Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is a legally binding statement of civil, political, economic, and social rights recognized within the EU. It binds EU institutions and applies to member states when they implement EU law.

Article 51 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights: The Charter provision defining its scope and the public authorities it binds. It limits the Charter’s application to EU institutions and member states implementing EU law.
Dignity in human rights law: The principle that every person has inherent worth deserving respect and protection. Dignity anchors the Charter’s first title and informs protections such as the ban on torture.
Treaty of Nice: A 2001 treaty that amended the founding treaties of the European Union. The Charter was proclaimed during the treaty process associated with Nice, but was not made binding then.
Digital Rights Ireland v Minister for Communications: A 2014 Court of Justice judgment invalidating the EU Data Retention Directive. The Court used Charter privacy and data-protection rights to assess indiscriminate communications-data retention.
European Court of Human Rights: The international court that rules on alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. It belongs to the Council of Europe system, not the EU institutions applying the Charter.
Court of Justice of the European Union: The EU’s judicial institution, which interprets EU law and ensures its consistent application. Its rulings determine how Charter rights apply in EU law disputes.
European Convention on Human Rights: A Council of Europe treaty protecting human rights, overseen by the European Court of Human Rights. Its guarantees supplied a major reference point for rights later expressed in the Charter.
European Convention (2002–2003): A body that drafted proposals for reforming the European Union’s treaties from 2002 to 2003. Its work on the proposed constitutional treaty included the Charter’s incorporation.
Schrems I: A 2015 Court of Justice judgment invalidating the EU–US Safe Harbour decision. The ruling applied Charter privacy and data-protection standards to international transfers of personal data.
National constitution: A state’s foundational legal document defining public institutions and fundamental rules. National constitutions protect rights independently, while the Charter applies only within EU-law scope.

Linked from 4 pages