CEN/TS 17834:2022

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2022
Evropski okvir poklicne etike za poklic IKT (etika EU IKT)
European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
Europäischer berufsethischer Rahmen für den IKT-Beruf (EU ICT Ethics)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TS 17834:2022
ICS:
03.100.30 Vodenje ljudi Management of human
resources
35.020 Informacijska tehnika in Information technology (IT) in
tehnologija na splošno general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

CEN/TS 17834
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
SPÉCIFICATION TECHNIQUE
July 2022
TECHNISCHE SPEZIFIKATION
ICS 03.100.30; 35.020
English Version
European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT
Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
Europäischer berufsethischer Rahmen für den IKT-
Beruf (EU ICT Ethics)
This Technical Specification (CEN/TS) was approved by CEN on 17 July 2022 for provisional application.

The period of validity of this CEN/TS is limited initially to three years. After two years the members of CEN will be requested to
submit their comments, particularly on the question whether the CEN/TS can be converted into a European Standard.

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available promptly at national level in an appropriate form. It is permissible to keep conflicting national standards in force (in
parallel to the CEN/TS) until the final decision about the possible conversion of the CEN/TS into an EN is reached.

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United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

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© 2022 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TS 17834:2022 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents
European foreword . 5
Introduction . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 8
3 Terms and definitions . 8
4 Structure of the Professional Ethics Framework .10
4.1 Introduction . 10
4.2 Basic Definitions . 10
4.2.1 How to define ICT professional ethics . 10
4.2.2 EN 16234-1 (e-CF) definitions of ICT and ICT professional . 10
4.2.3 CEPIS definition of ICT professionals. 11
4.2.4 IFIP and ACM definition of ICT professionals . 11
4.2.5 Professionalism in related e-Skills projects . 11
4.2.6 ICT professional ethics in related e-Skills projects . 11
4.2.7 Professional ethics . 12
4.2.8 ICT Professional ethics . 13
4.3 The history of the EC and European values in terms of ethics . 13
4.3.1 Introduction . 13
4.3.2 Human dignity . 13
4.3.3 Freedom . 14
4.3.4 Democracy . 14
4.3.5 Equality . 14
4.3.6 Rule of law . 14
4.3.7 Human rights. 14
4.4 European values of ICT ethics - prior research and policy work . 14
4.5 Framework content and structure . 17
4.6 ICT Professional Ethical Responsibilities . 20
4.7 Language and the Ethics Framework . 21
4.8 Standards and frameworks, the liaison with ethics . 22
5 Ethical theories, models and frameworks in ICT fields .23
5.1 Introduction . 23
5.2 Exploitation of theories, models and frameworks . 24
5.2.1 Ethical theories and models . 24
5.2.2 Ethical frameworks . 24
5.2.3 Methodology and scope . 25
5.2.4 Ethics reflection from theory to ICT practice, the role of Case Studies cases . 25
5.3 Challenges and solutions to real settings implementation . 46
5.3.1 ICT related challenges . 47
5.3.2 Strengths and weaknesses of the implementation process . 47
5.3.3 Effective components of the framework . 47
5.3.4 Professionalism and organisational ethics . 48
6 ICT professional ethics as part of competence and knowledge. 48
6.1 Introduction . 48
6.2 How to use with EN 16234-1 (e-CF) . 49
6.3 How to use with CWA 16458 (EU Role Profiles) . 49
6.4 How to use with other ethics codes. 50
6.5 How to use with tools/methods . 50
7 Taking the framework into the organisation: context, culture and leadership . 50
7.1 Introduction . 50
7.2 What is the value proposition? . 51
7.3 The five main ICT business areas and their connection to EN 16234-1 (e-CF) . 52
7.4 Organisational steps to implement ICT ethics within an organization . 53
7.5 Implementation of the framework in the daily life of an organisation . 54
7.5.1 Leadership and Organizational structure . 54
7.5.2 Implementation method . 55
8 Implementation: ICT Ethics framework (ICTEF) in practice . 56
8.1 ICTEF implementation guidelines . 56
8.2 Guidelines for code of ethics implementation . 56
8.2.1 Drafting Code of Ethics . 57
8.3 Guidelines for Ethics Committee/Ethics Board Implementation . 60
8.3.1 Scope . 60
8.3.2 Independence . 61
8.3.3 Transparency . 61
8.3.4 Composition . 61
8.3.5 Ethics Committee - Tasks . 62
8.4 Guidelines for the Ethical Dialogue . 62
