ‘ racism, xenophobia and related intolerance’.

Cooperation with other bodies

The Agency must maintain close links with:

• the EU institutions,
• EU countries’ governments and civil society groups, such as the Fundamental Rights Platform,
• equality bodies (e.g. EU Institute for Gender Equality or the UN coordinating committee for National Human Rights Institutions),
• international organisations (Council of Europe, United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe,
• candidate countries to the EU.

WHEN DOES THIS REGULATION APPLY?

From 23 February 2007.

BACKGROUND

The Agency replaced its predecessor body - the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia - in Vienna, taking over its work.

For more information see:

• The European Fundamental Rights Agency’s Strategic Plan 2013-2017,
• EU Agencies website.

RELATED ACTS

Council Decision No 252/2013/EU of 11 March 2013 establishing a Multiannual Framework for 2013-2017 for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (OJ L 79, 21.3.2013, pp. 1-3)

last update 30.07.2015