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The Draft Constitution and Human Rights Protection in European Union

周大勇 (Zhou,Dayong)

1 the general introduction of the draft constitution in aspect of the human rights
2 short review of the human rights protection in European Union
3 the new points in aspect of human rights in the draft constitution
3.1 common values
3.2 incorporation of the Charter of fundamental rights
3.3 other changes could affect the human rights
4 arisen questions
4.1 the protection different from under the Convention
4.2 the two courts system and its application
5 conclusions in a historical view




1 general introduction of the draft constitution in aspect of the human rights

“Conscious that Europe is a continent that has brought forth civilization; That its inhabitants, arriving in successive waves from earliest times, have gradually developed the values underlying humanism: equality of persons, freedom, respect for reason” Extract from the preamble to the draft Constitution

In past 16 years, the European Union (EU hereafter) has marked itself through a series of changes. From The Single European Act, in which the Union committed itself to create a single market and at the same time establish on its territory the freedom of movement of people, goods, services as well as capital, to Maastricht Treaty, which brought the Union into reality and led to common foreign policy and cooperation in the area of justice and internal affairs as a higher level cooperation among Member States. Then the following Amsterdam (1997) and Nice (2001) Treaties, strengthened cooperation in foreign and security policy and placed Justice and Home Affairs matters and established the frame for the Union as a legitimate institution, in which people from different nations integrated in a large region would have common historical direction and splendid future before them. Just before the door of enlargement of the Union, it was argued that the Union has to improve democracy and transparency as well as efficiency, in order to outlines the EU’s purpose and competence clearly and streamline structures so as to prevent paralysis, therefore a new constitution for the Union is determined to replace the EU's series of key treaties in passed over the last 50 years as a single document .

Under leading of former French President and master draftsman Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the European Convention set about its work of drafting the European Union's first ever full-fledged constitution. With the convention's work completed, the draft must now be finalized by an Intergovernmental Conference of European leaders that is expected to complete deliberations by the end of the 2003. As far as our topic is concerned, noticeably modifications come out in the constitution contract, first of all, the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which we will discuss later. In the beginning it is meaningful to consider the statues of the draft constitution in the progress course of the Union. The Union desires to bring peace and prosperity, to promote economic and social progress through continuously integrating market and expanding freedom under light of united institution and social systems . These goals, however, are the foundation of development and protection of human rights . That means, if we regard human rights as a series right which realized at first in peaceful and law-ruling society, then the Union has already kept on entrenching to appreciate these goal from beginning on, and now by means of perusing such goal in a larger region through enlargement, the EU’s influence extent to broader area and more people.

The draft constitution then in such context should be viewed as another historical phase in the process. Because the promoting of well-being and fortune of people depend not only on the development of economic situation and adding some single freedom clauses into the governmental documents, but also upon the entire politic system and background in which we live. Without governing based on democratic and effective institutional structure, and especially a ripe legislation and judiciary mechanism, the realization and protection of human rights could only be on the paper. This is also one of the motive caused the Declaration on the future of the European Union which committed the Union to becoming more democratic, more transparent and effective, in order to pave the way for a Constitution in response to the expectations of the people of Europe . In this perspective, one shall recognize the Constitution as a moving forward step of the whole EU institutionalization targeting its goal, so that to discuss the Constitution in connection with the human right protection, it is helpful to review the human rights protection in Europe and, especially in EU.

2 short review of the human rights protection in European Union

The protection of human rights has been internationally come to life in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 (UDHR) with reorganization of disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind and respect for inherent dignity as well as the equal rights of all members of the human. This declaration states explicitly that the rights and freedoms of humans have to be guaranteed without distinction and destruction by any group, state or person. These principles were broadly accepted by European countries, considering the origin of the EU (EC) and the historical separation in Europe after WWII, we denote only the contracting countries of European Community.

For the Member States of EC, the Council of Europe has been up to now the most important instrument, which established in 1949 as a result of the Congress of Europe in The Hague , and took for the basic of the human rights protection. The Council accepted the principles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and integrated it into The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights (the Convention hereafter), which and its 12 Protocols turned out to be the significant resource for Human Rights protection in Europe. Because of the existence of the Convention, the other two organizations established in the same age aftermath of the Second World War, i.e. OEEC and the European Communities didn’t include relevant clauses for Human Rights protection into their founding treaties. Since it was agreed at that time, the Council of Europe would focus on the protection of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic values, whereas the OECD and the European Communities were to be concerned with the economic restoration of Europe. The reason of separate organizations was based on a view to avoiding economic excuses for future inhumanity. Another reason came from the thought, which believed that the process of economic integration set forth in the Community Treaties could not lead to a violation of human rights. Furthermore, the original Member States in the Treaty of Rome feared, that the inclusion of a "bill of rights" in the Treaty might have brought about an undesirable expansion of Community powers, since it could lead Community institutions to interpret their powers as extending to anything not explicitly prohibited by the enumerated guarantees.

