Binding the EU to International Human Rights Law

Summary: 

This article argues placing the European Union (EU) under the supervision of United Nations (UN) and Council of Europe monitoring bodies. The article present a variety of mechanisms through which such supervision could be organised.

The article firstly highlights the need for external international supervision of the EU by explaining the current shortcomings of human rights protection at the internal level. The article argues that the failure of the EU to recognise its obligations under the international law of human rights leads to an interpretation of human rights which is narrower than that already accepted by its Member States and third States; that it creates difficulties for the uniform application of EU law; and that it may result, finally, in a lowering of the level of protection for individuals. Second, the article explores the different techniques by which the EU could strengthen its links to the human rights standards developed within the UN or the Council of Europe.

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