Convention should allow EU to join international treaties, says Ombudsman

Date: 06/03/03

THE European Ombudsman has called on the Convention to leave open the possibility of the EU joining international human rights agreements.

While the draft constitution envisages that the Union might accede to the European Convention on Human Rights, watchdog Jacob Söderman warned it also appears to prevent it from signing up to other human rights instruments, such as the Council of Europe Convention for the Prevention of Torture, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of the UN and the International Labour Organisation's Convention. "The constitution should leave open the possibility for the Union to follow the good example of most of the member states by also joining these international agreements for the protection and promotion of human rights," said the Finn.

Söderman retires on 1 April andwill be replaced by Nikiforos Diamandouros, currently the Greek national ombudsman, who was elected by MEPs in January.

The European Ombudsman has called on the Convention to leave open the possibility of the EU joining international human rights agreements.