2016 report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Abstract

The 2016 report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (the Charter) informs the public about situations in which citizens can rely on the EU Charter. It also explains the role EU institutions and the Member States play in the area of fundamental rights. Finally, it highlights how fundamental rights, as enshrined in the Charter, are relevant across a range of policies for which the EU is responsible. This annual report is intended to serve as a factual basis for a continuing and informed dialogue between all EU institutions and Member States on the implementation of the Charter. The report covers the year 2016, giving an overview of instances where the European institutions promoted and took into account the Charter in their legislative and policy work. It also explains where Member States were required to respect it when they implemented EU law. The report puts particular emphasis on the applicability of the Charter in Member States on the basis of recent Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) case-law. It also includes a focus section on a topical fundamental rights-related issue, which is ‘Media pluralism and democracy’. In covering the full range of Charter provisions on an annual basis, the annual report aims to track where progress is being made, where further efforts are still necessary and where new concerns are arising.