On 7 December 2025, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, with its rights, freedoms, and principles remaining as significant as they were a quarter of a century ago.
We celebrated the anniversary at the conference on “25 Years of Rights : Reflecting on the Impact of the Charter” (10-11 December 2025), jointly organised by the European Commission, the European Agency for Fundamental Rights and the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The conference not only marked an important milestone, but also offered a platform for discussions and reflections on the future of the Charter.
Also, as part of the celebrations, the European Commission published a series of videos capturing the voices of people across the EU. Filmed in Amsterdam, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Bucharest, these short interviews offered personal reflections on what fundamental rights meant to people in their everyday lives. The videos aimed to raise awareness of the Charter and highlighted its relevance to individuals across diverse social and cultural contexts.
Watch all #EUCHARTER25 videos!
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU
The EU is built on the founding values of fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law. These values are closely linked, as respect for fundamental rights is essential in democratic societies based on the rule of law.
The EU aims to protect and promote its founding values and fundamental rights both within and outside the EU. The protection and promotion of fundamental rights within the EU are based on the founding Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. They all have the same value as binding primary law. The Charter became legally binding on the EU with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in December 2009.
The Charter
The Charter of Fundamental Rights is the EU’s internal human rights agreement. It protects and promotes everyone’s fundamental rights within the EU. The Charter is a modern instrument, which is interpreted considering the societal changes, scientific and technological developments. It also includes so-called 'third generation' fundamental rights, such as the right to data protection, guarantees on bioethics, and the right to good administration.
The Charter contains 50 fundamental rights and freedoms grouped under six titles: dignity, freedoms, equality, solidarity, citizens’ rights, and justice. These are followed by general provisions on their interpretation and application.
Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU
The Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU put forward actions to ensure the effective application of the Charter by the Member States; empower civil society organisations, rights defenders and justice practitioners; foster the use of the Charter as a compass for EU institutions; and strengthen people’s awareness of their rights under the Charter.
For more in-depth information on:
- Annual reports on the application of the Charter
- Charter focal points
- Fundamental rights training
- Awareness-raising on the Charter
- Fundamental rights in impact assessments
- Funding to support the application of fundamental rights
- A thriving civic space to protect fundamental rights
Reporting a breach of your fundamental rights
The EU provides pathways to address and report breaches of fundamental rights when EU law is being implemented.
To learn more on:
- When the Charter applies
- How to report a breach of your rights
Regional and international dimensions of the Charter
The EU is committed to fostering the promotion of fundamental rights in the international context.
To find out more regarding:
- The relationship between the Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights
- The EU’s external action on human rights
Role of FRA and EIGE
The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) was established in 2007 to provide assistance and expertise on fundamental rights to EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, and to Member States when they implement EU law. The FRA was established under Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 (as amended by Council Regulation (EU) 2022/555 of 5 April 2022). The agency plans its research on the basis of a bi-annual single programming document.
The FRA collects and publishes relevant, objective, reliable and comparable information and data on the situation of fundamental rights and promotes dialogue with civil society to raise awareness of fundamental rights and disseminate its work.
The FRA also collects and publishes data and information on the Charter, including through the Charterpedia, an online information portal on fundamental rights. It has also made available online training courses on the Charter.
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) assists the EU institutions and Member States in integrating the principle of gender equality into their policies and with combating gender-based discrimination. It delivers high quality research and information to support them in their efforts to end gender inequalities. EIGE was established under Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006.
Additional resources
- Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU
- Analysis of the targeted consultations for the Commission's new Charter strategy (2020)
- European e-Justice portal – Fundamental rights
- Summaries of EU legislation on justice and home affairs – Eur-Lex
- European Court of Justice: Jurisprudence relative à l'ordre juridique de l’Union européenne - Les droits fondamentaux
- European Court of Justice: Fact Sheet - Field of application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU
- European e-Justice portal – European case law identifier (ECLI)
- Association of the Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the European Union - Database "national decisions"
- Fair Trials – Practitioners‘ tools on EU law – EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (2020)
- Feasibility study for financial support for litigating cases relating to violations of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights
- European Judicial Training Network (EJTN)
Examples of relevant policy areas: