EU Charter of Fundamental Rights 

The European Parliament, Council and Commission adopted a Charter of Fundamental Rights in Nice, December 2000. Several articles of Charter are of particular relevance to the rights of minorities and intercultural dialogue, including those addressing "equality" (e.g. non-discrimination and  cultural, religious and linguistic diversity) and "freedoms" (e.g. freedom of thought, conscience and religion). The relationship of the Charter to other international legal instruments is explained in the text: Why does the EU need a Charter of Fundamental Rights?

In September 2002, the Commission set up a network of independent experts on fundamental rights to monitor how the rights listed in the Charter are applied at both Member State and European levels.  It produces an annual written report of its findings and organises meetings with the Commission and the European Parliament.

EU Anti-Discrimination Directives

The focus of EU action in the field of non-discrimination was on preventing discrimination on the grounds of nationality and gender. The 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam, Article 13 granted the Community new powers to combat discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Since the Treaty of Amsterdam came into force in 1999, new EC laws or Directives have been enacted in the area of anti-discrimination: the Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) and the Employment Equality Directive (2000/78/EC). Council Directive 2000/43/EC implements the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin and also foresees positive action measures to be taken, as well as  judicial or administrative procedures to give victims of discrimination a right to make a complaint. Council Directive 2000/78/EC establishes a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation.

The DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission monitors the implementation of these directives into the laws of Member States.

EU Immigration Policy

Online documentation centre of the EU's DG Justice and Home Affairs which provides a complete listing of all key EU documents - strategies, council decisions, action plans, directives, legislation - related to immigration and the free movement of persons throughout the internal market. It includes a list of studies focussed on migration and integration including a Handbook on Integration for Policy Makers and Practitioners (2007), Migration and Public Perception (2006) and Bench Marking Immigration Integration (2003).

EC accession to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005)

For the first time, the European Commission and the Council Presidency entered into negotiations on the adoption of an international convention on behalf of its Member States. The mandate to represent its member states was conferred upon the Commission by the Council in November 2004. The European Parliament, and above all its Committee on Culture, followed these negotiations closely and supported the Community's approach throughout the process.

The European Community accession to the UNESCO Convention took place on 18 December 2006.  The UNESCO Convention entered into force on 18 March 2007.

See also:  Monitoring the Ratification and Implementation of the UNESCO Convention in Europe