Human Rights in the Council of Europe and the European Union: Achievements, Trends and Challenges

Description

Confusion about the differences between the Council of Europe (the parent body of the European Court of Human Rights) and the European Union is commonplace amongst the general public. It even affects some lawyers, jurists, social scientists and students. This book will enable the reader to distinguish clearly between those human rights norms which originate in the Council of Europe and those which derive from the EU, vital for anyone interested in human rights in Europe and in the UK as it prepares to leave the EU. The main achievements of relevant institutions include securing minimum standards across the continent as they deal with increasing expansion, complexity, multidimensionality, and interpenetration of their human rights activities. The authors also identify the central challenges, particularly for the UK in the post-Brexit era, where the components of each system need to be carefully distinguished and disentangled.

Steven Greer is Professor of Human Rights at the University of Bristol Law School. Janneke Gerards is Professor of Fundamental Rights Law at Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands. Rose Slowe is Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol Law School and a barrister.

'The authors present a thought-provoking analysis of the current state of Europe's system of human rights protection and the challenges facing it. Its originality lies in the fact that it compares in a single book the various human rights standards and mechanisms emanating from the Council of Europe and the European Union.' Joerg Polakiewicz, Legal Adviser, Council of Europe 'This monograph, one of the first comprehensive book-length studies of Europe's two principal human rights systems, is a valuable resource for those interested in the broader picture of human rights in Europe. The comparative analysis in the concluding chapter on the institutionalisation of human rights by these two systems, on the achievements and challenges facing each, and on the nature of the relationship between the two, is particularly interesting.' Grainne de Burca, Florence Ellinwood Allen Professor of Law, New York University Law School 'This excellent and important book describes human rights protection in Europe. Crucially, however, it also explains and compares the achievements of the Council of Europe and the EU in the human rights field - this makes it almost unique in its scope. In this way, it will prove an essential guide to the complexities of European human rights law - invaluable to practitioners, scholars and students.' Sionaidh Douglas-Scott, Anniversary Chair in Law, Queen Mary University of London