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Since the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights has been an integral part of the law of the European Union.
“No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (article 4 of the Charter).
Though torture is hardly practiced in a systematic manner in Europe, 28 of the 47 states that have been members since 1999 have nevertheless been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for acts of torture or ill-treatment (in particular Russia and Turkey as well as certain European States, notably in the context of the fight against terrorism for complicity with the CIA).
Member of the NGO network “Human Rights and Democracy Network,” FIACAT participates in lobbying the institutions of the European Union, especially the committees and delegations of the European Parliament, the services of the Commission, or even the Committee on Human Rights of the Council (COHOM) when it considers questions linked to ill-treatment, torture, abolition of the death penalty, or the fate of immigrants deported to countries that practice torture.
FIACAT also follows the implementation of the European Instrument for Democracy, a program which funds NGO’s projects, particularly in the domain of the abolition of torture and human rights education.
HRDN manifesto for the European Parliament elections 2009
The European Union elaborated six groups of guidelines, on the death penalty, torture, dialogue with non-member countries in matters of Human Rights, children in armed conflicts, Human Rights Defenders, and children’s rights. In 2005 it elaborated guidelines on the promotion of international humanitarian law. These documents describe the different ways of implementing the human rights priorities of the EU in its relations with non-member countries.
The guidelines on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments or treatments were adopted by the EU in 2001.
FIACAT works for the effective implementation of this instrument. It participates in the diffusion and appropriation of these Guidelines by fieldworkers. In addition, FIACAT has actively participated in their revision since 2007.
