European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
The European Council proposed the establishment of an agency focused on fundamental rights as early as 1999, and finally, in 2003, a decision was made to create the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. The new institution, headquartered in Vienna, began its operations in 2007. The Agency has the important mandate of preparing conclusions and opinions on specific topics for the EU institutions and Member States, either on its own initiative or at the request of the European Parliament, the Council, or the Commission. Additionally, it publishes an annual report on its activities and on fundamental rights issues within its scope. Despite its broad range of tasks, its powers are quite limited, primarily restricted to research and advisory functions. It cannot make substantive decisions or investigate individual human rights violations, and it can only act concerning the application of EU law. The Agency’s field of activity is defined by five-year framework programs, which are adopted by the Council based on a proposal from the Commission and in consultation with the European Parliament. At the request of the European Parliament, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published an in-depth analysis in the form of a special reporton the protection of minorities in 2011. This report summarizes the provisions of EU law affecting minorities and the issues faced by various minority groups. It emphasizes that the protection of persons belonging to national minorities is a responsibility shared by the EU, Member States, and local levels. However, EU law can only play a supplementary role and cannot establish a comprehensive minority protection policy. Nevertheless, it points out that the European Union has the opportunity to include national minorities in its equality agenda.