Fundamental human rights as seen from a community perspective : special reference to the rights of workers

Abstract

One of the outstanding features of the Community treaties is the absence of a catalogue of fundamental human rights : a codification of the political, social, economic, cultural and environmental rights of the citizens of the European Union does not exist. This does not mean that the European Union has underestimated the importance of fundamental rights. This study aims to analyse how human rights, in an EC context, have affected one of the basic freedoms underpinning the whole Community order, namely the free movement of workers. Although Article 48 EC is not a general human rights-style "freedom of movement" - being targeted as it is at an economic objective - nevertheless, it contains certain specific rights for individuals, giving it the characteristics of a "freedom of movement" guarantee.