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Civil Society Actors and EU Fundamental Rights Policy: Opportunities and Challenges

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Abstract

This paper examines how civil society actors in the EU utilize the political and legal opportunities provided by the EU’s fundamental rights policy to mobilize against discrimination, notably racism, and xenophobia. It emphasizes the multiple enabling roles that this policy provides to civil society associations engaged in judicial activism, political advocacy, and service delivery both at the EU and Member State levels, and assesses their effectiveness. It describes several factors that hinder the implementation of EU fundamental rights policy and reviews the strategies of civil society to overcome them. It highlights the reluctance of parts of public opinion to combat ethnic prejudice, considers reactions against what at a time of crisis is perceived as a costly project of social regulation, and examines civil society responses. The data sources consist of interviews with bureaucratic and civil society actors at EU level.

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Notes

  1. Whilst there is a clear and increasing diffusion of the concept of human right in public discourse and in a variety of political arenas, its clarity has been questioned by authors such as Beitz who is sceptical on the social and political consequences of its global acceptance and utilisation (Beitz 2009)

  2. All the respondents interviewed are non-native speakers of English. No effort has been made to edit their responses.

  3. In order to ensure frank reporting, interviewees were assured that their names would not be disclosed. This is necessary as issues of civil society effectiveness, agenda setting dynamics, evaluation of CSOs effectiveness and conflict-cooperation with other civil society groups would potentially not be effectively addressed if interviewees’ names were publicised. As EU NGOs are often rather small, mentioning the organisational role of interviewees would be equally revealing. Therefore, organisational roles are only summarily indicated. The same consideration applies to the EU bureaucracy with reference to issues of relations with other DG Units, which can be conflictual and with other civil society organisations, which encourages bureaucrats to appear impartial. This make the disclosure of personal attitudes potentially counterproductive (See Ellinas and Suleiman 2012, pp. 84–85).

  4. See: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-is-new/news/news/2013/20130531_01_en.htm (website consulted on 15 October 2013).

  5. See http://romapolicy.eu/about/ (Website consulted on 15 October 2013).

  6. See: http://fra.europa.eu/en/project/2013/multi-annual-roma-programme (website consulted on 15 October 2013).

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Correspondence to Carlo Ruzza.

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Ruzza, C. Civil Society Actors and EU Fundamental Rights Policy: Opportunities and Challenges. Hum Rights Rev 15, 65–81 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12142-013-0296-9

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