European Institutions

FRA Workshop Seeks Monitoring of Data on "Social Inclusion"

April 28, 2016

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights ("FRA") has hosted a workshop for EU officials and authorities from EU member states to determine best practices in developing data to define and monitor the "social inclusion" of minority groups.
ECtHR: De Facto Life Sentence Violated Prisoner's Rights

April 28, 2016

The European Court of Human Rights ("ECtHR") has held that the Netherlands violated a convicted killer's right against "inhuman or degrading treatment" because, even though he secured reviews of his continued confinement during his life sentence, he was denied treatment of his mental health problems, thus making release effectively impossible.
UK Faces Fines for Misspent EU Funds

April 27, 2016

A report from the UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee states that, over the last decade, the European Commission has forced the UK to pay back at least £650 million in EU funds it alleged were misspent by British government agencies.
EU Seeks Security Union to Prevent Terrorism

April 27, 2016

The European Commission is seeking to build on its Agenda on Security by proposing steps toward an EU Security Union, including through bolstering the European Counter Terrorism Centre to become Europe's intelligence hub and by ramping up restrictions on terrorists' access to weapons and funds.
CoE Publishes Action Plan on Judicial Independence

April 27, 2016

The Council of Europe ("CoE") has published a Plan of Action on Strengthening Judicial Independence and Impartiality, which calls on CoE member states to implement reforms where needed to ensure the independence of the judiciary and offers CoE support in pursuing these reforms.