Human Rights and the EU: Five years after the Lisbon Treaty what next?

EIUC organises an event in Brussels on 10 July 2014 on "Human Rights and the EU: Five Years after the Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty".

The conference is to be considered a preparatory meeting to a major event to be held at the European Parliament, which EIUC is planning for the upcoming future; the attendants of this preparatory event will be both academics, members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council, as well as specialists in the field of Human Rights.

The event represents a unique occasion to discuss and evaluate the record of the Union and the main issues at stake, five years into the formal integration of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Treaties. It will as a matter of fact enable its attendants to focus on both the internal and the external dimension of the policies of the EU and their implications for human rights.

The conference will start in the morning at 9.30 a.m. and focus on the internal policies of the EU and the Member States; after a working lunch we will resume and discuss the implications for the external policies of the Union. Here follows the programme with a list of confirmed guests.

Eventual inquiries to be addressed to: marco.baldan@eiuc.org

DATE: July 10th 2014
LOCATION:           Fondation Universitaire, Rue d´Egmont 11, Brussels                                                                                                      

Welcoming Word: Prof. Horst Fischer, President of EIUC

MORNING SESSION (09:30-13:30)  INTRODUCTION AND INTERNAL POLICIES

Chair :   Prof. Jean-Paul Jacqué, Honorary Director General and Special Counselor in the Council of the European Union

Introduction : Purpose of the Conference

Implementation of the Charter in EU internal policies: are impact assessments efficient?  The Case Law of the European Court of Justice

09:45–10:20 Vincent Depaigne, Unit Fundamental rights and rights of the child, DG Justice, EC

Prof. Jean-Paul Jacqué, Honorary Director General and Special Counselor in the Council of the European Union 

Achievements in Human Rights policies in the past legislative period and future developments

10:20-10:50             Ms Chiara Adamo, Head of Unit Fundamental rights and rights of the child; DG  Justice, EC

10:50-11:15 Coffee Break

Compliance scrutiny of Human Rights obligations

1. Judicial review : taking the Charter seriously ?

11:15 -12:00 Prof. Jeffrey Kenner, University of Nottingham,

Mr Clemens Ladenburger, Legal Service, EC

12:00-12:15  Presentation of the book by the author: The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: A Commentary; ed: Peers, Hervey, Kenner and Ward ; Hart 2014

2. Article 7 of the Treaty : an unused weapon?  Infringement procedure (the case of Hungary) and the new mechanism for the respect of the Rule of Law, a more useful way ?

12:15–13:15            Mr Rui Tavares, MEP

Mr Nicolaas Bel, Unit General justice policies and judicial systems, DG Justice, EC

13:30-14:30  Working Lunch c/o Fondation Universitaire, Rue d’Egmont 11

Trends and challenges for a coherent and principled EU Human Rights policy  - Key-note speech by Ms Barbara Lochbihler, MEP

AFTERNOON SESSION (14:30-17:30) EXTERNAL POLICIES

Chair: Prof. Jean-Paul Jacqué, Honorary Director General and Special Counselor in the Council of the European Union

The EU Strategic Framework, the implementation of the Action Plan today and after

14:30–14:50 Opening speech by Mr Engelbert Theuermann, EEAS, Chair of COHOM 

The EU in the international fora, a real influence?

14:50-15:10  Dr. Robert Kissack, IBEI

Is the EU Toolbox  (HR clause, political dialogues, new guidelines …) really efficient and how to ensure coherence between HR Policy and Sectorial policies (i.e. Trade and TTIP).

15:10-15:40  The case of Trade and Human Rights :

Dr. Lorand Bartels, University of Cambridge

Prof. Fabrizio Marrella, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice

15:40-16:00 Coffee Break

 Human Rights Based Approach

16:00:-16:20            Mr. Patrice Lenormand, Deputy Head of Unit, DEVCO, EC

16:30–17:30 

ROUND TABLE OF FUTURE PROSPECTS

Chaired by Prof. Horst Fischer, EIUC

Mr. Silvio Gonzato, Director for Human Rights and Democracy, EEAS

Prof. Vital Moreira, Former MEP and Chair of the International Trade Committee

Dr. Gaelle Dusepulchre, FIDH, Representative before the EU

Prof. Veronica Gomez, University of San Martin, Global Campus

Dr. Magnus Killander, University of Pretoria, Global Campus

Prof. Jean-Paul Jacqué, Honorary Director General and Special Counselor in the Council of the European Union

Concluding remarks