2012 report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Abstract

The 2012 Report on the Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights informs the public about the situations in which they can rely on the EU Charter, and on the role of the European Union in the field of fundamental rights. It highlights how the fundamental rights enshrined in the EU Charter are relevant across a range of policies for which the Union is responsible. The annual report is the basis for the necessary dialogue between all the EU institutions and Member States on the implementation of the Charter. It therefore forms part of the process of political dialogue and scrutiny to ensure that the Charter remains a reference point to integrate fundamental rights into all EU legal acts and when Member States apply EU law. It also presents how a fundamental rights culture is being developed in the EU by setting new legislation, where the EU has competence to act, and through the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Given the key role to be played by Member States’ courts in scrutinising respect for the Charter when Member States apply EU law, this report also provides an overview for the first time of the case law of national courts on the Charter. In covering the full range of EU Charter provisions on a yearly basis, the annual report aims to track where progress is being made, and where new concerns are arising. The report also charts the progress being made in the field of gender equality.