Human Rights

Politico: EU Privacy Enforcer Faces Scrutiny

May 27, 2020

According to Politico.eu, European Union ("EU") data protection officials are concerned about the slow start and early restructuring of Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which, due to the presence of Silicon Valley companies' international headquarters in Dublin, is at the vanguard of the enforcement of the EU's tough privacy standards.
Switzerland Supreme Court Rejects Climate Change Lawsuit

May 27, 2020

Finding that it is too early to claim fundamental human rights violations based on climate change, the Supreme Court of Switzerland has denied an appeal by the Senior Women for Climate Change Protection alleging that Switzerland's government was failing to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions in a way that would correspond with the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global warming well below 2ºC.
Britain Ready to Reject EU Demands on Human Rights Laws

March 04, 2020

According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph, Britain is preparing to reject EU demands to guarantee that the country will continue to be bound by European human rights laws once the UK becomes fully independent.
Slovakia Parliament Rejects Women's Rights Treaty

March 03, 2020

Slovakia lawmakers have voted to reject the so-called Istanbul Convention, an international treaty adopted by the Council of Europe in 2011 in a bid to fight violence against women throughout Europe.
Turkey Threatens to Send Syrian Refugees to Europe

March 02, 2020

Frustrated by the failure of leading European nations to intervene in recent military attacks across the Turkish border in Syria, the Turkish government is threatening to send its increasing number of Syrian refugees on the path toward Europe.
Josep Borrell Slammed for ‘Greta syndrome’ Remark

February 11, 2020

Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign affairs chief, came under criticism for calling into question the commitment of young climate activists, including a reference to teenage climate campaigner Greta Thunberg as giving rise to the ‘Greta syndrome.’
ECJ AG: Bulk Data Collection Violates European Privacy Law

January 21, 2020

According to a non-binding opinion of European Court of Justice Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona, bulk data collection violates European privacy law.
Turkish Constitutional Court Reverses Ban on Wikipedia

December 31, 2019

In a 10-6 decision, the Constitutional Court of Turkey ruled that the Turkish government's block on Wikipedia constituted a violation of freedom of expression, paving the way for the immediate lifting of a two-year-old ban.
Politico: EU's Ability to Implement Privacy Law is in Doubt

December 31, 2019

Writing in Politico, Nicholas Vinocur details how, more than 18 months after the European Union began implementing its model General Data Protection Regulation, lack of enforcement actions and weak cooperation on investigations raises doubts about the EU's ability to reign in Big Tech.
European Commission Communicates a European Green Deal

December 16, 2019

The European Commission has set out a European Green Deal for the European Union (EU) and its citizens, which the Commission describes as “a new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use.”