8.5 Guidelines for Ethics Canvas . 63
8.6 Guidelines to use ICT Ethics framework in an ICT Professional body . 65
8.7 Procedures. 65
8.7.1 Internal procedure to trigger ICT ethics issues . 66
8.7.2 Public procedure to trigger ICT ethics issues. 66
8.8 Register . 67
8.9 Ethics by design tools . 67
8.9.1 The life cycle of technology: The entire value chain . 67
8.9.2 Ethical Operating System OS Toolkit (Ethical OS Toolkit) . 68
8.10 How to use with other frameworks . 69
9 How to use ICT Professional Ethics Framework in education and training. 70
10 Assessment of the development and engagement with ICT ethics . 71
10.1 Introduction . 71
10.2 Ethics assessment in ICT Professionalism. 71
10.2.1 European initiatives of e-competences’ assessment . 72
10.2.2 Specific indicators of ethics performance in ICT professional environments . 74
10.2.3 Design of a Life Cycle Readiness Assessments . 80
10.3 The benefit of digital toolkits for ICT ethics competences and skills’ assessment . 81
10.4 Specific ICT Use case development as a “proof of concept” for assessment toolkits . 82
10.4.1 Use Cases for assessment . 82
11 Ethics in ICT Professional roles .86
11.1 Benefits of thinking ethically in ICT professional environments . 86
11.2 ICT profiles aligned to ethical attitudes: factors affecting this alignment . 87
Annex A (informative) Overview of EN 16234-1 (e-CF) competences compared with Berlin
Declaration ethics values .89
Bibliography .98

European foreword
This document (CEN/TS 17834:2022) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 428 “ICT
Professionalism and Digital Competences”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to announce this Technical Specification: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United
Kingdom.
Introduction
The current document, the European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT
Ethics), provides a foundation for defining practical guidelines to improve ethics for different
organisations across all technical areas. In addition, it provides a basis for aligning existing guidelines and
initiatives and establishing comparisons to support the vision of an ICT professional workforce. It offers
the possibility to coalesce other ethics focused initiatives around a common structure.
Professional ethics is an essential component of any profession; mutual understanding leads to improved
outcomes and differentiates professions from jobs. A professional ICT workforce across European society
and industry (founded on the four building blocks of ICT professionalism: Professional Ethics; Education
and training; Bodies of Knowledge; Competences) will support and enhance the exchange of ICT
resources and services throughout Europe and internationally.
This document is related to EN 16234-1 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European
Framework for ICT Professionals in all sectors – Part 1: Framework and incorporates its structural
concept. It describes a blueprint of requirements and highlights connections to the competences, skills
and knowledge required to identify and address the ethical challenges that ICT professionals face in daily
activities.
This strong association with the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) naturally extends to the ethics principles described
in the Transversal Aspects of the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) and enables ethics related requirements and
procedures to be defined and implemented in the context of specific ICT professional roles and
environments.
This document organises Professional Ethics into a manageable structure and provides guidance on
practical use through a methodology and application guide to support implementation through a range
of methods and contexts. It also provides a platform for universities and vocational training institutions
to design and improve ICT ethics courses specifically for ICT professionals. This makes qualification
attainment more transparent in European internal markets and, in addition, it offers input into
accreditation processes provided by relevant national ICT professional bodies.
The European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession benefits all ICT Professionals and all
stakeholders reliant upon the capability of ICT Professionals. This includes wider society and a trusted,
ethical and professional ICT workforce that contributes to enabling the goal of an economically vibrant,
socially just and sustainable Europe.
The document is based on a fixed structure, which is intended to ensure the uniformity of such CEN
documents and their reliable placement in the context of other standards, specifications and reports.
