Activities of Josef WEIDENHOLZER related to 2017/2069(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU Citizenship Report 2017: Strengthening Citizens' Rights in a Union of Democratic Change (debate) DE
Amendments (49)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 (new)
Citation 1 (new)
– having regard to the European Commission Communication of 31 January 2017 entitled “EU Citizenship Report 2017 – Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change1a _________________ 1a Report from the Commission to the European parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Strengthening Citizens' Rights in a Union of Democratic Change: EU Citizenship Report 2017” [COM(2017)30 final/2]
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Citation 2 (new)
Citation 2 (new)
– having regard to the results of the 2015 Public Consultation on EU citizenship conducted by the European Commission, as well as to the results of the 2015 Eurobarometer surveys on electoral rights and on citizenship,
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Citation 3 (new)
Citation 3 (new)
– having regard to Articles 9 to 11 of the Treaty on European Union, 18 to 25 of the Treaty of Functioning of the European Union and 39 to 46 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Citation 4 (new)
Citation 4 (new)
– having regard to the Copenhagen criteria, and the body of Union rules that a candidate country must fulfil if it wishes to join the Union (the acquis),
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Citation 5 (new)
Citation 5 (new)
– having regard to the hearings organised by the Committee on Petitions in 2016 and 2017, namely to the joint public hearing co-organised by LIBE, PETI and EMPL “The situation and rights of EU Citizens in the UK”, Committees on May 11, 2017; the public hearing “Obstacles to EU citizen’s freedom to move and work in the Internal Market” organised on October 11, 2016; the public hearing “Fighting against discrimination and protecting minorities” organised on May 4, 2017 and finally, the joint public hearing organised by the European Commission (DG Justice and Consumers) and the European Parliament (LIBE, PETI, AFCO and JURI Committees) on Union Citizenship in practice on March 15, 2016,
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Citation 6 (new)
Citation 6 (new)
– having regard to Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States,
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Citation 7 (new)
Citation 7 (new)
– having regard to the studies commissioned by the Policy Department C of the European Parliament at the request of the LIBE and PETI committees in 2016 and 2017 entitled “Obstacles to the right of free movement and residence for European Union citizens and their families”,
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Citation 8 (new)
Citation 8 (new)
– having regard to the conclusions of the Council of the European Union Nos. 9166/3/11 and 9167/3/11 of 9 June 2011 on the conclusion of the evaluation process and the technical readiness of Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Schengen area,
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Citation 9 (new)
Citation 9 (new)
– having regard to the notification given by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to the European Council on 29 March 2017 in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Citation 10 (new)
Citation 10 (new)
– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 10 April 2017 on negotiations with the United Kingdom following its notification that it intends to withdraw from the European Union (2017/2593(RSP)),
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Citation 11 (new)
Citation 11 (new)
– having regard to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Citation 12 (new)
Citation 12 (new)
– having regard to the study commissioned by the Policy Department C of the European Parliament at the request of the LIBE committees in 2016 entitled “Towards a Comprehensive EU Protection System for Minorities”,
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Citation 13 (new)
Citation 13 (new)
– having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention),
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Citation 14 (new)
Citation 14 (new)
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in New York on 13 December 2006 and ratified by the EU on 23 December 2010,
Amendment 18 #
– having regard to the Commission communication of 15 November2010 entitled ‘European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A renewed commitment to a barrier-free Europe’ (COM(2010)0636),
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Citation 16 (new)
Citation 16 (new)
– having regard to the Commission Communications on Roma integration (COM(2010)0133, COM(2012)0226, COM(2013)0454, COM(2015)0299, COM(2016)0424), including the Communication on an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 (COM(2011)0173),
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Citation 17 (new)
Citation 17 (new)
– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 April 2016 entitled “Delivering on the European Agenda on Security to fight against terrorism and pave the way towards an effective and genuine Security Union”,
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Citation 18 (new)
Citation 18 (new)
– having regard to Directive (EU) 2015/637 on the coordination and cooperation measures to facilitate consular protection for unrepresented citizens of the Union in third countries and repealing Decision 95/553/EC, OJ L106, 24.4.2015,
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A whereas the Treaty of Lisbon brought great advances for the citizens of the Union, by consolidating the rights and safeguards of EU citizenship, endowing the Charter of Fundamental Rights with legal value and by bringing the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice into the EU’s legislative field;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the principle of non- discrimination on the basis of nationality, sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation is the primary expression of EU citizenship;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas EU citizens may still experience a number of persisting or new barriers to exercising their free movement and residence rights, such as excessive documentation requirements, burdensome procedures for obtaining residence rights, difficulties in accessing health services, or lengthy procedures for obtaining access to work or having professional qualifications recognized;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the creation of the Schengen area and the integration of the Schengen acquis into the EU framework greatly enhances freedom of movement in the EU and is one of the greatest achievements of the European integration process; whereas the Council of the European Union in its conclusions no. 9166/3/11 and 9167/3/11 of 9 June 2011 confirmed the successful conclusion of the evaluation process and the technical readiness of Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Schengen area;
Amendment 40 #
Ca. whereas the right to free movement and its exercise is central to EU citizenship; whereas free movement ranks first among EU citizens in terms of recognition and popularity, as the EU’s most positive achievement;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas according to the Commission’s impact assessment accompanying Directive (EU) 2015/637, almost 7 million EU citizens travel or live outside the EU in places where their own country does not have an embassy or consulate; whereas the number of unrepresented EU citizens is expected to increase to at least 10 million by 2020;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the Lisbon Treaty enhanced EU citizenship including by introducing the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), through which citizens have the possibility to ask for EU action; whereas the use of the ECI so far presented practical and legal challenges for organisers and did not meet expectations on legislative impact;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas the Roma citizens of the EU make up the largest and most vulnerable minority group in the EU; whereas the Roma face multi-layered discrimination and social exclusion in Europe; Whereas EU soft law tools, such as the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS), have played only a limited role in ensuring that Member States respect their obligations to comply with fundamental human rights standards on minority protection and addressing institutional manifestations of discrimination;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Ee. whereas European citizens with disabilities still face many obstacles in getting access to the labour market, to education and training, are at a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion than their peers without disability and have difficulty in participating fully in society and enjoying their rights;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Recital E f (new)
