Institute of Baltic Studies has been the official Estonian national focal point of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Research Network (FRANET) since 2011. Upon request, IBS provides relevant data to FRA on fundamental rights issues in order to facilitate the Agency’s comparative analyses.
The European Union established the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) to provide independent, evidence-based assistance and expertise on fundamental rights to EU institutions and Member States. FRA is an independent EU body, funded by the Union’s budget. Through the collection and analysis of data in the EU, the FRA assists EU institutions and EU Member States in understanding and tackling challenges to safeguard the fundamental rights of everyone in the EU. Working in partnership with the EU institutions, its Member States and other organisations at the international, European and national levels, the FRA plays an important role in helping to make fundamental rights a reality for everyone living in the EU.
A five-year Multi-annual Framework defines the nine thematic areas of FRA’s work:
These areas frame the agency’s various projects. The European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission can request research or an opinion on a specific topic outside the agency’s work programme, including in the course of legislative procedures. Member States can request comparative data and information from FRA to inform national policy developments.
See more on FRA and FRANET here.