Legal status and policy implications of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

Abstract:

This article aims at exploring the legal status and policy implications of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. It is argued that the Charter has legal value, despite the fact that it has not been incorporated into Community law. This is so to the extent that it consolidates existing law. The additional symbolic value of the Charter grounds the claim that it will have concrete policy impacts. It will have an effect on the weighting of social and economic goals of the Union, on its external trade and development policy, on the enlargement process (Article TEU 49), and on the eventual application of sanctions to Member States (Article TEU 7).