10th Anniversary of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

On December 1, 2009—10 years ago yesterday—the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU Charter) became legally binding when the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force. The EU Charter contains civil and political, as well as economic and social rights. Its six chapters cover dignity, freedoms, equality, solidarity, citizens’ rights, and justice. The EU Charter generally only binds the institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies of the European Union (EU) and applies to the Member States only when they are implementing EU law. (EU Charter, art. 51.) The EU Charter therefore only complements the national legislation and does not replace it.