REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Protecting Fundamental Rights in the Digital Age - 2021 Annual Report on the Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Abstract

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights1 is a powerful tool used to protect, promote and further strengthen peoples’ rights in the European Union. Fundamental rights do not only protect people from undue interferences such as censorship or mass surveillance, they also empower people to make full use of their rights and opportunities in life. It is always possible to improve the conditions and the extent to which people can enjoy their rights. The Charter can guide policy activities across the EU. The more people know about the rights guaranteed in the Charter and how to rely on them, the more powerful they become. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the protection and guarantees of our fundamental rights and freedoms to the test. Any restrictions to fundamental rights must be necessary and proportionate. This is required by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which is binding EU law. It protects and promotes a broad range of rights linked to human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity, and all national courts can apply it in cases where EU law is implemented and relevant for the final judgment.