58. CallsontheCommissiontosubmittheproposalsreferredtoaboveandtoinformParliamentofthe
progress of the legislative programme and of any changes or delays, in order to improve both the trans-
parency ofthe decision-making processandinterinstitutional cooperation;
59. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCommission,theCouncil,theparliamentsof
the Member States,the Committeeofthe Regions andthe EconomicandSocial Committee.
4. EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
A5-0064/2000
European Parliament resolution on the drafting of a European Union Charter of Fundamental
Rights (C5-0058/1999 /dash 1999/2064(COS))
The European Parliament,
2dash havingregardtothedecisionoftheEuropeanCouncilonthedraftingofaEuropeanUnionCharterof
FundamentalRights (C5-0058/1999),
2dash having regard toits positionas representative ofthe peoples ofthe European Union,2dash consideringthattheUnionshouldstrengthentheprotectionoftherightsandinterestsofthenationals
of its Member States through the introduction of a citizenship of the Union (Article 2 of the
EU Treaty),
2dash having regard to the fact that the Union must respect fundamental rights ‘as they result from the
constitutional traditions common to the Member States, as general principles of Community law’
(Article 6ofthe EU Treaty),
2dash havingregardtothePreambleoftheUnitedNationsCharterandtheUniversalDeclarationonHuman
Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 217 A (III) on 10 December 1948 in
Paris,
2dash havingregardtoitsnumerousinitiativesinthematteroffundamentalandcitizens’rights,inparticular
toits resolutionof12April 1989onthe Declaration ofFundamentalRights andFreedoms(
1),
2dash havingregardtoitsinitiativesinthematterofaconstitutionfortheEuropeanUnion,inparticularits
resolution of 12 December 1990 on the constitutional basis of European Union(2) and its resolution
of10February 1994onthe Constitutionofthe European Union(3),
2dash having regard to the conclusions of the Cologne European Council and the conclusions of the Tam-
pere European Council,
2dash havingregardtoitsresolutionof16September1999onthedrawingupofaCharterofFundamental
Rights(4),
2dash having regard toits resolutionof27October 1999onthe European Council meeting in Tampere(5),
2dash having regard to the outstanding importance of the forthcoming enlargement of the Union and the
Intergovernmental Conference,
2dash having regard tothe setting-up on17December 1999in Brusselsofthe Conventiontodrafta Euro-
pean Union Charter ofFundamentalRights,
2dash having regard toRule 47(1)ofitsRules ofProcedure,
(1) OJ C 120,16.5.1989,p. 51.
(2) OJ C 19,28.1.1991,p.65.
(3) OJ C 61,28.2.1994,p.155.
(4) OJ C 54,25.2.2000,p.93.
(5) Texts adoptedat that Sitting, point15.29.12.2000 EN C377/329 Official Journal ofthe European Communities
Thursday 16 March 2000
2dash having regard tothereportoftheCommitteeonConstitutionalAffairsandtheopinionsoftheCom-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy, the Committee on
Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee on Legal Affairs and the
InternalMarket, theCommitteeonWomen’sRights andEqual Opportunities, the CommitteeonPeti-tionsandthe CommitteeonEmploymentandSocial Affairs (A5-0064/2000),
A. whereas the Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and
fundamentalfreedomsandthe rule oflaw(Article 6ofthe EU Treaty),
B. whereas the creation of an ever closer Union among the peoples of Europe (Article 1 of the EU
Treaty)andthemaintenanceanddevelopmentoftheUnionasanareaoffreedom,securityandjustice
(Article 2 of the EU Treaty) are based on general and absolute respect for human dignity, which is
unique toeach person,yet commontoall, andinviolable,
C. whereas the Union must respect ‘fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for
the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950andastheyresultfromtheconstitutionaltraditionscommontotheMember States,asgeneral princi-plesofCommunitylaw’(Article 6ofthe EU Treaty),
D. whereas somespecific rights are already enshrined in the Treaties,
E. whereas the fundamental freedoms and rights unavoidably stemming from the recognition of human
dignity require genuine, comprehensive legal protection andeffective legal guarantees,
F. whereas the primacy of Union law and significant powers of its institutions, which affect individuals,
makeit necessary tostrengthen the protectionoffundamentalrights atEuropean Unionlevel,
