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Embargo: Immediate, 14th November 2000
ANDREW DUFF MEP WINS SUPPORT FOR CHARTER ON FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: PARLIAMENT AGREES TO 'SOLEMN PROCLAMATION'.
In a historic vote today in Strasbourg the European Parliament gave its assent to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Its President, Nicole Fontaine, will now be able to join the heads of government at Nice in December in proclaiming it.
The Parliament's co-author of the resolution on the Charter, Andrew Duff, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for the East of England, hailed the result as "a breakthrough for the European citizen".
He said that the vote of the Parliament, by 410 votes to 93, brought fundamental rights to the heart of the European Union, and strengthened the direct relationship between the EU authorities and the citizen.
He added:
"With the Charter in place, nobody will ever be able to ask what the Union is for. It sets out in a balanced way the fundamental values and rights which have formed post-war Europe.
"All those of us who work in the institutions, or who apply EU policy inside the member states, are in no doubt about the concentration of power that is found in Brussels.
"The Charter helps to safeguard the citizen from any possible abuse of that power.
"The European Parliament played a strong part in formulating the Charter; we profited from participating in the process; and the citizens we represent will profit from its proclamation ? especially if, as Article 52.3 says, the Union then goes forward to offer more extensive protection in due course."
Mr Duff praised the UK government for having "wisely and boldly accepted the Charter. ... Tony Blair can be assured that the Charter does not threaten existing rights regimes, notably the Council of Europe?s 1950 Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). But recent advances in integration have meant that a fresh and separate Charter is needed for the European Union."
The European Liberal Democrats hope that the Charter will at some stage be installed within the Treaty to enhance legal and political certainty, but are confident that the Charter will be used by the courts in case law from the outset.
ENDS/..
Editor's Note: Andrew Duff is the Parliament?s co-rapporteur with Austrian Green Johannes Voggenhuber on the Charter. They produced their first report in March which set out the Parliament?s demands for the Charter, and played a leading part in the controversial Convention set up to draft the Charter.
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Andrew's
work
in the European Parliament since 1999
Andrew is Vice-President of the European Parliament delegation to the Constitutional Convention on the Future of Europe.
Andrew drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights which has strengthened the rights of all the citizens of the European Union.
Andrew is working for improved links between the EU and Turkey, to encourage improvements in Turkey's human rights record and to enhance its democracy.
Andrew's campaigning in the East of England
Andrew has led calls for the Air Travel industry to be subjected to the same rigorous environmental criteria as other modes of transport
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