Under the regime of Council of Europe, a lots of achievement of human rights improvement has been reached , yet along with the development and expansion of EU, another mechanism on protection of human rights which does not totally rely on the Council of Europe has derived out on one hand, on the other hand being lack of provisions ruling human rights protection in the Treaty establishing EC did not prevent the EC and the later European Union from providing care for the protection against the violations on human rights. Naturally, how could a swelling supranational organization as EC, which has been continually strengthening its power in all social aspects, does not involve in human rights issues especially when the consciousness of human rights nowadays become more significant both in international and national stages? Regarding to EU, The protection system has been formed in three aspects.

First of all, the legislation in the Member States of EU. Since there were no Member States of EU (EC) which accedes to the Community without being a member of the Council of Europe, and according to the Convention, it impose obligations on the Member States that they should ensure that the internal laws and practices comply with the human rights standards set out in the instruments. Very member states in EU have recognize the principles derived from the Convention and incorporated them somehow into national laws, most importantly, provided constitutive protection as the basic legal resource for human rights protection. For example in Germany, Basic Law (Grundgesetz) Art 1 to 19 deliver explicit provisions even beyond the Convention; the same case as Part VIII (§71-85) in Constitution of Denmark ; in Britain the Act of Human Rights came into force on 2 October 2000 steers extending a ways, in which the Convention can be used before domestic courts. Certainly, according to the classic human rights lessons, the basic protection of human rights could only be afforded at the national level through national legislation and excise of authoritative power.

Secondly, the institutions and legislation at the EU level acts also with high respect to the human rights protection. The EU has showed its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms and has explicitly confirmed the EU's attachment to fundamental social rights ever since its establishment.

The Amsterdam Treaty established procedures intended to secure their protection. It was ascertained, as a general principle, that the European Union should respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, upon which the Union is founded. For the first time a procedure is introduced, according to which severe and continuing violations of Fundamental Rights can lead to suspension of voting and other rights of a member state, if the Union determined the existence of a serious and persistent breach of these principles by that Member State. As to the Candidate countries, they should also respect these principles to join the Union. Furthermore, It has also given the European Court of Justice the power to ensure respect of fundamental rights and freedoms by the European institutions. In accordance with the inner requirement for the implementation of development cooperation operations, in order to reach objective of developing and consolidating democracy, EU also need its rule respecting for human rights. Such cases we have are for instance the EU Council’s regulation on human rights, Council Regulation (EC) No 975/199 and Council Regulation (EC) No 976/1999 for example, are aimed at providing technical and financial aid for operations to promote and protect of civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights etc.

Likewise, at their meeting in Cologne in June 1999, EU leaders declared that in respect to the current stage of progress of the European Union, the fundamental rights applicable at Union level should be pushed forward, namely be consolidated in a Charter and thereby made more evident. They argued, that the legal resources of human rights protection come from not only the European Convention of Human Right, but also from various international conventions drawn up by the Council of Europe as well as the United Nations and the International Labor Organization, they also include EU treaties themselves and from the case law of the European Court of Justice. As a result, a Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter hereinafter) was sketch out, which highlighted the EU’s respect for human rights, for fundamental freedoms and for the principle of democracy through listing more rights a more precise definition of the common values comparing the early documents including the Convention. We will continue to concentrate on the Charter in point 3 since it has been integrated in the draft Constitution as an outstanding achievement.

Finally, the opinion and case-law of European Court of Justice (ECJ hereafter) also have immense impact on the establishment of the instrument of human rights protection within EU.

Although the jurisprudence developed by the ECJ recognizes the Convention as the standard-setter in cases in which the Court has to consider and decide a human rights issue, since there were no relevant legislation existed in the frame of the Community, the ECJ furnish itself power in this aspect by means of case-law. Earlier in 1974, the ECJ first made reference to the ECHR in the Nold judgment, in which the ECJ emphasized its commitment to fundamental human rights based on the constitutional traditions of the Member States’ fundamental rights form an integral part of the general principles of law which the Court enforces. In assuring the protection of such rights, the Court is required to base itself on the constitutional traditions common to the Member States and therefore could not allow measures, which are incompatible with the fundamental rights recognized and guaranteed by the constitutions of such States. The ECJ declared, that the international treaties on the protection of human rights in which the Member States have cooperated or to which they have adhered could also supply indications which may be taken into account within the framework of Community law.

