The Draft Constitution and Human Rights Protection in European Union

周大勇 (Zhou,Dayong)

1 the general introduction of the draft constitution in aspect of the human rights
2 short review of the human rights protection in European Union
3 the new points in aspect of human rights in the draft constitution
3.1 common values
3.2 incorporation of the Charter of fundamental rights
3.3 other changes could affect the human rights
4 arisen questions
4.1 the protection different from under the Convention
4.2 the two courts system and its application
5 conclusions in a historical view




1 general introduction of the draft constitution in aspect of the human rights

“Conscious that Europe is a continent that has brought forth civilization; That its inhabitants, arriving in successive waves from earliest times, have gradually developed the values underlying humanism: equality of persons, freedom, respect for reason” Extract from the preamble to the draft Constitution

In past 16 years, the European Union (EU hereafter) has marked itself through a series of changes. From The Single European Act, in which the Union committed itself to create a single market and at the same time establish on its territory the freedom of movement of people, goods, services as well as capital, to Maastricht Treaty, which brought the Union into reality and led to common foreign policy and cooperation in the area of justice and internal affairs as a higher level cooperation among Member States. Then the following Amsterdam (1997) and Nice (2001) Treaties, strengthened cooperation in foreign and security policy and placed Justice and Home Affairs matters and established the frame for the Union as a legitimate institution, in which people from different nations integrated in a large region would have common historical direction and splendid future before them. Just before the door of enlargement of the Union, it was argued that the Union has to improve democracy and transparency as well as efficiency, in order to outlines the EU’s purpose and competence clearly and streamline structures so as to prevent paralysis, therefore a new constitution for the Union is determined to replace the EU's series of key treaties in passed over the last 50 years as a single document .

Under leading of former French President and master draftsman Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the European Convention set about its work of drafting the European Union's first ever full-fledged constitution. With the convention's work completed, the draft must now be finalized by an Intergovernmental Conference of European leaders that is expected to complete deliberations by the end of the 2003. As far as our topic is concerned, noticeably modifications come out in the constitution contract, first of all, the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which we will discuss later. In the beginning it is meaningful to consider the statues of the draft constitution in the progress course of the Union. The Union desires to bring peace and prosperity, to promote economic and social progress through continuously integrating market and expanding freedom under light of united institution and social systems . These goals, however, are the foundation of development and protection of human rights . That means, if we regard human rights as a series right which realized at first in peaceful and law-ruling society, then the Union has already kept on entrenching to appreciate these goal from beginning on, and now by means of perusing such goal in a larger region through enlargement, the EU’s influence extent to broader area and more people.

The draft constitution then in such context should be viewed as another historical phase in the process. Because the promoting of well-being and fortune of people depend not only on the development of economic situation and adding some single freedom clauses into the governmental documents, but also upon the entire politic system and background in which we live. Without governing based on democratic and effective institutional structure, and especially a ripe legislation and judiciary mechanism, the realization and protection of human rights could only be on the paper. This is also one of the motive caused the Declaration on the future of the European Union which committed the Union to becoming more democratic, more transparent and effective, in order to pave the way for a Constitution in response to the expectations of the people of Europe . In this perspective, one shall recognize the Constitution as a moving forward step of the whole EU institutionalization targeting its goal, so that to discuss the Constitution in connection with the human right protection, it is helpful to review the human rights protection in Europe and, especially in EU.

2 short review of the human rights protection in European Union

The protection of human rights has been internationally come to life in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 (UDHR) with reorganization of disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind and respect for inherent dignity as well as the equal rights of all members of the human. This declaration states explicitly that the rights and freedoms of humans have to be guaranteed without distinction and destruction by any group, state or person. These principles were broadly accepted by European countries, considering the origin of the EU (EC) and the historical separation in Europe after WWII, we denote only the contracting countries of European Community.

