Maltese citizens are among the least aware of the provisions of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, according to the results of an EU-wide survey published in Brussels yesterday.

Awareness is low in EU member states

Sixty-one per cent of local respondents said they had never heard of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and did not have a clue about its contents, according to the Eurobarometer survey.

The only other member state with poorer awareness about the charter was Greece, where 63 per cent admitted not knowing anything about it.

Awareness is low across the board in all member states – less than 50 per cent of EU citizens said they were aware of this charter.

The charter brings together into a single document the fundamental rights protected in the EU.

Proclaimed in 2000 following a convention of representatives of all member states, the charter has become legally binding on the EU with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

Though it covers only EU law and its implementation, 64 per cent of the Maltese who claimed they had heard about the charter wrongly said it applied to all actions, even those of national competence. This is not the case as the charter only covers EU institutions and bodies, and national authorities only when implementing EU law.

Although EU citizens are generally more aware of the charter compared to a few years ago, detailed knowledge about when it applies remains limited.

The survey showed that 65 per cent of Europeans, 85 per cent in Malta’s case, said they would like to learn more about where to turn if their charter rights were violated.