The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) provides independent advice and expertise to EU and member state institutions on implementing fundamental rights law. It collects and analyzes data on fundamental rights issues in Europe and publishes annual and thematic reports. The FRA is governed by a Management Board with representatives from each member state and EU institutions. It focuses on issues like racism, xenophobia, and the situation of fundamental rights across the EU and candidate countries.

1. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Advice to EU institutions and Member States:
is a body of the European Union (EU), established through •Formulateandpublishconclusionsandopinionsto
Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007. the EU institutions and the Member States when
It is based in Vienna and is being built on the European implementing Community law;
Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). •PublishanannualreportonfundamentalrightsintheEU,
FRA carries out its tasks independently. It cooperates with and thematic reports based on its research and surveys,
other national and international bodies and organisations, also highlighting examples of good practice regarding
in particular with the Council of Europe. fundamental rights.
The Agency is NOT empowered to:
OBJECTIVE •Examineindividualcomplaintsorhaveregulatory
The objective of the Agency is to provide the relevant decision-making powers;
institutions and authorities of the Community and its •MonitorthesituationoffundamentalrightsintheEU
Member States when implementing the Community law countries for the purposes of Article 7 of the EU Treaty
with assistance and expertise relating to fundamental (possibility of action against a Member State in case of
rights in order to support them when they take measures serious fundamental rights violation) or deal with the
or formulate courses of action within their respective legality of Community acts and legal transposition by
spheres of competence to fully respect fundamental rights. the Member States.
(Article 2 of the Regulation)
GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE
AREAS OF ACTIVITIES The Agency focuses on the situation of fundamental rights
The fundamental rights referred to in Article 6(2) TEU, as in the EU and its 27 Member States. It will be open for par-
reflected in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, are the ticipation of Candidate Countries as observers after a deci-
point of reference for the mandate of the Agency. The sion of the relevant Association Council. The Council may
thematic areas of activity will be laid down in a Multi-annual also invite countries which have concluded a stabilisation
Framework to be adopted by the Council of the European and association agreement with the EU to participate in FRA
Union, upon a proposal of the European Commission and (a decision of the relevant Association Council shall follow).
after consulting the European Parliament. The thematic
areas must include the fight against racism, xenophobia
and related intolerance. ORGANISATION
FRA comprises a:
•ManagementBoard(oneindependentpersonwith
TASKS knowledge in fundamental rights and management expe-
Information and data collection and analysis: rience from each Member State, one independent person
•Collect,analyseanddisseminateobjective,reliableand appointed by the Council of Europe and two Commission
comparable information on the development of funda- representatives);
mental rights in the EU; •ExecutiveBoard(preparingthedecisionsoftheManage-
•Developmethodsandstandardstoimprovethequality mentBoard);
and comparability of data at EU level; •ScientificCommittee(consistingofelevenhighlyquali-
•Carryoutandencouragescientificresearchandsurveys. fiedindependentpersonstoguaranteescientificquality
of the work); and
Co-operation with civil society and awareness-raising: •Director(executingtheAgency’stasksandappointing
•Raisepublicawarenessoffundamentalrights; its staff).
•Promotedialoguewithcivilsociety;establishanetwork
through a Fundamental Rights Platform.
For more information please see http://fra.europa.eu