EU Rights Review 2024‑2025

What the resolution is about

• The European Parliament (EP) reviews how the EU and its 27 member states protect basic rights—freedom, equality, safety, privacy, and fair trials—during 2024‑2025.
• It asks the EU Commission, the Council, and member states to:

• Verify that EU laws and court decisions are followed.
• Act swiftly when a country violates the rule of law, democracy, or fundamental rights.
• Prevent EU funds from supporting abuses or discrimination.
• Strengthen protection for vulnerable groups such as women, children, migrants, people with disabilities, Roma, LGBTIQ people, ethnic minorities, journalists, and civil‑society organisations.

Key concerns raised by the EP

• Rule of law & democracy – Weak courts, press, civil society, and minority rights.
• Corruption – Linked to organised crime and erodes public trust.
• Whistle‑blowers – Inadequate protection for those exposing wrongdoing.
• Pre‑trial detention – Overuse or excessive duration.
• Media freedom – Attacks, legal harassment, “SLAPP” lawsuits, and surveillance.
• Surveillance & spyware – Use of tools like Pegasus against journalists, activists, and politicians.
• Disinformation & AI – Algorithms spread fake news, hate speech, and polarisation.
• Women’s rights & gender‑based violence – High violence rates, limited abortion access, cyber‑violence.
• LGBTIQ rights – Rising anti‑LGBTIQ laws, hate speech, and conversion practices.
• Racism & discrimination – Structural racism, xenophobia, anti‑Roma, anti‑Jewish, anti‑Muslim, anti‑Black bias.
• Disability rights – Barriers, forced sterilisation, lack of inclusion.
• Migration & asylum – Border mistreatment, “externalisation” of asylum, insufficient investigations.
• Prison conditions – Overcrowding, poor medical care, abuse.
• Civil society – Funding cuts, legal restrictions, intimidation of NGOs.
• Social & economic rights – Poverty, housing shortages, weak social protection, environmental harm.

What the EP is asking the EU to do

• Rule‑of‑law toolbox – Use Article 7, conditionality, and infringement procedures faster and more consistently.
• Fast‑track court rulings – Ensure CJEU and ECHR decisions are implemented immediately.
• Protect whistle‑blowers – Enact clear laws that shield those exposing corruption or abuse.
• Limit pre‑trial detention – Apply detention only when absolutely necessary and review it regularly.
• Guarantee media freedom – Protect journalists from lawsuits, harassment, and surveillance; enforce the Media Freedom Act and Anti‑SLAPP Directive.
• Regulate spyware – Require judicial oversight, transparency, and victim redress.
• Combat disinformation – Strengthen the Digital Services Act, AI Act, and political‑advertising rules; monitor social‑media algorithms.
• Advance gender equality – Enforce the new LGBTIQ strategy, protect women from violence, ensure safe abortion and gender‑based crime laws.
• Protect LGBTIQ people – Ban conversion practices, enforce anti‑discrimination laws, recognise same‑sex partnerships.
• Fight racism – Implement the new anti‑racism strategy, enforce equality directives, support Roma and minority rights.
• Support people with disabilities – Apply the CRPD, stop forced sterilisation, improve accessibility and inclusion.
• Ensure fair migration policies – Investigate border mistreatment, respect the right to asylum, stop “externalisation” that violates rights.
• Improve prison conditions – Follow the Mandela Rules, provide medical care, prevent overcrowding.
• Strengthen civil society – Provide stable funding, remove legal barriers, protect NGOs and human‑rights defenders.
• Address poverty and social rights – Create an EU anti‑poverty strategy, improve housing, health and social protection.
• Protect the environment – Recognise the right to a healthy environment, fight climate change, enforce environmental crime laws.

How the EP wants the EU to act

1. Regular monitoring – Publish up‑to‑date reports on each country’s respect for rights.
2. Clear deadlines – Set concrete dates for fixing violations.
3. Co‑operation with international bodies – Work with the Council of Europe, the UN, and the ECHR to enforce judgments and share best practices.
4. Funding that respects values – Ensure EU money never supports spyware, anti‑LGBTIQ laws, or Charter‑violating activities.
5. Civil‑society platform – Create a European space where NGOs can report threats, receive help, and share information.
6. Education and awareness – Promote media literacy, digital skills, and knowledge of rights in schools and universities.

Bottom line
The EP reminds that the EU was founded on human dignity, freedom, equality, and the rule of law. In 2024‑2025 many member states are drifting away from those values. The resolution calls for stronger, faster, and more consistent action from the Commission, the Council, and all member states to protect everyone’s rights—especially the most vulnerable—and to preserve the EU’s democratic foundations.

Broader context

The resolution is part of the EU’s ongoing effort to uphold the values outlined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the Treaty on European Union (TEU). These values include human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. The EU has faced increasing challenges in recent years, such as the rise of authoritarian tendencies in some member states, the spread of disinformation, and the erosion of independent judiciary systems in certain countries. This resolution reflects the EU’s commitment to addressing these issues and ensuring that its legal and institutional frameworks remain robust and effective.

The resolution also aligns with global trends, such as the growing use of digital surveillance tools (e.g., spyware like Pegasus) and the increasing polarization fueled by social media algorithms. The EU is responding to these challenges by calling for stronger regulations on surveillance, disinformation, and AI, as well as better protection for vulnerable groups like migrants, LGBTIQ individuals, and people with disabilities.

Additionally, the resolution highlights the EU’s role in international human rights protection. By cooperating with bodies like the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the EU aims to ensure that its standards align with global human rights norms.

Impact on people living in the EU

For people living in the EU, this resolution means stronger protections for their fundamental rights and a more accountable system for addressing violations. Here’s how it may affect different groups:

General public

• Increased transparency: Regular monitoring and reporting on fundamental rights will make it easier for citizens to track how their country is performing and hold governments accountable.
• Better access to justice: Faster enforcement of court rulings means that violations of rights (e.g., discrimination, illegal surveillance) will be addressed more quickly.
• Safer digital spaces: Stricter rules on disinformation, AI, and social media algorithms aim to reduce the spread of fake news and hate speech, creating a healthier online environment.

Vulnerable groups

• Women: Stronger enforcement of laws against gender-based violence and better access to safe abortion and legal protections.
• LGBTIQ individuals: Protection against discrimination, hate speech, and conversion practices, as well as recognition of same-sex partnerships.
• Migrants and asylum seekers: Fairer treatment at borders, respect for the right to asylum, and investigations into mistreatment.
• People with disabilities: Improved accessibility, inclusion, and an end to practices like forced sterilization.
• Minorities (Roma, ethnic, religious): Stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and support for their rights.

Journalists and activists

• Greater media freedom: Protection from SLAPP lawsuits, harassment, and surveillance, ensuring they can work without fear of retaliation.
• Whistle-blower protections: Clearer laws to shield those who expose corruption or abuse from legal or professional consequences.

Civil society

• More support for NGOs: Stable funding, fewer legal barriers, and a European platform for reporting threats and sharing information.
• Stronger voice: Civil society organizations will have more tools to advocate for rights and hold governments accountable.

Prisoners

• Improved conditions: Efforts to reduce overcrowding, provide better medical care, and prevent abuse in prisons.

Social and economic rights

• Poverty reduction: Potential development of an EU anti-poverty strategy to improve housing, healthcare, and social protection.
• Environmental protections: Recognition of the right to a healthy environment and stronger enforcement of environmental laws.