The following recommendations are given to support the readability of the document.
• Newbie / Beginner: If new to the topic of professional ethics and for example an ICT professional
or a manager in an organisation primarily interested in the basic aspects, it is recommended to
first read Clauses 4.3 and 4.4 as an introduction. Then read Clause 5.2.4 and especially the Case
Studies in Clause 5.2.5 before reading Clause 5 in total and the rest of the document from the start.
• ICT Ethics in the European Context: If interested in the embedding of the Framework in the
European context, then read Clause 4.4 before reading the rest of Clause 4 in context.
• Ethics and organisational culture: If interested in the connection between organisational
culture and ICT ethics and want to know how you can implement this topic in your organisation,
it is recommended to jump directly to Clause 7.
• Practical application: If already on the way to take some practical first steps in the field of ICT
professional ethics in an organisation and you are interested in practical help and tools, it is
recommended to jump directly to Clause 8.
1 Scope
This document contains basic information and fundamental considerations on embedding ICT in
European values. It includes concepts and structures for using the framework and practical suggestions
for the concrete implementation of organisational and individual aspects as scoped by the European ICT
Professionalism framework and its basic underlying references.
The scope of occupations associated with Information and Communication Technology is very wide and
therefore, to define a boundary, this document is based upon the target audience of the EN 16234-1 “e-
Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European Framework for ICT Professionals in all sectors –
Part 1: Framework”.
Beneficiaries and users of this document include educational institutions embracing universities and
VET, public and private, certification providers, industry, including HR departments, large companies and
SMEs, and the ICT professional community.
An extended benefit of a common ethics framework is the enhanced perception of ICT as a ‘professional’
career. The overall attractiveness of employment within ICT from the perspective of potential employees
will be improved by the establishment of a recognised ICT Profession in which ethics play a significant
role.
EN 16234-1 (e-CF) is the starting point and guiding document for this technical publication, being closely
connected with the other deliverables and references for a shared European language for ICT
professional development.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 16234-1:2019, e-Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European Framework for ICT
Professionals in all sectors – Part 1: Framework
CEN/TS 17699:2022, Guidelines for developing ICT Professional Curricula as scoped by EN16234-1 (e-CF)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
digital computers and internet (communication) systems, including software, hardware and
networks
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.1]
3.2
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
cross sector of enterprises, including manufacturers, product suppliers or
service providers relating to the ICT field
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.2]
3.3
ICT professional
person having the competence to plan, build, run, enable and/or manage ICT and having a professional
ICT qualification and/or ICT occupational experience; they include both employees of ICT companies and
ICT employees of organisations in all other sectors; they are all in the scope of this document
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.3]
3.4
competence
demonstrated ability to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes for achieving observable results
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.5]
3.5
knowledge
body of facts which can be applied in a field of work or study (know what to do)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.6]
3.6
skill
ability to carry out managerial or technical activities and tasks, and this may be cognitive or practical
(know how to do it)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.7]
3.7
attitude
representing the human element of an e-competence and reflecting the way a Person integrates
knowledge and skills and applies them in a contextually appropriate manner
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.8]
3.8
transversal aspects
cross-cutting topics that are relevant to all competences defined by the EN 16234-1 (e-CF); each
transversal aspect is provided by a title and a generic description that may be applied, dependent upon
context by, ‘being aware of’ or ‘behaving proactively’ with regard to the transversal aspect description;
awareness and proactivity influence attitude linking with knowledge and skills as applied in the
definition of competence in EN 16234-1 (e-CF)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.9]
3.9
behavioural skills
interactive skills used to successfully engage with situations in the workplace, they may refer to work
quality, social interaction or emotion. Examples include, communication, empathy, attention to detail and
integrity
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.10]
3.10
learning level
level indicating a grading and may be represented by a formal qualification; they generally derive from
an education system or indicate a grading in a taxonomy of intellectual or learning behaviours (like
memorising, applying, interpreting) and have a relationship with proficiency levels but are to be
distinguished from these
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.12]

4 Structure of the Professional Ethics Framework
4.1 Introduction
This clause provides an overview of the key components of the ICT Professional Ethics Framework.
