| Author (Corporate) | European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights |
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| Publisher | EU |
| Publication Date | May 2016 |
| ISBN | 978-92-9491-319-7 |
| Content Type | Report |
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The European Union (EU) and its Member States introduced and pursued numerous initiatives to safeguard and strengthen fundamental rights in 2015. Some of these efforts produced important progress; others fell short of their aims. Meanwhile, various global developments brought new – and exacerbated existing – challenges. The arrival of over one million refugees and migrants strained domestic asylum systems and risked triggering rights violations, including by fuelling xenophobic reactions. But it also prompted considerable support from citizens and EU-level initiatives, including relocation and resettlement measures. The year’s developments were also marked by a string of terrorist attacks across the EU. Some legislators sought to extend the powers of intelligence services, and concerns about further attacks put data collection and retention back on the agenda. Many discussions of such proposals, however, acknowledged the importance of safeguarding rights, and an agreement on a reformed EU data protection package showed promise. Some challenges proved particularly persistent. Five years before the deadline set for the EU 2020 goals, the proportion of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion remained high. Discussions on the Equal Treatment Directive entered their seventh year – without successful conclusion in sight. Although insights about the importance of local action began shaping Roma integration efforts, these continued to face serious hurdles. But 2015 also brought positive news. Measures to make the judicial process more child-friendly yielded clear progress, and a variety of initiatives strengthened the procedural rights of individuals involved in criminal proceedings. It was also a milestone year for the rights of crime victims, with the November deadline for transposing the Victims’ Rights Directive triggering an array of legislative changes. Another milestone was the completion of the first review of the EU’s implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the United Nations CRPD Committee – the first time an international body examined how the EU is fulfilling its human rights obligations. These obligations include raising awareness of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. As the report’s chapter on the Member States’ use of the Charter underscores, further efforts are necessary to better familiarise EU citizens and relevant professional groups with this important instrument. This year’s Focus section takes a closer look at asylum and migration issues in the EU. It explores the risks refugees and migrants face to reach safety; addresses challenges with regard to non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective expulsion; outlines developments and possible solutions in the field of asylum; and discusses developments on the issue of returns. Annual activity report 2015 In 2015, FRA strongly focused on fundamental rights challenges arising due to the significant increase in refugees and migrants coming to the European Union (EU). In the course of the year, over one million refugees and migrants arrived in Europe by sea, mainly in Italy and Greece. In response, FRA rearranged its priorities and stepped up its activities in the area of ‘Immigration and integration of migrants, visa and border control and asylum’. A high share of publications, activities and events in this thematic area also reflect this change in priorities. In line with its mandate and its objective to provide assistance as well as to formulate evidence-based advice in the form of opinions to the EU institutions and Member States, FRA offered its expertise at 240 presentations and hearings at EU- and Member State- levels, as well as at events other international organisations organised during the year. The agency itself organised 60 events, bringing together its key partners and stakeholders to discuss fundamental rights issues in various thematic areas. Several FRA findings fed into the work of EU institutions and Member States, including references in several European Parliament resolutions and different Council of the EU documents. Highlights of the year 2015 include extensive references to the results of FRA’s EU-wide survey on gender-based violence against women in the European Parliament resolution on ‘Progress on equality between women and men in the European Union in 2013’; these also fed into a resolution on the ‘EU Strategy for equality between women and men post 2015’. The latter resolution also referenced FRA’s reports on Discrimination against and living conditions of Roma women in 11 EU Member States and on Being Trans in the EU – Comparative analysis of the EU LGBT survey data. |
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| Source Link | http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2016/fundamental-rights-report-2016 |
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| Subject Categories | Values and Beliefs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
