Fundamental Rights in the European Union

Particularly since the adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in 2000, fundamental rights have become much more visible in the law- and policy-making of the EU : although they have been protected by the European Court of Justice since the 1970s, fundamental rights are now at the very centre of what the EU does in a variety of fields linked either to the establishment of the internal market or to the creation of an area of freedom, security of justice. This evolution will be further encouraged by the role played by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, which was established in 2007. This book takes stock of these developments, describing how this regime has evolved, and what are both its promises and its limitations. It is the first book, in sum, about the EU as a human rights organisation.