New Human Rights Commissioner will heighten EU respect for freedoms

3.35.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Sep 2009

European Commission president Jose Barroso, who is seeking endorsement from MEPs for a second term, has agreed to the European Liberal Democrats' demand that the next Commission will have a Commissioner charged exclusively with fundamental rights and civil liberties.

The move was revealed when Barroso appeared in front of the European Parliament's Liberal (ALDE) group to seek support for his renomination as the next Commission president. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group to which UK Liberal Democrat MEPs belong made this in July an explicit request to Barosso, after long campaigning for such a post.

Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and MEP for London Sarah Ludford commented:

"The pledge of a new human rights portfolio in the next Commission is not only a credit to the persistence of European Liberals, but also a great victory for all MEPs and NGOs involved in civil liberties issues."

"We have long been saying that the current justice, freedom & security portfolio is too broad a remit and riddled with conflicts of interest. It straddles migration, criminal law, data exchange and privacy, with fundamental rights vulnerable to being traded away in the ostensible interests of security."

"Separation into one portfolio for fundamental rights & civil liberties and another for crime, borders and security will make crystal clear the distinct interests, so they do not get lost in a internal fudge within the Commission. Then in the EU policy and legislative process, the highest common denominator of both safety and freedom can be sought with clarity and open debate."

ENDS