A Charter of Fundamental Rights definitively marks the transition from a European Economic Community to a political community. Although the Charter does not introduce much that is new, it clearly emphasizes that the individual is at the center of European politics. The Charter begins with the inviolability of human dignity, from which numerous other rights are derived, and continues with classical liberal rights of defense and equality rights. At the same time, it becomes clear that the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) still forms the basis on the path to a community of fundamental values. Half of the substantive provisions of the Charter originate from the ECHR or from the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Additionally, there is a partially overlapping scope of application between the Charter and the ECHR, which, according to legal provisions, extends to all member state acts implementing EU law. While the inclusion of social rights in the process of drafting the Charter is interesting, the hoped-for innovations did not materialize. Despite the coverage of numerous Charter rights by the ECHR, there are compelling reasons to support the 'Charter' project.