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

This is the first integrated book-length study of human rights in the Council of Europe and European Union on both legal and non-legal dimensions. Seeking to resolve widespread confusion about the similarities and differences between these two organizations in this field, it describes, explains, compares, and contrasts relevant institutions, procedures, norms and policies. The authors present a strong and compelling thesis, meticulously supported by detailed scholarship. They conclude that the successful institutionalization of the human rights missions of each organisation has contributed significantly to securing minimum standards across the continent, the principal achievements. The central trends are the increasing expansion, complexity, multidimensionality, and interpenetration of their human rights activities. The central challenges concern how this could, and should, be properly understood and coherently, legitimately, and effectively managed, particularly for the UK in the post-Brexit era where the components of each system need to be carefully distinguished and disentangled.