Brussels, 26/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding announced on Friday 26 February that she was to present a negotiation mandate in March on the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Reding stated that the Council of the EU would have to adopt this mandate unanimously and that the consent of the Parliament would be required. It will then be up to the Commission to negotiate this accession, which is provided for by the Lisbon Treaty. Although all of the justice ministers of the EU have agreed to a quick start to the negotiations, some of them have voiced concerns over important legal issues. A number of countries wish to exclude the primary law of the Union from the scope of accession and want the interpretation of Community law to remain a matter for the Court of Justice in Luxembourg. The other issue raised is that of the EU's accession to the additional protocols to the ECHR. Whatever is decided, the definitive accession of the EU to the ECHR could still take some time, as the 47 member countries of the Council of Europe must also give their agreement. (B.C./transl.fl)