G. whereas the increase in the powers of the Union and the European Community, especially in the
sensitive field of internal security, together with the limits on parliamentary or judicial controls in
thatfield,makeitobviousthatthereisanurgentneedforaEuropeanCharterofFundamentalRights,
H. whereas as the Union develops an imbalance must not be created between the objective of security
andthe principles offreedom andlaw,
I. whereas fundamental freedoms can be restricted without parliamentary approval, both in the frame-
work of the Union Treaty and of Community law, despite the fact that this is incompatible with the
constitutionaltraditionscommontothe Member States,
J. whereas, even in the case oflegitimate restrictions offundamentalrights, the inherent nature ofsuch
rights may in nocase be infringed,
K. whereastheeconomicaspectofEuropean integrationmusthenceforthbesupplementedbyagenuine
political, democratic andsocialunion,
L. whereas fundamental social freedoms ought to be strengthened and developed at European Union
level,
M. whereas the Union’s common foreign and security policy, which will in future include defence, must
be developed in compliance with fundamentalrights,
N. whereas new conflicts with fundamental freedoms can arise from developments in, for example, bio-
technology or information technology, and whereas a consensus on fundamental rights at European
level constitutesanimportant contributiontowardsfinding a global solutiontothe problem,
O. whereas there are serious indications ofa rise in racism andxenophobia,C377/330 EN29.12.2000 Official Journal ofthe European Communities
Thursday 16 March 2000
P. whereasitisimportantthat,whilerespectingtheroleofeverynationallanguage,theEuropeanUnion
and its Member States attend to the protection of the diversity of the languages and cultures of Eur-
ope,especiallyregionalandminoritylanguagesandcultures,andtothisendguarantee tothecitizens
of the Union, through appropriate means of support, that they can maintain and develop their ownlanguages andcultures in the public andprivate domain,
Q. whereas the human right to asylum must be maintained according to the provisions of the Geneva
Refugee Convention,
R. whereas a European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, in the same way as national provisions
concerning fundamental rights, should not in any way conflict with the European Convention on
Human Rights,
S. whereas theUnion’saccessiontotheEuropean ConventiononHumanRightsfollowingthenecessary
amendments to the Treaty on European Union would represent an important step towards the
strengthening ofthe protection offundamentalrights in the Union,
T. whereas the creation ofan ever closerunion amongthe peoplesofEurope is inseparably linkedwith
the task of increasing, in addition to fundamental rights, citizens’ rights, namely the political, eco-
nomic andsocial rights associatedwith Union citizenship,
U. whereas a charter of fundamental rights constituting merely a non-binding declaration and, in addi-
tion, doing no more than merely listing existing rights, would disappoint citizens’ legitimate expecta-
tions,
V. whereastheCharterofFundamentalRightsshouldberegardedasabasiccomponentofthenecessary
processofequipping the European Union with a constitution,
1. WelcomesthedraftingofaEuropeanUnionCharterofFundamentalRights,whichwillcontributeto
defining a collective patrimony ofvalues and principles anda shared systemof fundamentalrights whichbindcitizens together andunderpin theUnion’sinternalpolicies anditspolicies involving thirdcountries;
welcomesthereforetheprogressmadeinthisconnectionsincetheEuropeanCouncilmeetinginTampere,
in particular the establishment of the joint Convention composedof representatives of the Heads of State
andGovernment, the European Parliament, the parliaments ofthe Member Statesandthe Commission;
2. Notes that the establishment of a binding European list of fundamental rights will confer a more
secure legal and moral basis on the process of European integration, will give concrete form to the com-
monbasisthatexistsattheleveloftheconstitutionalstateandwillprovidemoretransparencyandclarity
for citizens;
3. OffersitsfullsupportandcooperationindraftingtheCharterofFundamentalRightsoftheEuropean
Union;
4. Notesthattherecognitionandshapingoffundamentalandcitizens’rightsisoneoftheprimarytasks
ofparliaments;
5. Calls on its delegation to the Convention drafting the charter vigorously to defend the position set
