Now or Never - One Year After the Closure of the Second Negotiation Round for the EU's Accession to the ECHR: Will the Agreement Reached Suffice to Make Accession (Finally) a Reality?

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the negotiations and legal frameworks surrounding the European Union's (EU) accession to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a process marked by complex legal and institutional challenges. Despite the formidable hurdles outlined by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Opinion 2/13, negotiators crafted the revised draft accession agreement (DAA 2023), balancing the constitutional requisites of the EU with the ECHR's integrity. The paper highlights how this achievement, endorsed by the Council of Europe's Fourth Summit, not only promises to enhance human rights coherence in Europe but also aims to bridge potential legal divides. Key adjustments in the DAA 2023 emphasise the negotiators' commitment to maintaining the EU's legal autonomy while ensuring its adherence to ECHR standards. The paper underscores the urgent need for finalising this `never-ending story,' highlighting its critical role in fortifying human rights protection across Europe.