Provided for under the Treaty of Lisbon, the accession of the European Union
to the European Convention on Human Rights is destined to be a landmark in European
legal history because it will finally make it possible for individuals and undertakings
to apply to the European Court of Human Rights for review of the acts of European
Union institutions, which unquestionably play an increasingly important role in our
daily lives. After nearly three years of negotiations, a draft agreement of European
Union accession was adopted on 5 April 2013. In the light of the draft agreement,
this publication offers a concise analysis of the reasons for European Union accession
to the Convention, the means by which this is to be achieved and the effects it will have.