EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

HC Deb 10 April 2000 vol 348 c78W

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the EU intends to submit its planned Charter of Fundamental Rights to the European Court of Human Rights to ensure its compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights. [118271]

Mr. Vaz

The Cologne Conclusions state that the Chartershould contain the fundamental rights and freedoms as well as the procedural rights

guaranteed by the ECHR. To ensure compatibility between the Charter and the ECHR the drafting Convention has invited Council of Europe observers actively to participate in all its meetings. I am not aware of any current plans to submit the Charter to the European Court of Human Rights.

Mr. Redwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the proposed EU Charter of Fundamental Rights will be incorporated into the Treaties. [118270]

Mr. Vaz

The Council has not yet considered this issue. The Cologne Conclusions state that the question ofwhether and if so how the Charter should be integrated into the Treaties will only be considered once the drafting body has presented its draft before the Nice European Council in December 2000.