That implied, even without clear regulations in the treaties, the remedy against violation on human rights could also be provided within the framework of the Community in respect for the common traditions applied to the Member States, and in connection with we have mentioned about the Member States’ above, the principles and resource applied to the Member States derived from the Council of Europe. Thus a EU standard could be established by transform a rating comparison of the members’ legal systems to the case-law in ECJ in respect for human rights.
浙江省绍兴市人民政府


绍兴市人民政府令第54号


　　现发布《绍兴市城市河道保护管理办法》，自2002年9月1日起施行。


市长　王永昌
二OO二年八月九日



　　绍兴市城市河道保护管理办法




　　第一条　为了加强城市河道管理，保护绍兴历史文化名城及水乡风貌，根据《中华人民共和国水污染防治法》、《中华人民共和国河道管理条例》及浙江省实施办法等有关法律、法规、规章的规定，结合本市实际，制定本办法。


　　第二条　本办法适用于绍兴市城区范围内城市河道及其堤坎、排涝泵站、翻水泵站、水闸、引水渠、溢洪道、沿河护栏等附属设施（以下简称城市河道）的保护和管理。
　　城市河道两岸保护管理的具体范围，由水利、建设等部门予以确定。
　　城市河道内的航道和渔政管理等，依法按国家、省、市的有关规定执行。


　　第三条　市人民政府水行政主管部门负责城市河道的保护和管理工作。
　　已由市建设部门保护和管理的环城河以内的河道（不含环城河）和公园绿地内的湖泊，仍由市建设部门实施保护和管理。


　　第四条　市环保、交通、工商、卫生、国土等部门，区人民政府以及街道（镇），应在各自职责范围内，配合做好城市河道管理工作。
　　居（村）委会及沿河单位负责相关河段的协管工作。


　　第五条　任何单位和个人都有保护城市河道、防止水体污染的义务。对破坏、污染河道环境，侵占、损毁城市河道的行为都有制止和举报的权利。


　　第六条　城市河道整治应当服从城市总体规划，有利于河道历史风貌的保护，符合城市人文景观及生态要求。


　　第七条　城市河道管理部门应当编制城市河道疏浚和整治计划，定期对河道实施疏浚和整治，严格控制河道的景观水位，保证有关设施的完好。


　　第八条　城市河道水质应当符合河道水体功能区划要求，市环保部门应定期公布河道水质情况。


　　第九条　凡涉及城市河道的建设工程，施工单位必须采取措施，确保排水畅通，工程施工应符合防汛排涝要求和通航要求。


　　第十条　任何单位和个人不得擅自占用、挖掘城市河道，不得擅自在河道保护管理范围内搭建建（构）筑物和阻水设施，禁止填堵河道。


　　第十一条　从事跨河、穿河等建设活动，不得危及河道和航运安全，不得影响河道功能和景观。建设单位应在开工前将建设（施工）方案报送城市河道管理部门（涉及航道的，须报航道主管部门）审查同意后，方可实施。
　　建设工程竣工后，建设单位应在三个月内报送有关竣工资料，经城市河道管理部门验收合格后方可使用。


　　第十二条　任何单位和个人不得擅自在沿河设置、扩建、移动雨水排放口。确属需要的，在向有关部门报批前，应征得城市河道管理部门的同意，并按照规定要求进行施工。


　　第十三条　进入城市河道的船只应当符合技术标准和外观要求，不得污染水体和河岸。


　　第十四条　利用城市河道开展旅游和其它经营活动的，应当征询水利、建设、交通等部门的意见，依法申领营业执照；有关设施须符合过水、环保、景观等要求。


　　第十五条　在城市河道保护管理范围内，禁止进行下列行为：
　　（一）倾倒垃圾、粪便、建筑废土、动物尸体等废弃物和污染物；
　　（二）倾倒、排放有毒有害物品；
　　（三）在水体冲洗车辆等从事危害水体的行为；
　　（四）擅自遮挡、拆除或移动、改动河道附属设施，擅自设置、扩建、移动雨水排放口；
　　（五）损毁水工程设施、防汛设施和水文监测设施；
　　（六）擅自从河道内抽取生产经营用水；
　　（七）在非指定泊船地点停泊船只或在河道堤坎、护栏等附属设施上拴挂船只；
　　（八）在沿河护栏、杆线或建（构）筑物上悬挂、晾晒有碍景观的物品；
　　（九）擅自捕捞及圈占水域养殖；
　　（十）其他损害、侵占城市河道的行为。


　　第十六条　城市河道养护应执行养护规程，并遵守以下规定：
　　（一）河床淤积量（淤积厚度）不得超出河道行洪及通航要求，岸边淤积不得影响排水出口的排水，河道凹岸、束水河段的河床无冲刷深坑，河床底无突出的水下障碍物；
　　（二）河道水体应无恶臭、无异色、无异味，水质达到国家规定的Ⅳ类及以上标准；
　　（三）加强对河道及水闸、泵站、排水出口等设施的养护管理，确保翻水正常和行洪畅通；
　　（四）经常清理、打捞河道及其附属设施上的水生物和漂浮物；
　　（五）定期对河道附属设施进行检查、养护、维修，保证其处于完好状态。


　　第十七条　有关单位和个人违反本办法规定的，由有关管理部门依法进行处罚。


　　第十八条　城市河道管理部门的工作人员应当模范执行国家有关法律、法规、规章和本办法的有关规定。对玩忽职守、滥用职权、徇私舞弊的人员，由其所在单位或上级主管部门给予行政处分；构成犯罪的，依法追究刑事责任。


　　第十九条　本办法自2002年9月1日起施行。