For the Member States of EC, the Council of Europe has been up to now the most important instrument, which established in 1949 as a result of the Congress of Europe in The Hague , and took for the basic of the human rights protection. The Council accepted the principles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and integrated it into The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights (the Convention hereafter), which and its 12 Protocols turned out to be the significant resource for Human Rights protection in Europe. Because of the existence of the Convention, the other two organizations established in the same age aftermath of the Second World War, i.e. OEEC and the European Communities didn’t include relevant clauses for Human Rights protection into their founding treaties. Since it was agreed at that time, the Council of Europe would focus on the protection of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic values, whereas the OECD and the European Communities were to be concerned with the economic restoration of Europe. The reason of separate organizations was based on a view to avoiding economic excuses for future inhumanity. Another reason came from the thought, which believed that the process of economic integration set forth in the Community Treaties could not lead to a violation of human rights. Furthermore, the original Member States in the Treaty of Rome feared, that the inclusion of a "bill of rights" in the Treaty might have brought about an undesirable expansion of Community powers, since it could lead Community institutions to interpret their powers as extending to anything not explicitly prohibited by the enumerated guarantees.

Under the regime of Council of Europe, a lots of achievement of human rights improvement has been reached , yet along with the development and expansion of EU, another mechanism on protection of human rights which does not totally rely on the Council of Europe has derived out on one hand, on the other hand being lack of provisions ruling human rights protection in the Treaty establishing EC did not prevent the EC and the later European Union from providing care for the protection against the violations on human rights. Naturally, how could a swelling supranational organization as EC, which has been continually strengthening its power in all social aspects, does not involve in human rights issues especially when the consciousness of human rights nowadays become more significant both in international and national stages? Regarding to EU, The protection system has been formed in three aspects.

First of all, the legislation in the Member States of EU. Since there were no Member States of EU (EC) which accedes to the Community without being a member of the Council of Europe, and according to the Convention, it impose obligations on the Member States that they should ensure that the internal laws and practices comply with the human rights standards set out in the instruments. Very member states in EU have recognize the principles derived from the Convention and incorporated them somehow into national laws, most importantly, provided constitutive protection as the basic legal resource for human rights protection. For example in Germany, Basic Law (Grundgesetz) Art 1 to 19 deliver explicit provisions even beyond the Convention; the same case as Part VIII (§71-85) in Constitution of Denmark ; in Britain the Act of Human Rights came into force on 2 October 2000 steers extending a ways, in which the Convention can be used before domestic courts. Certainly, according to the classic human rights lessons, the basic protection of human rights could only be afforded at the national level through national legislation and excise of authoritative power.

Secondly, the institutions and legislation at the EU level acts also with high respect to the human rights protection. The EU has showed its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms and has explicitly confirmed the EU's attachment to fundamental social rights ever since its establishment.

The Amsterdam Treaty established procedures intended to secure their protection. It was ascertained, as a general principle, that the European Union should respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, upon which the Union is founded. For the first time a procedure is introduced, according to which severe and continuing violations of Fundamental Rights can lead to suspension of voting and other rights of a member state, if the Union determined the existence of a serious and persistent breach of these principles by that Member State. As to the Candidate countries, they should also respect these principles to join the Union. Furthermore, It has also given the European Court of Justice the power to ensure respect of fundamental rights and freedoms by the European institutions. In accordance with the inner requirement for the implementation of development cooperation operations, in order to reach objective of developing and consolidating democracy, EU also need its rule respecting for human rights. Such cases we have are for instance the EU Council’s regulation on human rights, Council Regulation (EC) No 975/199 and Council Regulation (EC) No 976/1999 for example, are aimed at providing technical and financial aid for operations to promote and protect of civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights etc.

Likewise, at their meeting in Cologne in June 1999, EU leaders declared that in respect to the current stage of progress of the European Union, the fundamental rights applicable at Union level should be pushed forward, namely be consolidated in a Charter and thereby made more evident. They argued, that the legal resources of human rights protection come from not only the European Convention of Human Right, but also from various international conventions drawn up by the Council of Europe as well as the United Nations and the International Labor Organization, they also include EU treaties themselves and from the case law of the European Court of Justice. As a result, a Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter hereinafter) was sketch out, which highlighted the EU’s respect for human rights, for fundamental freedoms and for the principle of democracy through listing more rights a more precise definition of the common values comparing the early documents including the Convention. We will continue to concentrate on the Charter in point 3 since it has been integrated in the draft Constitution as an outstanding achievement.

Finally, the opinion and case-law of European Court of Justice (ECJ hereafter) also have immense impact on the establishment of the instrument of human rights protection within EU.

