DRAFT CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Transcription

1 DRAFT CHARTER OF FUNDAMTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Brussels, 12 May 2000 CHARTE 4286/00 CONTRIB 158 COVER NOTE Subject : Draft Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union Please find hereafter a Common Statement of the Platform of European Social NGOs and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) participating in the public hearing on 27 April For the names of the NGO's, please refer to page 2. This text has been submitted in English language only. CHARTE 4286/00 cb 1

2 Association des Femmes de l'europe Méridionale (AFEM) ATD Quart Monde Carrefour pour une Europe civique et sociale (CAFECS) Collectif sur la Charte des droits fondamentaux Commission Justice et Paix Eurolink Age European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN) European Movement European Union Migrant's Forum Fédération européenne du Personnel des Services Publics (EUROFEDOP) FONDA pour la vie associative Franciscans (Commission for Justice, Peace and Integration of Creation) Initiative "Netzwerk Dreigliederung" International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims Office catholique d'information et d'initiative pour l'europe (OCIPE) Permanent Forum of Civil Society Society for Threatened Peoples International Terre des Hommes France The European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Organisation (ILGA) Union des Fédéralistes Européens (UEF)* Young European Federalists (JEF)* * avec le commentaire suivant : "L'élaboration de la Charte des droits fondamentaux doit s'inscrire dans le cadre d'un processus d'élaboration d'une Constitution européenne". CHARTE 4294/00 cb 2

3 THE QUALITY TEST Common Statement of NGOs participating in the Hearing on the Charter of Fundamental Rights Brussels, 27 April What the Charter needs to be What that requires 1. An EU Charter, shining beacon across Europe on common values and objectives of peoples sharing the same aspiration to peace, development and freedom, belonging to various faiths, beliefs and civilisations and part of the first planetary generation. To address the universal character of Fundamental Rights. 2. A Charter for Women and Men To recognise equality between women and men as a founding principle of the Union To use inclusive language. 3. A Charter for all: Citizens, Residents, Migrants, Refugees, Undocumented persons 4. A Charter on essential rights from the Council of Europe, the U.N. and I.L.O agreements 5. A Charter on Individual and Collective Rights, To recognise the principle of non discrimination To protect the rights of minorities, to use their languages and to transmit their cultures and values in accordance with the Charter Never to fall short of agreements even if signed only by some of the EU Member States To supplement, strengthen, build on existing rights To protect collective rights such as cultural and linguistic rights, the rights of trade unions and associations To guarantee a right of consultation for NGOs at the European level To recognise access to justice at EU level for NGOs defending the common good and the rights of future generations 6. A Charter on the Common Good To secure recognition of the common good which is the foundation of a community of persons living together in solidarity and respect To give everyone access to the common goods and Public Services, secure transparency in management and participation in the assessment of CHARTE 4286/00 cb 3

4 7. A Charter on civil and political, social, cultural and ecological rights 8. A Charter on Participatory Democracy at European level 9. A Charter which inspires the Union in all its external actions. the management To declare that the Charter secures indivisible rights To recognise and guarantee the right to local self-government To guarantee the key programmatic social, environmental, cultural and education rights for all, for the implementation of which (i) indicators and convergence mechanisms need to be designed (ii) a multiannual implementation programme needs to be developed (iii) a system of monitoring, benchmarking and assessment needs to be in place To secure transparency and access to information To define participatory democracy rights at EU as well as at local level To recognise the right to a democracy based on equality and parity A Charter which defines the criteria for strategic impact assessments of EU policies on all those who find themselves affected by EU actions abroad 10. A legally binding Charter The Charter should be legally binding for all the EU Institutions and the Member States. Infringement should be examined by the EU Court of Justice and Member State status should be suspended for any State found to be in serious infringement 11. A Charter adopted by a participatory procedure 12. A Charter to be integrated in the Treaty To be submitted to an indicative vote by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, involving MPs of all EU Applicant Countries To ask for an indicative vote of NGOs on the draft Charter To pass the above quality test successfully. The Signatories request the opportunity to have a real debate with the Members of the Convention on 6 June 2000, at the occasion of the open doors day organised by the Convention in the EP. CHARTE 4286/00 cb 4

5 New.eu Domain Changed Web and Addresses The introduction of the.eu domain also required the web and addresses of the European institutions to be adapted. Below please find a list of addresses found in the document at hand which have been changed after the document was created. The list shows the old and new address, a reference to the page where the address was found and the type of address: http: and https: for web addresses, mailto: for addresses etc. Page: 1 Type: mailto Old: mailto:fundamental.rights@consilium.eu.int New: mailto:fundamental.rights@consilium.europa.eu Addendum: 1