Assistance to the Management Board of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) provides the relevant institutions and authorities of the EU and its Member States with assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights when implementing Community law. Above and beyond giving advice to institutions and Member States, FRA is in charge of the collection and analysis of comparable information and data on the fundamental rights situation and its development in the EU, as well as developing methods and standards to improve the quality and comparability of data at EU level. The Agency’s main tasks further comprise the realisation and promotion of scientific research and surveys as well as cooperation with civil society and awareness-raising, aimed at the establishment of a network through the Fundamental Rights Platform.

On 1 January 2018 the new Multiannual Framework for the Agency entered into force; according to this FRA will primarily be engaged in the following issues:

• victims of crime and access to justice;
• equality and discrimination based on any ground
• information society and, in particular, respect for private life and protection of personal data;
• judicial cooperation, except in criminal matters;
• migration, borders, asylum and integration of refugees and migrants;
• racism, xenophobia and related intolerance;
• rights of the child;
• integration and social inclusion of Roma.

Hannes Tretter was the Austrian independent member of the Management Board (MB) of FRA from 2007-2012, from 2012-2017 this mandate was held by Manfred Nowak. The MB is in charge of the formulation of the Multiannual Framework Programme for the Agency, the determination of FRA’s annual work programme and budgeting, the adoption of the annual report and the appointment and dismissal of the Agency’s Director. In 2008 the MB decided to appoint Morten Kjærum from Denmark as first Director of the Agency. His successor is the Irish human rights expert Michael O’Flaherty, who took office in 2015. Both Hannes Tretter and Manfred Nowak held the function as Vice Chair of the FRA MB and were thus also members of the Executive Board, which prepares the decisions of the MB and consults the Director.

In the exercise of these functions the scientific assistance provided by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) from 2007-2017 was essential, with regard to research on and suitable preparation of issues and questions in the context of the tasks of FRA and its MB. Additionally, it included the organisation and managing of Round Table Discussions, the coordination of scientific institutions, NGOs, political actors and public authorities in Austria, as well as the dissemination of information on FRA’s activities amongst the latter and the public.

Website FRA: https://fra.europa.eu