Activities of Martina ANDERSON

. – I voted in favour of the resolution on Poland and HungaryThe resolution aimed at sending a strong signal to the Council who has currently two parallel Article 7(1) Procedures on Poland and Hungary, two countries that have seen in the past years a grave deterioration of the rule of law situation.The highlighted the deterioration of the situation in both countries since article 7(1) was triggered and calls on the Council to address these new developments and risks of breaches in the ongoing procedures and insisted on a formal invitation of the European Parliament to a formal Council Meeting (as the Institution that triggered the Article 7(1) regarding Hungary) and called on the Council to keep the Parliament informed at all stages of the procedure;

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of the report on the Activities of the European Ombudsman in 2018.The mandate of the European Ombudsman is described in Article 228 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, allowing the office to receive complaints concerning instances of maladministration in the activities of the Union institutions, bodies, offices or agencies, with the exception of the Court of Justice of the European Union acting in its judicial role.Maladministration is defined as ‘poor or failed administration, which occurs if an institution fails to act in accordance with the law, fails to respect the principles of good administration, or violates human rights’.The report notes with great concern that inquiries relating to transparency and accountability, including on access to information and documents, continued to account for the greatest proportion of cases handled by the Ombudsman.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this report to consent on a technical agreement between EU and China regarding certain aspects of air services. The objectives of agreements on certain aspects of air services are to bring bilateral air services agreements between Member States and third countries in line with Union law.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of the European Green Deal, as it is essential that the EU provides funding for a green deal to fight climate change. The report highlights the importance of a just transition, and introduces measures on circular economy, mobility, marine areas, air quality, and legislation to tackle pharmaceuticals in the environment. However while I support this report, I was disappointed that it did not go further and could have been more ambitious in its aims. The EU cannot rely on market solutions and is too focused on its growth strategy and safeguarding the interests of big business. The EU needs to take further action to prevent the climate catastrophe.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this file because the report calls for the EU to become a more assertive international actor to reflect the new commission’s claim to be the geopolitical Commission. Furthermore, I oppose its calls for closer cooperation with NATO. Calls for greater spending on military by Member States and the EU itself.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this file because it calls for more investment in defence and defence research and advocates for NATO. Furthermore, it calls for more autonomous European defence policy and advocates a deep cooperation with NATO. From budgetary point of view the report welcomes dedicated budgetary appropriations for military spending in the next MFF proposal, which I oppose.

2016/11/22

. – I abstained on this resolution.While it goes some way towards seeking to involve citizens in discussions about the future of the EU, it still puts too much emphasis on a process driven by EU institutions. It doesn't recognise the democratic deficit in the EU, and in particular the way in which the Lisbon Treaty was brought in despite its rejection in referenda is various member states.However, I am opposed to the sorts of Treaty change which are being discussed now, which would be likely to further centralise decision-making and increase the militarisation of the EU. I supported amendments which would strengthen the involvement of citizens and national parliaments in any discussion on the future of the EU, as well as to consider the transfer of powers back to member states.

2016/11/22

. – I voted to abstain on this file because it is a structural adjustment programme not humanitarian support. Despite, my groups attempts to amend the agreement, the 500 million EUR is entirely in the form of loans not grants. In order to receive these loans the Jordanian government had to agree to adhere to IMF structural reforms that have damaged so many economies since they began being imposed on the global south since the 1980s. I abstained because I disagree with the terms on which the money is being made available to Jordan. I support supporting Jordan, particularly as a country that hosts 1.3 million refugees but completely oppose the use of crises to imposes structural adjustment programmes on third countries.

