EU's accession to the ECHR

The importance and status of human rights have been re-emphasized in the Treaty of Lisbon and the old debates on accession of the EU to the ECHR have been clarified. In 2009 the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force supplying a legal requirement for the Union to accede. The route to a complete accession was paved by the entry into force of Protocol no. 14 to the ECHR acknowledging EU¿s right to accede and thus opening up for accession by altering prior rigid requirements. With the accession just around the corner more issues arises. Looking into the future there seem to be very little doubt that the EU will accede although it does not look like the shift is going to be as easy and trouble free as wished for. No matter how far along the process has come, complete accession is still in the future and the process seems to become more onerous and time-consuming than expected.