ACCESSION to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) has
long been on the EU’s political agenda. The EU’s membership of the
ECHR is not only seen as symbolically significant, but is also aimed at
filling an important gap in the enforceability of human rights across
Europe. At present, the EU cannot be brought before the European Court
of Human Rights (ECtHR) and, while all EU Member States are parties
to the ECHR, as long as the EU protects fundamental rights to a standard
equivalent to that required under the ECHR, Member States cannot be held
responsible for alleged violations of the Convention resulting from EU law
either