2016/11/22

. – I abstained on this report. On the island of Ireland, cross-border cooperation is vitally important, particularly in terms of encouraging cross-border cooperation between the Gardaí and PSNI. Significantly however, this report relates directly to the so-called ‘Prum’ decision, and is a marker of particular concern for Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin does not support the ‘Prum’ decision as the unilateral collection of data is a disproportional mechanism and disregards a person’s right to protection of personal data and privacy. I therefore opted to abstain.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this report. Sinn Féin was opposed to the recast of the Eurodac Regulation in 2013 due to our significant concerns that law enforcement agencies would have unparalleled access to the Eurodac database and would be able to utilise this data to combat so-called ‘irregular asylum’. This regulation is another facet of the cruel Fortress Europe approach to prevent vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers from seeking sanctuary in the EU. It is for this reason that I voted against.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against the Solomon joining The interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in June 2018.The Solomon Island will soon cease to be Least Developed Country meaning they lose their preferential non-reciprocal tariff and quota free market access to the EU. In order to maintain its free market access, Solomon Island have to join the regional Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Pacific states (Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa). However, since the EPAs are essentially free trade agreements, Solomon Island will be required to gradually liberalise its trade with the EU in return for its market access to the EU. Not only will the EPA pit local fledgling industries in direct competition with the EU export economy, the liberalisation of financial tariffs on imports (EU goods) and exports (raw materials for European companies) will result in revenue. For these reasons I voted against.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this report. It relates to the mandatory transmission of information between Member States’ tax authorities in order to combat VAT fraud in the area of e-commerce. This proposal relates to the intermediaries (banks, PayPal, etc.) used to purchase goods online from another member state, and sets down rules for the standardised collection of information. This parliament report endorse the Commission proposals and adds more background information, emphasises the role of organised crime in VAT fraud, including carousel fraud, and aims to strengthen some of the measures (e.g. inserting additional requirements for information to be included in annual reports of the authorities), as well as stating that the Data Supervisor must be consulted on the future regulations stemming from this legislation.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this report. It relates to the mandatory transmission of information between member states' tax authorities in order to combat VAT fraud in the area of e-commerce. This report sets down rules on the collection, transmission and retention of information on e-commerce by VAT authorities in the member states. This parliament report endorse the Commission proposals and adds more background information, emphasises the role of organised crime in VAT fraud, including carousel fraud, and aims to strengthen some of the measures (eg, inserting additional requirements for information to be included in annual reports of the authorities), as well as stating that the Data Supervisor must be consulted on the future regulations stemming from this legislation.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this is a technical decision, already foreseen by the association agreement with the Overseas Territories.The objective of the proposal is to amend a Council Decision on the association of the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) with the European Union - the Overseas Association Decision (OAD). The amendment is required for the application of the registered exporters (REX) system for origin certification. The OCTs were not ready as of 1 January 2017 to apply the REX system as provided for in Annex VI of the OAD. Therefore, all OCTs requested a derogation of three years. On 29 November 2016, the Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2093 postponing the date to establish the REX system for the OCTs to 1 January 2020.

2016/11/22

. – I abstained on this agreement and resolution because I believe it must be renegotiated. The present agreement has not had the desired effect of reducing tensions, evidenced by the existing airbus dispute. It also fails to include any ban on the importation of beef produced using antibiotics as a growth promoter.I do not have an issue with the USA receiving the designated portion of the tariff for hormone free beef, as this will not lead to any increase of beef imported into the EU but the aforementioned failures of the agreement must be addressed to make the agreement fit for purpose. As AMR prevalence increases, it is not appropriate to wait until 2022 to being to insert such bans into new legislation.

