Fundamental Rights Platform Meeting
Friday, 16 April 2010 Last Updated ( Monday, 19 April 2010 )ENIL attended the 3rd Fundamental Rights Platform Meeting on the 15-16 of April, 2010 in Vienna - (The platform meeting is a method of communication between the Fundamental Rights Agency and the EU civil society.)
ENIL – European Network on Independent Living through its director Jamie Bolling was represented as one of the 162 members attending the meeting. On the agenda were discussions concerning poverty and social exclusion and on the Lisbon treaty as a tool for fundamental rights. The working plan for 2012 and the Multi-Annual Framework for 2013-2017 were also main points allowing for contributions from the Fundamental Rights Platform that represents the European Union's Civil Society. The meeting had also the role of collecting input concerning reporting and running issues of the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA).
What is the FRA and what is the FRA platform? FRA or the Fundamental Rights Agency is a EU agency with the role to provide relevant assistance and expertise to institutions and authorities of the Community and its Member States for the implementing of community law relating to fundamental rights. This support for the different actors when they take measures or formulate courses of action within their respective spheres of competence is a way to make sure there is full respect for fundamental rights.
The Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) is a method and network for cooperation and information exchange between the FRA and EU civil society. The platform is to act as the main channel for the FRA's cooperation with civil society ensuring a dialogue and cooperation between the Agency and relevant stakeholders. The FRA platform has an annual meeting.
The platform has the following tasks:
- to make suggestions on the Annual Work Program
- to give feedback and suggest follow-up on the Annual Report
- to communicate outcomes and recommendations of conferences, seminars and meetings relevant to the work of the agency.
In addition, the agency will interact with the participants of the Fundamental Rights Platform in accordance with specific needs related to areas identified as a priority for the Agency's work.
During the meeting there was the election for the advisory panel of the Fundamental Rights Platform. The advisory panel supports the work of the director of the FRA in organizing and coordinating the Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) and gives advice for preparation of associated meetings and events. The panel is a tool in aiding the good functioning of the platform, suggesting, when necessary, adjustments and improvements to processes and procedures, thus facilitating a the dialogue between the platform and the director of the agency. Over 50 organizations had nominated persons to this panel. ENIL had nominated Jamie Bolling to assure the inclusion of the Independent Living perspective in the work with Human Rights through the FRA and she was elected. This is great for ENIL and rights of disabled people. There were several other people nominated to the advisory panel representing the rights of the disabled with Peter Kinderman from Mental Health Europe also having been elected to the panel.
The FRP is growing with membership having increased from 142 to 300 members. We will soon get back on this point because there are many countries needing a larger representation and this is another way for our movement to have a stronger representation!
16 April 2010