This article examines the case-law of the CJEU to assess the criteria used in the interpretation of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union. In particular, it highlights that the traditional criteria applied by the judge of Luxembourg in the interpretation of the other sources of EU law are scarcely used in relation to the Charter. In the author’s view, this is because of the sui generis character of the Charter and the need for dynamic interpretation of the individual rights provided by it.