EUHandvest

EUHandvest, officially the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, is a codification of civil, political, and social rights guaranteed within the European Union. It consolidates rights drawn from EU treaties and case law into a single reference for individuals and institutions.

Proclaimed in 2000 at the Nice European Council, the Charter became legally binding on the EU and its member states in 2009 with the Lisbon Treaty. It applies whenever EU law protects or implements rights, and it governs actions by EU institutions and by national authorities when they are applying EU law.

The Charter comprises six titles and 54 articles: Dignity, Freedoms, Equality, Solidarity, Citizens’ Rights, and Justice. It covers a broad range of protections, including human dignity, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, non-discrimination, social security, and access to justice. While it does not create new powers for the EU, it clarifies and strengthens the rights that EU law already protects.

Its applicability is linked to EU competence. The Charter binds EU institutions and member states when implementing EU law and is interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union in disputes concerning Charter rights. Historically, some member states negotiated limited applicability through Protocol 30 for certain areas such as policing and criminal justice; changes in membership status (for example, of the United Kingdom) have affected those arrangements.

The Charter remains a central element of EU constitutional law, shaping policy and judicial decisions. It is widely used to safeguard rights within the Union, though debates continue about sovereignty, scope, and the balance between EU powers and national legal traditions.