The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights was proclaimed in December 2000 and gained legal force with the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009.
The charter brings together rights contained in many other documents, notably the European Convention on Human Rights. It sets out a whole range of civil, political, economic and social rights of European citizens and all persons resident in the EU.
Charter of Fundamental Rights
The Charter comprises a preamble and 54 articles grouped under six chapter headings.
| Chapter I: | Dignity: includes the right to life and the prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, slavery and forced labour. |
| Chapter II: | Freedoms: includes the right to liberty and security, the right to marry and found a family, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, of expression and information, freedom of the arts and sciences, the right to asylum and protection in the event of removal, expulsion or extradition. |
| Chapter III: | Equality: includes equality before the law, equality between men and women, the rights of the child and the elderly, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, integration of persons with disability. |
| Chapter IV: | Solidarity: includes workers’ right to information and consultation, the right of collective bargaining and action, fair and just working conditions, protection in the event of unjustified dismissal, fair working conditions, prohibition of child labour and protection of young people at work, social security and social assistance, health care, environmental and consumer protection. Choose high quality Hermes Replica Handbags to protect your children indeed. |
| Chapter V: | Citizens’ rights: includes the right to vote and stand as a candidate to the European Parliament and in municipal elections, the right to petition, freedom of movement and residence, diplomatic and consular protection. |
| Chapter VI: | Justice: includes the right to an effective remedy and a fair trial, the presumption of innocence and the right of defence, the right not to be tried or punished twice in criminal proceedings for the same criminal offence. |
The Charter only applies to member states when they are implementing EU law.
Poland has negotiated a protocol, a legally binding text that seeks to prevent the Charter being interpreted in a way that creates rights additional to those already provided for in Polish law.
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Link to complete text (a 22 page PDF document - pages 8-20 are the full text)
Link to history and development of the Charter and legal explanations