digiRISE
The Developing Information, Guidance, and Interconnectedness for (Charter) Rights Integration in Strategies for Enforcement (digiRISE) project aims to increase awareness of the potential of the EU Charter of fundamental rights in the defense and protection of digital rights, to conduct capacity building, and to strengthen the knowledge and ability of different stakeholders in enforcing digital rights using strategic litigation.
Which actors is this project addressed to?
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is an essential legal instrument in the protection of individuals’ rights, including within the digital sphere. However, research has shown that the Charter is not used to its full potential to protect and promote digital rights, and that awareness of the Charter and the means available for its enforcement is low amongst individuals, lawyers, and civil society organizations (CSOs). There is an urgent need, therefore, for targeted and case-specific evidence, awareness raising and training on the Charter’s potential to protect digital rights and the most effective ways to enforce these protections, specifically through strategic litigation. Increased collaboration between rights defenders, legal professionals, CSOs and independent human rights bodies at national and EU levels is also crucial to create real and long-lasting change.
The digiRISE project will create, among other activities, a host of publicly available resources and materials intended to be used by key actors for internal and external training purposes. The project will also develop easily accessible information on the connections between Charter rights and digital rights and will produce litigation strategies that rely on the Charter to protect digital rights.
What are the primary objectives of digiRISE?
Raise awareness of the Charter’s relevance for protecting digital rights
In response to the need for more case specific training on the application of the Charter, the first objective is to ensure that CSOs, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), and others have access to case-specific information about Charter rights and the different ways in which they can apply in the digital sphere.
Improve knowledge of judicial pathways to enforce digital Charter rights
The second objective is to ensure that CSOs, NHRIs and others have access to detailed information about available judicial pathways for strategic litigation to enforce digital Charter rights within different national jurisdictions and at the EU level. In this context, the project will explore already existing judicial pathways within adjacent legal frameworks (for example, consumer protection law, equality law, etc.) rather than focusing solely on remedies included in those laws and regulations perceived as specifically regulating the digital sphere.
Promote the use of collective redress mechanisms to protect digital Charter rights
The third objective is to ensure that CSOs, NHRIs and other relevant actors have access to detailed information about available collective redress mechanisms for strategic litigation to enforce digital Charter rights within different jurisdictions at also at the EU level.
Improve collaboration between institutional stakeholders on digital rights enforcement
The final objective is to provide CSOs, NHRIs and others with the opportunity for mutual learning, exchange of good practices, and development of collaborative working and learning methods on Charter related issues.
digiRISE is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. If you have any further comments or questions, you can write to us at alexandra@digitalfreedomfund.org.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CERV Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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