The Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law (FRRL) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a horizontal body within the EESC tasked to provide a forum for European civil society organisations to meet and share their assessment on the state of fundamental rights, democracy and rule of law in the Member States. The Group aims to promote the respect for the European values listed in Article 2 TEU, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as the check list on the rule of law by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. Its objective is to address both collective and individual rights, and, given the mandate of the EESC, also pay attention to the economic and social rights. Since its creation in 2018, the FRRL Group has visited several Member States (Austria, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania) and will aim to visit all the EU Member States to get the grass-root feedback on developments in these areas.

On Tuesday 5 November 2019, the EESC will organise in Brussels a Conference on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law, with the following objectives:

• build on the main findings of the EESC country visits and present the EESC work on fundamental rights and the rule of law;
• identify key trends and create a dialogue with all relevant stakeholders some transversal questions (working groups);
• discuss avenues for solutions with key actors in the area of fundamental rights; and the role the EESC could play as a channel for the civil society (possible creation of a stakeholder forum on fundamental rights and the rule of law).

The conference will open with high-level contributions, followed by comments from organised civil society, including social partners, on the socio-economic view on challenges to fundamental rights and the rule of law. Three key challenges will be discussed in workshops:

• Media and narratives around fundamental rights and the rule of law
• The civic space
• Discriminated groups