In January, EIPA organised the first Charter Up! Roundtable in Luxembourg, focusing on the practical application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. A diverse group of professionals, including public servants, legal practitioners specialising in EU rights and Charter cases, lawyers, journalists, asylum seekers and NGO experts came together to discuss the Charter’s impact.
With the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights approaching its 25th anniversary in 2025, the event explored its role and potential in safeguarding human rights within Luxembourg. The discussions focused on maximising the Charter’s protective scope, identifying opportunities for improvement, and exploring ways to further integrate its principles into national practices.
Experts shared best practices and lessons drawn from their work on human rights cases, offering valuable perspectives. Participants focused on two key topics—discrimination and asylum rights—exploring case studies specifically tailored to Luxembourg’s context. The event fostered collaborative learning, with group discussions encouraging the exchange of ideas and the development of practical solutions to the real-world challenges faced by practitioners and asylum seekers.
The Charter Up! Project
The event is part of the Charter Up! project, implemented by EIPA Luxembourg – European Centre for Judges and Lawyers (ECJL) – in partnership with Passerell and it is co-funded by the European Commission. The project aims to equip human rights practitioners in Luxembourg with the knowledge and tools to effectively leverage the Charter in their work. Complementary initiatives, including a legal helpdesk (Charter Checkpoint), a newsletter, and a jurisprudence database, further support this mission.
What’s Next?
This first roundtable marked an important step in enhancing the awareness and application of the Charter in Luxembourg. Upcoming events will further spotlight the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and tackle critical human rights challenges, fostering opportunities for collaboration and innovation. The next event, the Seminar 3, titled “Mobilising the Charter of Fundamental Rights in Luxembourg”, will take place on 26t February, as a new edition of Seminar 1, organised in 2024.