Subject matter
Article 1
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (the Agency) is hereby established.
Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 CHAPTER 1 — SUBJECT MATTER, OBJECTIVE, SCOPE, TASKS AND AREAS OF ACTIVITY
Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
Objective
Article 2
The objective of the Agency shall be to provide the relevant institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Community and its Member States when implementing Community law with assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights in order to support them when they take measures or formulate courses of action within their respective spheres of competence to fully respect fundamental rights.
Scope
Article 3
1. The Agency shall carry out its tasks for the purpose of meeting the objective set in Article 2 within the competencies of the Community as laid down in the Treaty establishing the European Community. 2. The Agency shall refer in carrying out its tasks to fundamental rights as defined in Article 6(2) of the Treaty on European Union. 3. The Agency shall deal with fundamental-rights issues in the European Union and in its Member States when implementing Community law.
Tasks
Article 4
1. To meet the objective set in Article 2 and within its competences laid down in Article 3, the Agency shall: (a) collect, record, analyse and disseminate relevant, objective, reliable and comparable information and data, including results from research and monitoring communicated to it by Member States, Union institutions as well as bodies, offices and agencies of the Community and the Union, research centres, national bodies, non-governmental organisations, third countries and international organisations and in particular by the competent bodies of the Council of Europe; (b) develop methods and standards to improve the comparability, objectivity and reliability of data at European level, in cooperation with the Commission and the Member States; (c) carry out, cooperate with or encourage scientific research and surveys, preparatory studies and feasibility studies, including, where appropriate and compatible with its priorities and its annual work programme, at the request of the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission; (d) formulate and publish conclusions and opinions on specific thematic topics, for the Union institutions and the Member States when implementing Community law, either on its own initiative or at the request of the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission; (e) publish an annual report on fundamental-rights issues covered by the areas of the Agency's activity, also highlighting examples of good practice; (f) publish thematic reports based on its analysis, research and surveys; (g) publish an annual report on its activities; and (h) develop a communication strategy and promote dialogue with civil society, in order to raise public awareness of fundamental rights and actively disseminate information about its work. 2. The conclusions, opinions and reports referred to in paragraph 1 may concern proposals from the Commission under Article 250 of the Treaty or positions taken by the institutions in the course of legislative procedures only where a request by the respective institution has been made in accordance with paragraph 1(d). They shall not deal with the legality of acts within the meaning of Article 230 of the Treaty or with the question of whether a Member State has failed to fulfil an obligation under the Treaty within the meaning of Article 226 of the Treaty.
Areas of activity
Article 5
1. The Council shall, acting on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, adopt a Multiannual Framework for the Agency. When preparing its proposal, the Commission shall consult the Management Board. 2. The Framework shall: (a) cover five years; (b) determine the thematic areas of the Agency's activity, which must include the fight against racism, xenophobia and related intolerance; (c) be in line with the Union's priorities, taking due account of the orientations resulting from European Parliament resolutions and Council conclusions in the field of fundamental rights; (d) have due regard to the Agency's financial and human resources; and (e) include provisions with a view to ensuring complementarity with the remit of other Community and Union bodies, offices and agencies, as well as with the Council of Europe and other international organisations active in the field of fundamental rights. 3. The Agency shall carry out its tasks within the thematic areas determined by the Multiannual Framework. This shall be without prejudice to the responses of the Agency to requests from the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission under Article 4(1)(c) and (d) outside these thematic areas, provided its financial and human resources so permit. 4. The Agency shall carry out its tasks in the light of its Annual Work Programme and with due regard to the available financial and human resources.
Back to Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 — full text
Articles on this page are reproduced verbatim from official open data. See the attribution line.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
What to look at next
Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007, full textChapter navigation and full text, so you can read this section in contextEuropean Union legislationEU Legal Acts by type and yearGrouped by instrument type and year of enactment, so you can find others of the same kindBrowse by type and yearEuropean Union: what this database coversWhich datasets are here, which official source they come from, and how current they areEuropean Union overview