Recital E f (new)
Ef. whereas violence against women still occurs widely in the EU; whereas the EU and its member States must take all necessary measures to promote and protect the rights of all women;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Recital E g (new)
Recital E g (new)
Eg. whereas, according to article 25 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the EU, ‘the Union recognizes and respects the rights of the elderly to lead a life of dignity and independence and to participate in social and cultural life’;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Recital E j (new)
Recital E j (new)
Ej. whereas some of the most important consequences of the expected withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union will concern the legal status, rights and duties of UK nationals living in the European Union and of EU citizens living in the United Kingdom from the moment the withdrawal takes effect;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Recital E k (new)
Recital E k (new)
Ek. whereas millions of citizens, who have availed themselves of the right to live, establish a family, work, study and retire in the UK and in the EU 27, and have made defining life choices based on these rights, now face great uncertainties and anxiety regarding their future;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Calls on the Council of the EU and the European Council to allow all countries that fulfil the necessary technical criteria to become Members of the Schengen Area, so that all EU citizens can enjoy their freedom of movement unhindered by border-checks;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Calls on the Commission to regularly monitor the application of Directive 2004/38/EC in Member States and to take appropriate measures to remove potential obstacles to the freedom of movement;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that EU legislation on security should be up-to-date, effective and efficient in preventing, detecting and reacting to evolving security threats; calls for the urgent implementation of the European Agenda on Security, the finalisation of pending legislation, better enforcement of existing EU legal instruments in this field, and more efficient information exchange among Member States and with EU agencies; stresses that human rights have to be at the core of the counter terrorism and prevention of radicalisation policies of the Union to ensure public safety while respecting fundamental rights of individuals, including the right to security, privacy, freedom of expression, and association;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers de-radicalisation and the prevention of radicalisation an absolute priority for the EU and strongly advocates the strengthening of specific programmes targeting ‘home-grown terrorists’ and de- radicalisation programmes; calls on Member States to address radicalisation holistically and to take advantage of the expertise of the Radicalisation Awareness Network set up at the initiative of the Commission;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to introducemake a proposal for a new, more secure format for the EU emergency travel documents for unrepresented EU citizens outside the EU whose passport has been stolen, lost, destroyed or is temporarily unavailable in order to guarantee that they can effectively travel back home;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that, in order to better reach the potential of EU citizenship, the EU must step up its efforts to guarantee the protection of the founding values of the EU, including in the caserights of minorities.
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Is of the opinion that, in order to fill with substance the reference made to minorities in article 2 of the TEU, and to the equality of all EU citizens in article 9 TEU, the aim of the EU should be to lay down high standards of minority protection, starting from those codified in international law instruments, such as those of the Council of Europe. Such standards should be strongly embedded in a legal framework guaranteeing democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights across the EU;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Regrets that for almost a decade now little progress has been made in the adoption of the EU-wide Anti- Discrimination Directive; calls upon all EU institutions and especially the Council to conclude the relevant negotiations as soon as possible;
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Maintains that transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; Points out that citizens should have access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in the most clear and comprehensible way.
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Welcomes that the Commissions 2017 Citizenship Report is highlighting increasing and improving citizen's participation as a priority; but notes with regret that the Report makes no reference to the right to petition, to the right to refer to the European Ombudsman or to the right to access documents and how to strengthen the rights.
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Condemns any discrimination or violence against European citizens on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Believes that the systematic discrimination of Roma citizens in their home countries, as well as their evictions and expulsions when they exercise their right to free movement to and residence in another member state are in contradiction with the fundamental right of non- discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin and the right move to and reside in another member state and put the foundations of EU citizenship rights to the test;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Expresses that free media and free access to an open Internet are crucial part of democracy;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Calls on the Commission to adopt its Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019 as a Communication; recalls that the EU is based on the principle of equality between women and men, and that such a principle can only be achieved through a strategic mainstreaming in all EU policies;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Calls on the Commission to mainstream accessibility, participation, non-discrimination and equality concerns in EU legislation in order for European citizens with disabilities to enjoy their fundamental rights on an equal basis with their peers;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)
Paragraph 6 f (new)
6f. Welcomes the signing of the EU’s accession to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence on 13 June 2017; Calls on those Member States, which have already ratified the Convention to ensure its swift and efficient enforcement; strongly encourages Member States, which have not yet ratified it, to do so; stresses that in order to be more effective, measures combating violence against women should be accompanied by actions promoting the financial independence of women; calls on the Commission to further address gender-based economic inequalities and the issue of work-life balance;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)
Paragraph 6 f (new)
6f. Welcomes the signing of the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention on 13 June 2017; regrets, however, that the Limitation to two areas, i.e. matters related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters and asylum and non-refoulement; urge the Member States to speed up negotiations on the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention;
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 j (new)
Paragraph 6 j (new)
6j. Reiterates its position that the safeguarding of the rights and interests of EU-27 citizens living or having lived in the United Kingdom and of United Kingdom citizens living or having lived in the EU-27 must be treated as an absolute priority in the negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement; considers, furthermore, that the obligations for the UK and the EU in this respect should be based on reciprocity, equity, symmetry, non-discrimination, fair treatment, as well as full respect of the integrity of EU Law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights and its enforcement framework.