European Charter of Fundamental Rights

HC Deb 16 November 2000 vol 356 c766W

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bearing the Charter of Fundamental Rights will have on verdicts of the European Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement.[137965]

Mr. Vaz

The EU is already obliged to respect fundamental rights, and the ECJ is responsible for ensuring that this happens. The obligation to respect fundamental rights was first given Treaty status at Maastricht. In deciding how to interpret fundamental rights the ECJ is already, and will remain, free to have regard to relevant material. That may include the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The Charter will be adopted at Nice as a political declaration. It will not be legally binding. It will create no new powers or tasks for the EU or the ECJ. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 November 2000,Official Report, column 555W.