Firstly, it provides some definitions and contextual information on the history of the European
Community and European values in terms of ethics; further it explains the more recent Berlin Declaration
[1] on Digital Society and Value-based Digital Government and other international contributions on ICT
and ethics. It then provides Table 3 showing how these foundational documents can be adapted and
refined to develop clear ethical guidance for ICT professionals by articulating the nature of ICT
professional ethical obligations into more detailed ethical knowledge items (EKIs).
4.2 Basic Definitions
4.2.1 How to define ICT professional ethics
This requires definition firstly of ethics and then of the ICT profession. Ethics is generally understood as
normative value-based activity or discussion i.e. what should be done, what is the ‘right’ thing to do, what
values should be used to guide action? It is not purely descriptive. Ethics is often quite closely connected
to regulations and the law e.g. the General Data Protection Regulation reflects the ethical value placed on
privacy and the ethical disapproval of the misuse of personal data. Ethics, though, is distinct from the law
as it includes personal conscience and values. The law can only imperfectly capture these and can indeed
contradict them in some cases. It is possible for the law to be unethical (e.g. racial segregation is unethical
but it has been legal in the past). Claiming a law is unethical in terms of flouting commonly, even if not
necessarily universally agreed, ethical values of, for example, equality is not in itself a legal defence if one
breaks the law though it would count as a valid ethical position. Law also has the power of state sanction
which ethical guidelines generally do not or only in quite a weak form. In terms of professional ethics this
varies quite considerably between professions. A doctor can be struck off the medical register and no
longer allowed to practise but an IT professional cannot.
The ICT Profession must then also be defined followed by an elaboration of how this can be defined in
terms of ethical aspects. The following clause reiterates the definition in the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) and
includes additional detail from CEDEFOP, CEPIS. CEDEFOP and CEPIS are included as additional
important contributors to discussion on ICT skills and professionalism within the European context.
International examples are provided mainly from IFIP and ACM and some other sources are also included.
It should be noted that the recently published IFIP code is very much based on the ACM code with some
modifications.
4.2.2 EN 16234-1 (e-CF) definitions of ICT and ICT professional
4.2.2.1 Information and Communication Technology ICT
digital computers and internet (communication) systems, including software, hardware and
networks
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.1]
cross sector of enterprises, including manufacturers, product suppliers or
service providers relating to the ICT field
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.2]
4.2.2.2 ICT professional
Person having the competence to plan, build, run, enable and/or manage Information and
Communication Technology and having a professional ICT qualification and/or ICT occupational
experience; they include both employees of ICT companies and ICT employees of organisations in all
other sectors; they are in the scope of this document
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.3]
4.2.3 CEPIS definition of ICT professionals
This provides information about wider professional standards, knowledge, attitude and identity.
ICT professionals:
• Possess a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of a relevant body of knowledge.
• Demonstrate on-going commitment to professional development via an appropriate combination
of qualifications, certifications, work experience, non-formal and/or informal education.
• Adhere to an agreed code of ethics/conduct and/or applicable regulatory practices.
• Deliver value for stakeholders through competent practice.
4.2.4 IFIP and ACM definition of ICT professionals
• Professional ethics is about what is expected of a professional in a field. As we act, all of us in the
ICT Profession must remember that every choice that impacts others is an ethical decision and
that those decisions need to be guided by professional ethics.
• The competent application of ICT technical skills is necessary for the wellbeing of contemporary
society; our technical skills are important, but how we apply them is what distinguishes us as
professionals. Professionals are asked to promote good while working within ethical constraints.
