Jeff Kenner

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union enshrines the key political, social and economic rights of EU citizens and residents in EU law. In its present form it was approved in 2000 by the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission. However its legal status remained uncertain until the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon in December 2009. The Charter obliges the EU to act and legislate consistently with the Charter, and enables the EUs courts to strike down EU legislation which contravenes it. The Charter applies to EU Member States when they are implementing EU law but does not extend the competences of the EU beyond the competences given to it in the treaties.

The Constitution that Never was: Is there Anything Worth Salvaging from the Wreckage?

In the aftermath of the rejection of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in referendums in France and the Netherlands this article analyses the complex messages delivered by the voters and evaluates key elements of the Constitution from the perspective of European Union (EU) employment law. On the basis of this evaluation the author seeks to establish whether there is anything worth salvaging from the wreckage of the Constitution and, if so, to identify the main priorities in the area of EU employment law and the means to make progress by amending the Treaties or otherwise.