Human Rights in the European Union

Using documentary research, this paper aims to describe the relationship between human rights and integration, taking into consideration the case of the European Union. The incorporation of human rights protection in the European Union is analyzed, studying the leading role of the European Court of Justice, which developed its fundamental rights jurisprudence within the framework of its task as guarantor for the supremacy and direct effect of community law. Then, the changes introduced by the Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties are studied, as well as the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Finally, the research analyzes the potential binding effect of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Union's future accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. Conclusions are that such accession is necessary to guarantee external control related to the respect for fundamental rights within the European legal order, which is desirable so that Europe's human rights commitment might be credible on both internal and external levels.