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Upholding Shared Values in the EU: What Role for the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights?
Author(s) -
Toggenburg Gabriel N.,
Grimheden Jonas
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
jcms: journal of common market studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.54
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1468-5965
pISSN - 0021-9886
DOI - 10.1111/jcms.12404
Subject(s) - parliament , european union , agency (philosophy) , treaty , context (archaeology) , european commission , commission , political science , fundamental rights , law , law and economics , public administration , human rights , business , international trade , economics , sociology , politics , paleontology , social science , biology
Respect for the values laid down in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) was one of the primary reasons that led to the establishment of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). While neither the Treaties nor the Regulation establishing FRA envisage an explicit role for the FRA with respect to Article 7 TEU, its assistance may be sought in this context even though the contours of such an eventual assistance remains to be clarified. By contrast, the European Commission may approach the FRA should the Commission require its assistance with respect to the application of the framework it adopted in 2014. The Council and the Parliament could similarly require the FRA's assistance. It is however submitted that a more structured dialogue and the regular provision of data and analysis, including via the FRA, would make the EU system of monitoring respect for EU values within the EU itself more operational and help prevent double standards.