4.2.5 Professionalism in related e-Skills projects
Professionalism as it relates to ICT has been defined and discussed in much previous work on e-Skills,
defined in summary as the skills needed to apply, develop and make use of ICT, and the related work of
CEN/TC 428 (McLaughlin et al., 2012) [2]. It includes the building blocks of knowledge, competence,
ethics, and accreditation. A profession can be understood as group of people with specialised knowledge
in a particular area who profess they are competent and able to perform specialist work. In many
professions it is strictly regulated how one can profess to be professional e.g. in order to claim one is a
doctor one has to complete training to a fixed standard, and one is then put on register (from which one
can be removed). There is generally and explicitly within the EU a distinction made between regulated
and unregulated professions. At present in most cases the ICT profession is unregulated i.e., there is no
enforced entry requirements and no or limited sanction in terms of being forced not to practice. This
situation may, of course, change in the future or be applied to certain aspects of the ICT profession.
4.2.6 ICT professional ethics in related e-Skills projects
As discussed in the previous clause some of the foundational work on e-Skills in the European context
consolidated the view that ethics is a key building block of ICT professionalism. This has been further
developed in more recent work. An overview which includes the global context and discusses how
professional ethics is connected to the wider issue of ICT professionalism is provided in an article
discussing developments up to 2018 [3]. The Final Report on the European Framework for IT
Professionalism [4] developed guidelines on statements of professional ethics which are defined as basic
principles which are expected from Statements of Professional Ethics for the IT Profession in Europe and
are listed below:
• Protection of Public Interest and Legal Compliance (“The IT Professional acts to protect the safety
and interests of the Public, and Society; and at all times acts in compliance with the relevant law.”)
• Responsibility to Employers and Clients (“The IT Professional acts in the best interests of their
employer or client, to use their relevant knowledge, skill and capability to provide the best
possible solution to the best of their ability.”)
• Professional Dignity and Promotion of Professional Aims (“The IT Professional protects the
dignity of the IT Profession, and acts to develop and promote both the Profession and its
professionals.”)
• Competence, Responsibility and Impartiality (“The IT Professional acts openly and impartially,
within their own competence, taking responsibility for their work, and any work directed by
them.”).
4.2.7 Professional ethics and relationship with law and regulation
As not everyone shares expert professional knowledge, there must be a relationship of trust by the client
or the public to the ICT profession. In order that this trust should not be misused or misplaced it is
important that ICT professionals work in line with ethical values and use their knowledge in an ethical
way. There is power differential between the ICT professional and the client in terms of knowledge and
in relationships where there is power imbalance there are stronger ethical obligations on the more
powerful party. Ethical values can be much discussed but in summary they are normative claims relating
actions to generally (not universally) agreed social beliefs about what is “moral” or “good” behaviour.
Professional ethics is inextricably linked to the competent and careful use of specialist and bounded
expert knowledge. The aim of the knowledge should be the public good. This also shows the importance
of knowledge and competence for ICT Professional ethics. Existing standards and ICT professionalism
publications that define the scope and structure the content of ICT as professional area are an important
part of improving professional ethics within ICT. EN 16234-1 (e-CF), CWA 16458 (ICT Role Profiles) [5],
and the EN 17748-1 Body of Knowledge (BoK) [6] are the primary examples in terms of scope definition
with metrics and curriculum guidance document (CEN/TS 17699) providing more guidance on how to
implement the content of EN 16234-1 (e-CF) and the BoK into practice and education. There is also
research indicating that integrating ethics into other ICT professional resources, most notably Bodies of
Knowledge, increases the reach and maturity of ethics into the profession [7].
It is important to note the professional ethics is not just about the values and actions of individual
professionals but that is also is influenced very much by organisational values and actions as well as those
of wider society. An emphasis on the role of individuals can itself be unethical and unhelpful as it under
emphasises the role of power and organisational and societal structure on the kind of decisions people
are able to make. Professional ethics cannot just be the responsibility of individual employees who are
required to be heroic whistle blowers at the expense of their ability to earn a living. Protections and
procedures must also exist at wider level to enable and foster ethical behaviour, even when it may affect
profits or sales, and incorporate ethical considerations into normal business processes and practices.
Some aspect of culture or practice that may initially appear ethically neutral, for example rapid
development of products with short deadlines, can have important ethical implications in terms of failure
to test systems properly with resultant safety issues. There are also wider social and environmental
issues such as sustainability which can be negatively affected by business practises that do not
immediately appear unethical, e.g. phones that cannot be repaired and have no spare parts. Progress on
this could also be improved by including more ethical indicators in the annual reporting of organisations
(Armstrong, 2020) [8].
