Comment & Debate
“Treaty of Lisbon. Questions and Answers”. Europea.eu – How will the Charter of Fundamental Rights improve the rights of European citizens?
The Treaty of Lisbon makes a cross-reference to the Charter as a real catalogue of rights that the EU believes all citizens of the Union should enjoy vis-à-vis the Union’s institutions and the Union’s law binding guarantees. The six chapters of the Charter cover the following aspects: individual rights related to dignity; freedoms, equality, solidarity, rights linked to citizenship status and justice. These rights are drawn essentially from other international instruments, like the European Convention on Human Rights, giving them legal embodiment in the Union.
The institutions of the Union must respect the rights written into the Charter. The same obligations are incumbent upon the Member States when they implement the Union’s legislation. The Court of Justice will ensure that the Charter is applied correctly. The incorporation of the Charter does not alter the Union’s powers, but offers strengthened rights and greater freedom for citizens.