Human Rights and Equality

Baas in Europese buik - Shaping Europe

Your body, your choice?

Abortion law in the European Union. One of the major issues in the United States (U.S.) presidential election is abortion. In June 2022, the nationwide right to abortion, which was based on the 1973 Roe v. Wade court ruling, was reversed by the U.S. Supreme…
Nazi-looted art: current developments - Shaping Europe

Nazi-looted art: current developments

Current affairs on the restitution of looted art from World War II. During World War II, art in Europe was unlawfully appropriated on a large scale. Many Jewish victims were forced to sell their art at extremely low prices, or it was outright stolen. Numerous…
The Sámi: Indigenous lands in Europe - Shaping Europe

The Sámi: Indigenous lands in Europe

The land rights of the Sámi over their traditional territories. Discussions about Indigenous communities and their rights often feel like a world away for Europeans. We hear about it from countries like Australia and the United States, or it comes up when discussing the rain…
The dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh - Shaping Europe

The dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh

The contextualisation of the conflict between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. On 19 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched an attack on the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan claims it did this after four Azerbaijani soldiers and two civilians were killed in the enclave that same month.…
Fossielen als roofkunst? - Shaping Europe

Fossils as looted art?

The position of fossils in the debate about looted art. Looted art is a subject that has received increasing attention over the past few decades. Often this involves art objects that were taken from colonies and have since resided in European museums. There also exists…

Fighting child labour in the chocolate industry

Will the EU's action plan against child labour be effective? Chocolate is one of the most popular sweet treats across the European Union, and our countries have some of the highest rates of consumption and production in the world. Still, there is one big issue…

Strengthening fundamental rights protection in the EU

Is the Commission’s attempt to improve fundamental rights protection enough?  On 2 December 2020, the European Commission presented its Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the European Union, setting out a 10-year plan for its implementation. Through its Strategy,…