Brussels, 07/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - As expected, the European Commission and the Council of Europe began official talks on EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) on Wednesday 7 July. The meeting in Strasbourg of Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding marked the beginning of the process. “Today is a truly historic moment. We are now putting in place the missing link in Europe's system of fundamental rights protection, guaranteeing coherence between the approaches of the Council of Europe and the European Union,” Reding said. With its accession, the EU will become the 48th signatory of the ECHR. Accession will also provide a new possibility of remedies for individuals who will thereafter be able to take complaints - after they have exhausted domestic remedies - on alleged violations of fundamental rights by the EU to the European Court of Human Rights. (B.C./transl.rt)