Rule of law development and fundamental rights to be discussed at Little Parliament

Fundamental rights and the development of the rule of law are the cornerstones of the European Union. In recent times, these fundamental values have, however, been increasingly challenged and questioned in Europe, which gives cause for alarm. European fundamental rights and values will be discussed at a seminar to be held at the Parliament Annex Building, Little Parliament, this Thursday. Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency, will speak at the event.

Topical fundamental rights issues in the European Union and ways to boost discussion on fundamental rights and values in Europe will be discussed at a seminar to be held at Little Parliament on Thursday 29 November. Finland's upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union is also on the agenda of the seminar. Finland's Presidency starts in July next year and lasts until the end of the year.

At the seminar, Pekka Timonen, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, will present Finland's plans to promote and address fundamental rights issues during its Presidency. Fundamental rights are one of the fundamental values of the European Union, and therefore they are at the core of the entire European integration. The theme is important for Finland and highly topical.

The keynote speaker of the seminar is Michael O'Flaherty, Director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), who will speak about topical challenges related to fundamental rights in the EU based on the FRA's studies and reports. He will also convey the key messages from the Fundamental Rights Forum held in September and tell how the discussion on fundamental rights could be strengthened.

Other speakers of the seminar include Member of Parliament Tytti Tuppurainen, Director of the Institute for Human Rights at Åbo Akademi University, Professor Elina Pirjatanniemi, and Policy Director Niina Laajapuro from Amnesty International Finland.

The event is organised by the FRA and the Human Rights Centre together with the Ministry of Justice.

A live webcast of the event can be followed on the website of Parliament at https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/Sivut/Live.aspx.

Further information: Kaisa Tiusanen, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 (0)29 515 0169, [email protected]