Proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Multiannual Framework for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights for 2013-2017

On 15 February 2007, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. The Agency became operational on 1 March 2007.

The objective of the Agency is to provide the relevant institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union and its Member States, when implementing Union law, with assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights in order to support them when they take measures or formulate courses of action within their respective spheres of competence to fully respect fundamental rights.

The tasks entrusted to the Agency relate to the collection and analysis of information and data; to the provision of advice through reports and opinions; and to cooperation with civil society and raising awareness of fundamental rights. The Agency is not authorized to deal with the legality of Union acts nor with the fulfilment of Member States' obligations under Union law.

According to Article 5 of the Regulation, the thematic areas of activity of the Agency shall be determined through a five-year Multiannual Framework. The Agency shall carry out the above-mentioned tasks within these thematic areas. The Multiannual Framework is not a work programme. The Agency's work programmes are adopted each year by its Management Board within the thematic areas determined by the Multiannual Framework. Following requests from the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission, the Agency work can outside these thematic areas, provided its financial and human resources so permit.

The objective of this proposal is to establish the Multiannual Framework of the Agency for the period 2013-2017, as required by Article 5 of the Regulation. The current Multiannual Framework (2007-2012) expires at the end of 2012.

EUR-Lex: COM(2011)880: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2011:880:FIN

---