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4 - Human rights

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Andrew Williams
Affiliation:
University of Warwick
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Summary

Introduction

When the European Economic Community was established in 1957, human rights did not figure in the political or legal landscape constructed by the Treaty of Rome. Their presence was at best subliminal. The subsequent claim by the European Court of Justice, the Commission, the Council, and now all institutions of the EU that human rights were fundamental in the EU's creation is a myth.

The institutional practice and constitutional framework that has developed over the past thirty or more years has, nonetheless, placed respect for human rights at the core of the EU's stated values. Not only is respect for human rights a prominent and explicit feature of the values now identified by the Lisbon Treaty of 2007 but it has also helped frame an array of other implicit constitutional themes. From constructing an identity for the EU, legitimising its operations, providing a bulwark against extremism and the abuse of power, to acting as a spur to ‘closer union’ between the peoples of Europe, human rights provide an iconic concept without respect for which the EU would lack moral and enduring substance. This remains true even with the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

My aim in this chapter is to consider the nature of the EU's commitment to human rights. This does not require a comprehensive review of the EU's record in relation to adherence to human rights standards.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Ethos of Europe
Values, Law and Justice in the EU
, pp. 110 - 153
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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  • Human rights
  • Andrew Williams, University of Warwick
  • Book: The Ethos of Europe
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511750335.005
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  • Human rights
  • Andrew Williams, University of Warwick
  • Book: The Ethos of Europe
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511750335.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Human rights
  • Andrew Williams, University of Warwick
  • Book: The Ethos of Europe
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511750335.005
Available formats
×