Council conclusions of 20 and 21 December 2012 on a request to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in accordance with Article 4(1)(c) and (d) of Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Date: 2012-12-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU office or agency, fundamental rights, human rights, operation of the Institutions








C_2012400EN.01000301.xml










28.12.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 400/3





Council conclusions of 20 and 21 December 2012 on a request to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in accordance with Article 4(1)(c) and (d) of Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
2012/C 400/05
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
The Council has examined a proposal by the Commission for a decision establishing a multiannual framework for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for 2013-2017.
The Council notes that, in consideration of outstanding parliamentary reservations of Member States, it will not be in a position to adopt the draft decision on the new multiannual framework (MAF) by the end of 2012. As a consequence, as of 1 January 2013 and until the conclusion of the procedure for the adoption of the 2013-2017 MAF, there will be no act defining the areas of activity of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (‘the Agency’).
The Council considers that one of the fundamental aspects of the work of the Agency is to provide advice relating to the respect of fundamental rights in the domain of Union law, and that this requires that the activities of the Agency should not suffer interruption.
The Council takes note of the adoption by the Agency of an annual work programme for 2013 (‘the work programme’) (1), based on the 2008-2012 MAF. The Council recognises the importance of the priorities and projects set out in the work programme and their coherence with the current mandate of the Agency on the basis of the 2008-2012 MAF.
In order to ensure the seamless continuation of the activities of the Agency in the year 2013 and until the adoption of the new MAF, the Council considers it essential that the Agency be requested to implement the work programme.
Article 4(1)(c) and (d) of Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 (‘the Regulation’) provide that the Agency shall, at the request of the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission, carry out, cooperate with or encourage scientific research and surveys, preparatory studies and feasibility studies; or formulate and publish conclusions and opinions on specific thematic topics, for the Union institutions and the Member States when implementing Community law.
In consideration of the above, the Council mandates the Presidency to submit on behalf of the Council a request to the Agency, in accordance with Article 4(1)(c) and (d), of the Regulation, to carry out the research and study activities and projects set out in the work programme, until such time when the adoption of the 2013-2017 MAF may require a revision of the work programme.


(1)  http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/2234-FRA_AWP2013_EN.pdf