Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Fundamental Rights Charter as a legally binding document

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, since it became legally binding with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009.

Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Commission and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights held a joint conference to reflect how to improve the use and awareness of the Charter and to bring it to life for citizens in the EU.

National authorities play an important role in ensuring that the rights enshrined in the Charter become a reality in people's lives. We need to think of the state apparatus as a whole, encompassing the legislative and administrative branches as well as the national courts. The recent Council Conclusions on the Charter, adopted at the JHA Council in October, provide an important tool for enhancing the implementation of the Charter both at the Council level and in the Member States.

— Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice of Finland

High-level event on 12 November: Making the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights a reality for all

EU2019FI backgrounder: Strengthening fundamental rights within the EU