2016/11/22

. – This resolution is an inaccurate misrepresentation of the political situation in Bolivia, where a racist, fascistic military coup toppled the government of president Evo Morales, shortly after he won re-election on October 20. The official tally showed that Morales obtained 47.08%, and his main opponent, Carlos Mesa, 36.51%, but the right-wing opposition refused to accept these results. Morales called fresh elections to defuse the violence, but the military and police forced him from power in a US-backed coup d’etat.Since then, security forces have attacked pro-democracy protests, killing dozens.The resolution repeats the arguments of the coup-mongers, providing cover for an attack on democratic norms in Bolivia, and the violent repression and murders of pro-Morales, indigenous and pro-democracy demonstrators.It also repeats unproven claims of electoral fraud; insinuates blame on pro-Morales protesters for the social turmoil and deaths; ignores the role of the military and police in carrying out a violent coup; recognises the unconstitutionally self-declared far-right “president” Añez; and welcomes new elections that would exclude Morales from running.I therefore voted against.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution as it is obvious that we are facing a climate and environmental emergency.This is corroborated by verifiable scientific evidence, such as the recent findings by the World Meteorological Organization which has predicated a temperature increase of up to 5 degrees Celsius within the next 80 years. As long as the signatories to the Paris Agreement who pledged to implement measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions continue with empty promises and pledges, then this will become a reality.Global emissions have shown no signs of slowing, which is demonstrated by record—breaking temperatures year after year, at great human and ecological cost. For these reasons I supported this resolution.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution as it essential to create a just transition to tackle climate change. I also believe that combatting climate change along with social inequality and poverty all need to be at the forefront of the UN’s agenda.It is important that people are not left behind in the fight against climate change, and in establishing an economy that no longer relies on fossil fuels. Ordinary people must not bear the brunt of the fight to tackle climate change, when multinational corporations and the fossil fuel industry are ultimately responsible for the destruction of our planet. I note that this resolution encourages the use of nuclear power as an alternative fuel, however I strongly oppose the advancement of nuclear energy.Not enough is being done by the Irish government, or internationally by the signatories of the Paris Agreement, which is why I supported this resolution calling for further action.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution as it called on the Council to urgently conclude the EU ratification of the Istanbul Convention and calls on the seven Member States that have signed up to the convention, but have not yet ratified it, to do so without delay. The resolution highlights that the convention remains the key international tool to eradicate gender-based violence.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution.The issue in this resolution dates back to 13 January 1991, where a confrontation between independence demonstrators and Soviet troops took place at Vilnius’s television tower, during which 14 civilians were killed and 702 were injured.In March 2019, the Vilnius Regional Court qualified the events of January 1991 as an act of aggression by the Soviet Union against Lithuania and found Dmitry Yazov, former Soviet defence minister, as well as more than 60 other former Soviet officers guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their involvement on 13 January 1991.In 2018, the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against the Lithuanian prosecutors who investigated the 13th January case. This year, a criminal case has been brought against the Lithuanian judges who conducted the trial of this case. I believe the Soviet authorities behind the events in 1991 should be condemned and that any attempt to interfere in an ongoing judicial procedure should be denounced, and therefore I voted in favour of this resolution.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this joint motion for resolution. The resolution fails to address that this type of dispute is the core problem with an export—driven agriculture policy. As long as this policy is continued, farmers will pay the price for world trade disagreements, even when they are not related to agricultural products.This resolution sees free trade and open markets as a panacea and that this type of issue can be avoided by pouring more money into promotion in other countries. This resolution should have been about the need to boost farm incomes for trade within the EU, giving priority to short supply chains and helping farmers diversify. I am very disappointed this resolution was orientated in such a way that the difficulties created by a dispute of this nature will likely continue for European farmers.

2016/11/22

. – We voted to abstain on this file on the WTO appellate body because it presented the undemocratic and opaque appellate body, and the WTO in general, in an uncritical manner. The file calls for ending the issue of vacancies on the appellate body of the WTO. In December, terms of two of the three remaining members of the seven-member tribunal will end, causing the Appellate Body to go dormant due to lack of a quorum. We oppose the US approach to the WTO. However, we could not vote in favour of a text that presents the WTO and its dispute settlement body as some kind of guarantee for democratic multilateralism, economic inclusion, and sound rules-based global governance.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution that deals with the ongoing cooperation between the EU and its former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific covering development aid, trade and economic inclusion and political cooperation. I supported the resolution because it contained a number of positive aspects particularly from a development perspective.

