Acting on human rights together with Frans Timmermans

One of the first statements we heard last week when meeting with Frans Timmermans – the First Vice-President of the European Commission – was that he wants to introduce measures to demonstrate to the public that the Commission is acting to solve the problems of all communities in Europe. We understand that a man alone cannot fulfill that task – but the First Vice-President of the European Commission is not really alone. He has the power to lead a strategic action plan to promote human rights throughout the Union. The question that needs to be answered is this: how can such a “strategy” prove to the public that the EU can deliver concrete actions to solve their human rights problems?

First of all, in order to deliver results, the strategy should be very specific and made of distinct, measurable actions. The eight non-governmental organisation representatives present at the meeting with the Vice-President support the Commission in proposing and implementing such actions following the first fundamental rights colloquium – an annual conference to be held by Mr Timmermans – on 1-2 October, which will focus on “Tolerance and respect: Preventing and combating anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hatred in Europe”. The outcomes of the colloquium will be geared towards significantly reducing Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in Europe.

Secondly, the strategy must tackle all areas of life. Human rights are not limited to a single portfolio; on the contrary, they should be promoted horizontally across all Commission activities like migration, economic policy, the internal market, employment, and so on. Therefore it makes sense that Frans Timmermans – with his responsibilities for Better Regulation, Interinstitutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights – is the Commission’s number two behind President Jean-Claude Juncker. He will lead his fellow Commissioners in proposing specific measures within their own remits that improve human rights across the EU. We are ready to support such an initiative, which is why we have requested that our next meeting with the Vice-President focuses on the respect of human rights in both the EU migration agenda and the so called “European Semester” that coordinates EU member states’ economic, employment and social policies.

Finally, the strategy needs “go local” – it should encourage member states to act on their responsibilities. This is where people will see the strategy’s results. Unfortunately, there are still examples of member states avoiding their duties to the public; one such example is the ongoing opposition by some member states to the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation in access to services such as hospital or education. Another example is the failure of some member states to transpose EU equality laws properly. This should be tackled by the Commission through infringement procedures so that the public can see that the EU does its best to deliver on the ground, and will hold member states to account.

To conclude, we agree with the First Vice-President – it is time to be bold and go beyond mere words. It is time to be strategic while being specific, and to think European while implementing at national level. We are ready to work together with the Commission on this strategic action plan so that together we can improve human rights across Europe.

Let’s engage!

Pierre Baussand, Director