The aim of this article is to examine the impact of some of the major Europ
ean institutions on mental health law and policy formation, with a view to
establishing whether or not the European 'project' has made a difference in
protecting individuals with mental disorders from interference or neglect
by national governments. The discussion is divided into two parts: first, t
he role of Europe in protecting the human rights of people with mental diso
rders through the work of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR); and se
cond, the role of Europe in ensuring standards of mental health care throug
h the work of the European Commission (EC) and the European Parliament (EP)
. Focusing in the first instance on cases brought before the ECHR, and in t
he second on the policy directives of the EC and the EP, it is clear that w
hile in the area of protecting human rights, the European 'project' has ind
eed made a positive impact on national laws and procedures. However in the
area of monitoring and raising standards of mental health care, there is li
ttle evidence of a similar impact.