For all its achievements in integrating Europe, the EU lacks a human rights policy which is coherent, balanced and professionally administered. In this text experts in the field, including individuals from every EU country, provide a critique of policies and detailed recommendations for the future.

For all its achievements in integrating Europe, the EU lacks a human rights policy which is coherent, balanced and professionally administered. Whether in relation to access to Community justice, sex equality, race and disability discrimination, or policing, or in its external policies from Kosovo to China, the Union needs new principles, procedures and institutions to design and implement an effective set of human rights policies. The introduction of a single currency, the problems of racism and xenophobia, the need for a humane refugee policy, the growing powers of the EU in many fields, and the Unions imminent eastward expansion, all make it urgent to adopt such policies. In this volume the leading experts in the field, including individuals from every EU country, provide an insightful critique of current policies and detailed recommendations for the future. The volume includes comprehensive analyses of: the competencies of the EU in human rights, access to justice, the Third Pillar,.

Part 1: towards an authentic and coherent human rights policy for the EU. Part 2: some philosophical dimensions of human rights policies within Europe
is there a European approach to human rights
the effect of rights on political culture
the legacies of injustice and fear - a European approach to human rights and their effects on political culture. Part 3: the human rights context within which the European Union functions
the competences of the EU in human rights
human rights in the context of the third pillar
access to justice
as a human right - the European convention and the EU
gender equality in the EU - A balance sheet
the human rights of
people with disabilities under EU law
the internal and external "Other" in the Union legal order - racism, religious intolerance and xenophobia in Europe
non-communitarians - refugees and asylum policies
the unity and universality of human rights in light of the disjointed nature of EU law. Part
4: social rights - European Union perspectives
we still have not found what we have been looking for - the balance between economic freedom and social rights in the EU
from Strasbourg to Amsterdam - prospects for the convergence of European social rights policy. Part 5: additional challenges for the future
human rights and European identity - the debate about European citizenship
the future of environmental rights in the EU. Part 6: human rights in external relations
holding multinational corporations accountable for human rights abuses - a challenge for the European Community
human rights considerations in the development co-operation activities of the EC
where is the EU's human rights common foreign policy, and how is it manifested in multilateral fora? Part 7: human rights "Conditionality", both internal and external

human rights "Conditionality" in relation to entry to, and full participation in the EU
trade preferences and human rights
human rights clauses in external agreements of the European Communities. Part 8: the role of key institutions and actors
human rights case-law in the Strasbourg and Luxembourg courts - conflicts, inconsistencies and complementarities
new instruments and institutions for enhancing the protection of human rights in Europe?
the role of the European Parliament in the promotion of human rights - past and future
reflections on the role of the Parliament
the role of the Council in human rights matters
the past and future role of the European Court of Justice in the protection of human rights
human rights and civil society.