The Presidents of the European Commission, European Parliament, and the Council signed and solemnly proclaimed the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in Strasbourg, thus opening the way for the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon tomorrow.
The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights sets out in a single text the whole range of civil, political, economic and social rights of European citizens and all persons resident in the EU, defined as the EU's common values. The purpose of this Charter is to make those principles more visible in order to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights in the light of changes in society, social progress and scientific developments.
These provisions apply to the EU institutions and bodies and to the Member States only when they are implementing Union law. The Charter does not establish any new power for the Union.
The European Court of Justice would be, if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified by all Member States, in charge of ensuring the respect of the Charter in all acts of the European Union.
Commission Press release
Full text of the Charter
© Graham Bishop
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