Regulation 2007/168 - EU Agency for Fundamental Rights - Main contents

SUMMARY OF:

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

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It creates the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), a dedicated, EU-level body which provides assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights in the EU, and lays down its main tasks and objectives, functioning and internal governance.

KEY POINTS

The regulation defines FRA’s tasks as the following:

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  supplying relevant, objective, reliable and comparable information and data to EU institutions and EU Member States on fundamental rights;
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  developing methods and standards to improve the comparability, objectivity and reliability of data at EU level;
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  carrying out, cooperating on or encouraging scientific research and surveys;
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  formulating conclusions and opinions on specific thematic topics;
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  issuing publications on specific fundamental rights topics;
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  publishing an annual report on the issues covered by its remit, highlighting examples of best practice;
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  designing a communication strategy and promoting dialogue with civil society to raise public awareness of fundamental rights and disseminate information about its work.

FRA is not a standard-setting body and does not deal with individual complaints.

5-year activity plan

FRA’s activities are based on a multiannual framework which identifies the specific issues on which it will work over a 5-year period, in line with the EU’s overall priorities. The current framework runs from 2018 to 2022.

The thematic areas identified in the framework are:

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  victims of crime and their access to justice;
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  equality and discrimination based on any grounds, such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation, or on the grounds of nationality;
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  information society and, in particular, respect for private life and protection of personal data;
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  judicial cooperation, except in criminal matters;
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  migration, borders, asylum and the integration of refugees and migrants;
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  racism, xenophobia and related intolerance;
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  children’s rights;
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  the integration and social inclusion of the Roma.

Cooperation with other bodies

FRA must maintain close links with:

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  the EU institutions,
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  Member States’ governments and civil society groups, such as the Fundamental Rights Platform,
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  equality bodies (e.g. the EU Institute for Gender Equality or the UN coordinating committee for national human rights institutions),
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  international organisations (Council of Europe, United Nations, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
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  candidate countries to the EU.

FROM WHEN DOES THIS REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 23 February 2007.

BACKGROUND

FRA replaced its predecessor body – the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia – in Vienna, taking over its work.

For more information see:

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  The European Fundamental Rights Agency’s Strategic Plan 2018-–2022 (FRA)
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  European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (Europa).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (OJ L 53, 22.2.2007, pp. 1–14).

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Council Decision (EU) 2017/2269 of 7 December 2017 establishing a Multiannual Framework for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for 2018–2022 (OJ L 326, 9.12.2017, pp. 1–4).

last update 05.10.2021

This summary has been adopted from EUR-Lex.