Although the jurisprudence developed by the ECJ recognizes the Convention as the standard-setter in cases in which the Court has to consider and decide a human rights issue, since there were no relevant legislation existed in the frame of the Community, the ECJ furnish itself power in this aspect by means of case-law. Earlier in 1974, the ECJ first made reference to the ECHR in the Nold judgment, in which the ECJ emphasized its commitment to fundamental human rights based on the constitutional traditions of the Member States’ fundamental rights form an integral part of the general principles of law which the Court enforces. In assuring the protection of such rights, the Court is required to base itself on the constitutional traditions common to the Member States and therefore could not allow measures, which are incompatible with the fundamental rights recognized and guaranteed by the constitutions of such States. The ECJ declared, that the international treaties on the protection of human rights in which the Member States have cooperated or to which they have adhered could also supply indications which may be taken into account within the framework of Community law.

That implied, even without clear regulations in the treaties, the remedy against violation on human rights could also be provided within the framework of the Community in respect for the common traditions applied to the Member States, and in connection with we have mentioned about the Member States’ above, the principles and resource applied to the Member States derived from the Council of Europe. Thus a EU standard could be established by transform a rating comparison of the members’ legal systems to the case-law in ECJ in respect for human rights.
浙江省杭州市住房制度改革办公室


杭州市市区房改房上市交易管理试行办法
杭州市住房制度改革办公室
杭房改(1999)第6号文



第一条 为了贯彻落实《国务院关于进一步深化城镇住房制度改革促进住宅建设发展的通知》，规范已购公有住房和经济适用住房的上市交易行为，促进房地产市场发展，盘活存量住房，满足居民改善居住条件的需要，根据建设部《已购公有住房和经济适用住房上市出售管理暂行办法》及有关规定，特制定本试行办法。
第二条 本办法所称的房改房包括：
（一）职工、居民按房改政策规定的成本价购买的公有住房。
（二）职工、居民按市政府规定的有关优惠政策购买的经济适用住房（安居房、解困房）等。
（三）国家扶持、单位资助、个人集资合作建造的住房。
第三条 上市交易的房改房必须取得房屋所有权证、土地使用权证和契证，权属清晰。
出售在学校校园、工矿作业区域内的房改房，在同等条件下，原产权单位享有优先购买权。
第四条 有下列情况之一的房改房暂缓上市：
（一）已列入近期规划改造范围，户籍已冻结并取得房屋拆迁许可证的房改房。
（二）擅自改变房屋使用性质的房改房。
（三）党政领导干部购买或集资建造的超过面积控制标准的房改房。
（四）购房贷款尚未还清，所有权已设定抵押且未经抵押权人书面同意转让的房改房，经抵押权人同意转让的除外。
（五）职工原购公有住房时，经市房改办批准，与原售房单位在公有住房（换购房）买卖协议书中有其他约定条件的，从其约定。