The relationship between ethics and the law is discussed at a more general level in 4.2.1 and this clause
provides also more detail in terms of ICT. The content of legal regulation and professional ethics is not
mutually exclusive, au contraire. There are several overlapping strands in legal regulation and
professional ethics. Particularly in matters which, due to their importance, are covered in some way by
both legal regulation and professional ethics, sometimes even with an impact on non-compliance and
possible sanctions.
Sanctions with professional implications for breaches of legal regulation or professional ethics always
have in some way the problem of controlling their effectiveness. The effectiveness of sanctions at the
professional level is usually closely linked to the existence in the Member States of mechanisms for the
official recognition of professional bodies that represent and organise a given profession, and which are
responsible for the control of professional practice, including professional ethics and the corresponding
sanctioning capacity in the event of bad practices.
In the process of evolution and maturity of ICT Professionalism, this complementarity and relationship
between legal regulation and professional ethics should be considered. It is likely to be a source of
regulatory novelties and also in terms of professional ethics, both because of the incessant innovation in
the ICT field and, above all, because of the growing political and legal activity in relation to areas such as
artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, etc., [9] both for their technical regulation and for their ethical
aspect.
4.2.8 ICT Professional ethics
This pertains to ethical issues and concerns that arise from the design, development and use of ICT by
ICT professionals i.e. ethical use of expert knowledge by professionals in the field. It does not concern
general ethical issues that arise from ICT.
This shift in what was termed computer ethics to more of a focus on professional ethics within computing
became more widespread from the 1990s with publications from Dan Gotterbarn in 1991 [10] and Ford
and Gibbs in 1996 [11]. After that, most professional computing bodies developed codes of ethics and
related methods of ethical support material for their members and, in some cases, engaged in raising
wider societal awareness of the ethical issues arising from computers.
4.3 The history of the EC and European values in terms of ethics
4.3.1 Introduction
The goals of the treaty of Rome (1957) on the formation of the European Economic Community include
specific reference to ethical values, in particular the goals below:
• Pool their resources to preserve and strengthen peace and liberty and call on other peoples of
Europe who share this ideal to join them in these efforts.
• Abide by the principles of the UN charter.
More recently European Values have been further articulated. Mainly in the Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the European Union, proclaimed on 7 December 2000 by the European Parliament, the Council
of Ministers and the European Commission. With a full legal effect with the entry into force of the Treaty
of Lisbon on 1 December 2009. The values that are common to the EU countries are a society in which
inclusion, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and non-discrimination prevail. These values, as outlined in the
following sub clauses, are an integral part of our European way of life.
4.3.2 Human dignity
Human dignity is inviolable. It must be respected, protected, and constitutes the real basis of fundamental
rights.
4.3.3 Freedom
Freedom of movement gives citizens the right to move and reside freely within the Union. Individual
freedoms such as respect for private life, freedom of thought, religion, assembly, expression, and
information are protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
4.3.4 Democracy
The functioning of the EU is founded on representative democracy. Being a European citizen also means
enjoying political rights. Every adult EU citizen has the right to stand as a candidate and to vote in
elections to the European Parliament. EU citizens have the right to stand as candidate and to vote in their
country of residence, or in their country of origin.
4.3.5 Equality
Equality is about equal rights for all citizens before the law. The principle of equality between women
and men underpins all European policies and is the basis for European integration. It applies in all areas.
The principle of equal pay for equal work became part of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Although
inequalities still exist, the EU has made significant progress.
4.3.6 Rule of law
The EU is based on the rule of law. Everything the EU does is founded on treaties, voluntarily and
democratically agreed by its EU countries. Law and justice are upheld by an independent judiciary. The
EU countries gave final jurisdiction to the European Court of Justice which judgements must be respected
by all.
4.3.7 Human rights
Human rights are protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. These cover the right to be free
from discrimination based on sex, racial o
...