On 4 November, the European Parliament Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) held a hearing on the draft report on the implementation of the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter in the EU legal framework. This comes as the 25th anniversary of the EU Charter nears.

In 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution based on such a report drafted by AFCO. 

Now the Committee is working on a similar new report. FRA commented on the draft. It congratulated the rapporteur of the report for underlining the positive obligations linked to the Charter and for stressing the importance to give more relevance and visibility to the social right enshrined in the Charter. 

The Agency also agreed with the need for EU law and policy making to be fully in line with the EU Charter. It referred to its report ‘Better legislation: human rights impact assessment in law the making’ which will be launched at Charter anniversary conference in Brussels on 10 December. 

FRA expressed the concern that the subnational level was not referred to in the draft despite rights enshrined in the Charter also being of value in cities, municipalities, provinces and regions. 

On 5 November, FRA also participated in the exchange with the rapporteur of the draft European Parliament report and the shadow rapporteurs. They discussed the report in more detail. 

Important questions regarding the application of the Charter will be discussed on 8 and 9 December at the third annual Charter Exchange. 

FRA and the European Court of Human Rights have produced the latest in a series of joint thematic factsheets. This factsheet focuses on reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities within the context of EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights.

EU law and the Convention sometimes overlap. The publication clarifies where there are similar principles in different legislation and provides examples of relevant case law from the EU’s Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights.

Both courts use the reasonable accommodation definition from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). In essence, it means making necessary and appropriate modifications to allow people with disabilities participate equally in society.

The Courts have concluded that failing to provide appropriate measures for the reasonable accommodation of people with disabilities constitutes discriminatory treatment.

Previous factsheets covered mass surveillinace, the right to be forgotten and the European Arrest Warrant. 

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has responded to the National Audit Office (NAO)'s report about school transport, published today.

Mrs Amerdeep Clarke, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said:

“From the complaints we receive, we know transport to and from their education settings can be a significant issue for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and for the councils that arrange and fund it. We commonly see the significant impact it can have on families when blanket decisions are made, and individual circumstances are not properly considered.

 “We welcome the National Audit Office’s report and the focus it has placed on the specific challenges around transport within the SEND system and await further clarity on the government’s intended approach when it releases its SEND reform white paper.”

El Defensor del Pueblo de Navarra-Nafarroako Arartekoa, Patxi Vera, ha protagonizado este 3 de noviembre una entrevista en el programa "Mediodía" de Cope Navarra.

Una conversación en la que se han tratado diversos asuntos de actualidad. Uno de ellos, por ejemplo, ha sido la resolución Q25/737 por la que la institución ha sugerido a la Mancomunidad de la Comarca de Pamplona "que evalúe la idoneidad de aumentar el número de licencias de taxi para cumplir con lo establecido en el índice general de referencia previsto en la Ley Foral 9/2005, de 6 de julio" que regula dicho sector. 

Al mismo tiempo, Patxi Vera tambien ha hablado de la figura del Defensor así como de las jornadas de Coordinación de Defensorías, celebradas recientemente en Zaragoza  y centradas en la vulnerabilidad en las aulas.

Escúchalo aquí:  /files/08/83/65/entrevista-cope-defensor-del-pueblo-03-11-25.mp3