A Toothless EU Tiger?

Asylum, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, freedom of movement, data protection, discrimination -- this is the to-do list for the European Union's new Fundamental Rights Agency.

The organization is there to do research, write reports and raise awareness. Legal action is out of the question.

The best case scenario is that the agency will be attentive and offer helpful warnings and admonishments, said Hannes Tretter from the Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights in Vienna.

"It should keep up the public dialogue with politicians and with all those involved in a democratic, pluralistic society," added Tretter.

Look but don't touch

With its annual reports and regular analyses, the 100-member Fundamental Rights Agency is to draw attention to situations where EU regulations are not being observed in any of the bloc's 27 member states.

The particularly delicate topics, however, are off limits. The agency won't be allowed to criticize police and judicial authorities, for example.

"The EU states don't want interference in their human rights policies," Dick Oosting, director of human rights group amnesty international's Europe office, told news agency AFP.

Oosting added that he didn't think the agency would be able to contribute much to the protection of rights in the EU because of the tight restrictions placed on its mandate.

Too many cooks in the kitchen

The limitations place on human rights in the name of anti-terror measures, the plight of the Roma in southeastern European and the devastating situation of many refugees in Europe are areas where the EU agency won't be effective, said Oosting.

Critics have also emphasized the redundancy of the new Fundamental Rights Agency, as it is the Council of Europe in Strasbourg which has traditionally been responsible for human rights in the bloc.

"I expect that the Fundamental Rights Agency will listen to our advice and benefit from our more than 50 years of experience," Terry Davis, secretary general of the Council of Europe, said Thursday at the inauguration ceremony in Vienna.

"If we work together, we can improve things," added Davis. "But if we work separately, we risk wasting tax money."