§ 16. Mr. RuffleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the EU charter of fundamental rights. [145050]
§ Mr. VazThe charter was proclaimed on 7 December at the Nice European Council.
Promotion of human rights is something to be proud of. The charter sets out for the first time, clearly and in a single document, a range of fundamental rights, freedoms and principles recognised within the EU. People need to know their rights, and the EU institutions need to respect them. The charter will help on both counts.
The charter is a political declaration; it is not legally binding. It was neither incorporated, nor attached nor referred to in the treaties, just as we said.
The Government have made clear their support for the charter. We have also made clear our view that it should remain a political declaration.