out in this resolution;
6. Intends to vote in plenary on the adoption of the Charter at the appropriate time and deems it
advisabletopublishinadvanceitsobjectivesregarding theCharterofFundamentalRightsassetouthere-
under;
7. Points out that its final assent to a Charter of Fundamental Rights depends to a large extent upon
whether the charter:
(a) has fullybinding legal statusbybeing incorporated into the Treaty onEuropean Union;
(b) subjects any amendment to the Charter to the same procedure as its original drafting, including the
formalright ofassentforthe European Parliament;29.12.2000 EN C377/331 Official Journal ofthe European Communities
Thursday 16 March 2000
(c) contains a clause, requiring the consent of the European Parliament whenever fundamentalrights are
tobe restricted in any circumstances whatsoever;
(d) contains a clause stipulating that none of its provisions may be interpreted in a restrictive manner
with regard tothe protection guaranteed by Article 6(2) ofthe Treaty onEuropean Union;
(e) includes such fundamentalrights as the right ofassociationin trade unionsandthe right tostrike;(f) recognisesthatfundamentalrightsareindivisiblebymakingthecharterapplicabletoalltheEuropean
Union’s institutions and bodies and all its policies, including those contained in the second and thirdpillars in the contextofthe powers andfunctionsconferred uponit bythe Treaties;
(g) is binding uponthe Member Stateswhen applying or transposingprovisionsofCommunitylaw;(h) isinnovativeinnaturebyalsogivinglegalprotectiontothepeoplesoftheEuropeanUnioninrespect
of newthreats to fundamental rights, for example from the fields of information technology and
biotechnologies, and confirms, as an integral part of fundamental rights, and especially women’s
rights, the general non-discriminationclause andenvironmental protection;
8. Resolves to hold a scientific colloquium to advise Parliament and to carry out public hearings of
representatives ofsociety in general;
9. WillstronglysupportinitiativesforabroadsocietaldiscussionintheMemberStates,involvingsocial
partners, NGOs andother representatives ofcivil society;
10. Calls for recognition of the contribution that can be made by organisations representing civil
society tothe drafting ofthe Charter;
11. Proposes to grant the States applying for accession observer status in the Convention drafting the
Charter and to begin a continuous exchange of opinions with them in the context of the European Con-
ference;
12. Emphasises that the charter should not replace or weaken Member States’ provisions concerning
fundamentalrights;
13. Supports the agreement reached by the Convention that the charter should be drafted on the pre-
sumptionthat it willhave fulllegal force;
14. Emphasisestheneedtoincorporateinthecharter,inadditiontotherightsalreadyenshrinedinthe
EUTreaty,thestandardsapplicabletotheUnionthataresetoutintheinternationalconventionssignedby
the Member States within the context of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the International
Labour Organisationandthe Organisation for Security andCooperationin Europe;
15. Callsupon the IGCto:
(a) puttheincorporationintotheTreaty ofthe Charter ofFundamentalRights onitsagenda andtogive
it at that conference the position which it deserves in view of its paramount importance for an ever
closerunion among the peoplesofEurope;
(b) enabletheUniontobecomeapartytotheECHRsoastoestablishclosecooperationwiththeCouncil
of Europe, whilst ensuring that appropriate action is taken to avoid possible conflicts or overlappingbetweentheCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanCommunitiesandtheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights;
(c) addareferencetotheEuropeanSocialCharterandtotheappropriateILOandUNconventionstothe
reference to the European Convention on Human Rights in Article 6 of the Treaty on European
Union;
(d) give all persons protected under the charter access to the Court of Justice of the European Commu-
nities bysupplementing existing mechanismsfor judicial review;
16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Convention responsible for drafting the
European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Intergovernmental Conference, the Council, the par-
liaments of the Member States, the Commission and the Court of Justice and the European Court of
Human Rights.C377/332 EN29.12.2000 Official Journal ofthe European Communities
Thursday 16 March 2000