study human rights mainstreaming in eu's external relations - EIUC

DG EXPO Policy Department
It should be noted that the legal basis for the EIDHR has been adopted by co-decision with
the European Parliament. The Parliament’s role in the follow-up of the implementation of
the EIDHR by the Commission remains, however, limited. There might thus be scope for a
greater involvement of the Parliament in the evaluation of the implementation of this
instrument. From a mainstreaming point of view, such involvement should ideally be done
by associating the different EP committees.
The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR)
The EIDHR should not be seen as a mainstreaming instrument as such, but
rather as a human rights and democracy promotion instrument which is
addressed to human rights actors and managed by human rights focal points
within the Commission. Even so, if used efficiently, this instrument has the
potential to reinforce and enhance human rights mainstreaming. Indeed,
complementarity between the EIDHR and geographical instruments is clearly
foreseen within the legal basis of the EIDHR. One may thus advocate that the
EIDHR should be deliberately used to further the mainstreaming of human
rights within the different sectors of activities covered by the geographical
instruments. Initiatives undertaken in the framework of cooperation between
the EU and third country authorities could often benefit from parallel actions
undertaken by civil society organisations in relation to the same field, and viceversa.
EIDHR may similarly contribute to the development of integrated approaches to
human rights within the internal structure of the EU, and more particularly of
the Commission. For example, the involvement of different services, both in
Brussels and at delegation levels, in the design and management of calls for
proposals can be a factor contributing to more effective mainstreaming.
The fact that local NGOs are financially supported by the EU also provides an
incentive for Commission staff and EU Member States to get involved, should
representatives from these organisations suffer from human rights violations.
This was, e.g., the case when funds allocated to the Tunisian League for Human
Rights were blocked by the authorities in 2003. Even if the EU did not manage
to resolve the problem, it was raised at the time at all possible levels. Several
Member States as well as Commissioner Chris Patten raised the matter several
times with the Tunisian authorities. Generally speaking, however, it must be
recognised that such action very much depends on the degree of commitment
by staff and by the EC Head of Delegation to the promotion of human rights.
Finally, the Council has been keen to specify that the mainstreaming of human rights into
external relations go hand in hand with the mainstreaming of other human rights-related
issues. In particular, the 2001 Council conclusions argue that “[t]he EU must apply a gender
perspective throughout its human rights and democratisation policy, as well as child rights
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