（六）法律、法规以及市以上人民政府规定其他不宜出售的房改房。
第五条 房改房上市交易的形式包括：转让（包括买卖、交换、赠与或其他合法方式）、抵押和租赁。
房改房转让时，房屋所有权和该房屋占用范围内的土地使用权同时转让。
第六条 房改房上市交易实行准入制度，按照“先评估，后交易”的原则办理。
第七条 职工、居民的房改房上市交易，不得造成该户职工家庭新的住房困难，交易后该户不得再按成本价购买公有住房、不得再购买或租用政府优惠价格供应的其它住房。
第八条 职工、居民转让房改房按下列程序办理：
（一）由卖方向市房改办提出申请，领取并如实填写由杭州市住房制度改革办公室统一印制的《杭州市市区房改房上市交易申请审批表》，经卖方及配偶所在单位和原产权单位出具有关证明意见后，提交下列有效证件：
1．夫妻双方身份证及户籍证明复印件；
2．房屋所有权证原件、土地使用权证、契证复印件；
3．夫妻双方现有职级证明；
4．同户籍居住成年人共同签字同意转让的书面意见；
5．原购买公有住房或安居房、集资建房买卖协议书。
（二）市房改办负责对房改房上市交易申请的审核。在接受申请后，在5个工作日内完成核验有关证件。如申请上市的房改房不属上市范围的，应将审查决定的意见及时通知申请人；如同意上市，出具准予其上市交易的书面文件。
（三）市土地管理局在5个工作日内完成土地权属审查。
（四）凡符合上市交易条件的准予上市交易的房改房，由卖方向具有资质的评估机构申请住房价格评估。
（五）买卖双方签订契约。
（六）由买卖双方向市房地产交易管理所办理交易手续并提交《杭州市市区房改房上市交易申请审批表》和房屋价格评估书，由市房管局房地产交易所核实申报价格。
（七）买卖双方按本办法第九条规定缴纳有关税费。
（八）买方在办理完交易过户手续后25个工作日内，向市房地产管理局领取房屋所有权证；市土地管理局在25个工作日内按照法定程序完成申请办理土地使用权证的变更手续。
第九条 职工、居民转让房改房，应按规定缴纳下列税费：
（一）土地收益金。暂按成交金额的1％（低于评估价的按评估价，下同）由卖方缴纳。
（二）根据现行税法对营业税、城建税、教育费附加，按成交金额的5．55％（简称综合税率），由卖方缴纳。
（三）契税。按成交金额的3％计征，由买方缴纳。
（四）印花税。按成交金额的0．1％，由买卖双方各负担50％。
（五）房改房首次上市交易，免收交易手续费。
第十条 职工、居民出售房改房的收入，在按本办法第九条规定交纳税费后归个人所有。原售房单位和个人缴纳的住房共用部位和公用设施维修基金的管理按有关规定执行。
第十一条 职工、居民出售房改房时，应在办理交易手续的同时，按本办法第九条第二款的规定缴纳税款。该项税款须按有关规定及时缴交入库。
自交易之日起，至新购买住房交易过户或预（销）售商品房合同备案之日止，对前、后一年内重新购买的住房，且已按前款规定足额纳税的，其相当于税款金额部分可以区分不同情况进行处理：（一）新购房价款大于或等于出售房款的，予以全额退还；（二）新购房价款低于出售房款的，相当于新购房价款部分予以退还。除此以外，为鼓励房改房上市交易，市财政给予按转让房改房成交金额1％的补贴。
职工、居民申请退还上述款项时，应凭原始纳税凭证、新购住房付款凭证或预（销）售商品房合同，到市房地产交易管理所申请办理退款确认手续。办妥新购住房交易手续后，持经确认的退款凭证，到市房地产交易管理所办理退款。
市房地产交易管理所办理退款所需资金数额，由市财政按收支两条线的管理原则予以拨付。
第十二条 职工、居民的房改房与房地产开发企业的商品房进行置换，房改房按评估价计价，缴纳1％的土地收益金。商品房按物价部门批准的价格计价。置换住房应交税费按本办法第九条、第十一条和现行政策的规定办理。
房地产开发企业置换所得的房改房，可作为商品房出售。
第十三条 房改房相互交换、房改房与公房交换、房改房与私房交换，在办理交易过户手续时，应各自按交易金额的1％缴纳土地收益金。交换住房应交税费按本办法第九条、第十一条的规定办理。
第十四条 职工、居民的房改房可以设定抵押权。抵押人不能按期履行债务时，抵押权人有权依法处理所抵押的房改房，所得的价款在按本办法第九条规定缴纳税费后，优先受偿。
第十五条 出租房改房按《浙江省房屋租赁管理条例》、《杭州市房地产交易市场管理暂行办法》的规定办理有关手续，并缴纳相关税费。
租金收入在扣除相关税费后归个人所有。
第十六条 房改房上市交易的职工及所在单位必须如实反映情况和提供证明。凡不如实反映情况或提供虚假证明的，一经发现，除追究直接当事人及所在单位责任外，还应视情节轻重，给予单位主要负责人相应的党纪、政纪处分及经济处罚。
违反本办法第四条的规定，将不准上市出售的房改房上市出售的，处以10000元以上30000元以下的罚款。
第十七条 违反本办法第七条的规定，将已购房改房上市出售后，该户家庭又以非法手段按照成本价购买公有住房或政府提供优惠政策住房的，由房地产行政主管部门责令退回所购房屋，不予办理产权登记手续，并处以10000元以上30000元以下罚款或者按照商品市场价格补齐房价款，并处以10000元以上30000元以下罚款。
第十八条 各有关部门对房改房上市交易要按规定严格审查。工作人员玩忽职守、滥用职权、徇私舞弊、索贿受贿的，由其所在单位或上级主管部门给予行政处分；情节严重、构成犯罪的，依法追究刑事责任。
第十九条 本试行办法只适用于房改房首次进入市场，房改房转让以后再次进入市场交易的，按有关私房交易管理规定办理。
第二十条 本试行办法由市住房制度改革办公室负责解释。
第二十一条 本试行办法自公布之日起试行。


1999年6月11日