The nine EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies are marking the 10-year anniversary of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights by pledging to continue to respect and promote fundamental rights throughout the work.
"The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union brings together the fundamental rights of everyone living in the European Union. Safeguarding these rights is a top priority also for eu-LISA when implementing advanced technologies for the benefit of citizens in the area of Justice and Home Affairs," says eu-LISA Executive Director Krum GARKOV.
The agencies have agreed to continue to promote and protect
fundamental rights throughout their work. This includes ensuring their work always complies with the Charter.
They will continue to uphold fundamental rights in their working practices such as promoting gender equality and diversity at work.
They will also run awareness raising activities, staff training, joint activities to increase awareness about the Charter and its entitlements.
In addition, they will continue to build and enhance their capacity to respect the Charter by sharing and exchanging best practices. This will form part of their regular network meetings of Justice and Home Affairs Agencies, chaired this year by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol).
The nine agencies are the: European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA); European Asylum Support Office (EASO); European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex); European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE); European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA); European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol); European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL); European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA); European Union Judicial Cooperation Unit (EUROJUST).
It builds on a previous commitment by all EU agencies to strengthen
fundamental rights' protection in their work.
The statement is being released during the
2019 Conference on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to mark 10 years of the Charter. The event is organised by the European Commission and the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU and FRA. It takes place in Brussels on 12 November.
More information about the JHA Agencies Network is available on
Europol's website.
