European Institutions

"One of Us" Committee Files Complaint over EU Inaction

July 30, 2014

The organizers of the European Citizens' Initiative "One of Us" have filed a complaint with the Court of Justice of the EU seeking annulment of the European Commission's decision to ignore the initiative, which seeks to end EU funding of the destruction of human embryos.
European Court Decides Poland Violated Human Rights with CIA Cooperation

July 28, 2014

In a controversial decision, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Polish Government violated human rights by cooperating with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency ("CIA") in operating "black sites" - where terror suspects were allegedly taken for interrogation and torture - in its territory.
Howe Recommends "Zero Plus" U.K. Renegotiation with EU

July 23, 2014

Martin Howe QC has published a paper arguing that in the case of a "no" vote in the EU referendum planned in 2017, the U.K. should perform a "zero plus" renegotiation by withdrawing from the EU and choosing which areas of the trade bloc it would be beneficial to rejoin.
U.K. Government Plans Parliamentary Veto of ECHR Decisions

July 23, 2014

According to The Telegraph, the current U.K. Government's plans for replacing the U.K. Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights include giving U.K. Members of Parliament the authority to overrule decisions of the European Court of Human Rights ("ECHR") in Strasbourg.
ECJ: EU Countries Cannot Hold Illegal Immigrants in Prison

July 23, 2014

The Court of Justice of the EU ("ECJ") has held that illegal immigrants who are held for deportation from the EU cannot be housed in regular prisons, but must rather be placed in "special detention facilities."