Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

Accompanying the 2011 report on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (see summary of the first legislative document dated 16 April, 2012), the Commission presents a report giving details of the application of the Charter by the EU institutions and Member States.

This Report covers the year 2011 and informs the public on the situations in which they can rely on the Charter and on the role of the European Union in the field of fundamental rights. In covering the full range of Charter provisions on an annual basis, the annual reports aim to track where progress is being made, and where new concerns are arising. 

The Annual Report is based on the actions taken by the EU institutions as well as on the analysis of letters from the general public and questions and petitions from the European Parliament. The Member States are bound by the Charter when they implement EU law. However, there is not yet enough information on the efforts made to ensure the effective implementation of the Charter.

The Commission will seek in its forthcoming Annual Reports on the Application of the Charter to document progress in that respect.