2016/11/22

. – The proposed Commission represents continuity with the same failed policies of the Juncker Commission. It is clearly unwilling and unable to address the fundamental reforms that the EU needs. For this reason, I voted against the proposed Commission.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of releasing funding under the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece because the natural disaster in Greece clearly meets all of the criteria for mobilising the Solidarity Fund.

2016/11/22

. – We voted to abstain on the proposal to mobilise the Flexibility Instrument to supplement the financing in the general budget of the Union for the financial year 2020 above the ceiling of heading 3 by the amount of EUR 778 074 489 to finance measures migration, refugee inflows and security threats. The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF) will receive the majority of the funding.While the AMIF is in need of substantial reform it does fund many positive initiatives, including in Ireland. We would support increased funding for such programmes through the AMIF. However, we abstained because we oppose the ISF. Furthermore, we also oppose the ongoing practice of conflating migration and security which is evident here.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of mobilising the EU Solidarity Fund to provide for the payment of advances in the general budget of the Union for 2020 because this will allow the Fund an amount of up to a maximum of EUR 50 million in both commitment and payment appropriations to be included in the budget for the payment of advances.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against the agreement reach between the European Parliament and the Council on Monday 18th November in Brussels on the EU budget for 2020. The agreement represents an increase of 1.5% compared to the 2019 budget. I oppose the agreement because of how the money is being spent. Of particular concern, is that for the second year the EU budget has allocated 250 million EUR to the European Defence Industrial Defence Programme (EDIDP).The Frontex budget increased by 115 million (compared to 2019) and Frontex staff increased by 191 posts with respect to 2019. Furthermore, the Internal Security Fund will receive 501 million. For these reasons I voted against the agreement.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this agreement. This agreement increased by 50 000 tonnes the allowance of chicken breast Ukraine can import to the EU. It has come about after a dispute between the EU and Ukraine. Ukraine imported more chicken breast than the EU envisaged in the previous agreement by creating a new type of cut, which included breast and which would not fall under the quota limit awarded. I do not believe Ukraine should be rewarded for acting in bad faith by inventing methods to get around quota limits. This is a bad deal for EU chicken farmers and it does nothing to address the animal welfare concerns EU consumers have with Ukrainian poultry meat production.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this report. The proposal aims to align the defence spending of the EU with the rules on collecting VAT, and the excise duties rules applied to NATO spending. The report aims to increase military mobility within the EU by removing VAT for several military goods (e.g. food supplies) when armed forces are training or active in other EU states. The VAT exemption in the EU would also be applied for NATO-countries. This is essentially an indirect subsidy for military forces across the EU. As it is promoting further militarisation, I voted against.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution. It focused on reinforcing the commitment to zero child labour, ensuring that children with disabilities have access to quality education and training, assisting children caught up in armed conflicts and being aware of the needs of children in detention. On the 30th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child, I very much welcome that EU politicians have accepted that more needs to be done to implement the convention.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of this proposal in order to extend the scope of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to mitigate the impact of a no-deal Brexit. This will allow Member States to use the impact of Brexit on public finances as reason to draw down funding from the EUSF. It is vital that all possible preparations for a hard Brexit are in place.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of this objection. Chromium trioxide is mainly used in chrome plating. It is considered a carcinogenic 1A, without a safe threshold, and mutagenic 1B.The Commission’s draft change to the REACH Regulation gives a very broad authorisation for use of chromium trioxide. The current REACH Regulation states that only authorisations can be given for use of this substance if there are no safer alternatives – which the applicants need to demonstrate for each of the uses they are applying for. This was not demonstrated, nonetheless, the Commission granted the authorisation, stating: ‘it’s impossible for a single alternative to comply with all of the requirements’.The objections calls on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and to submit a new draft rejecting the application for authorisation, and to carefully assess whether any authorisations can be granted in full compliance with the REACH Regulation for the specific uses covered by the application submitted by the Applicants. We believe that we must be cognisant of the precautionary principle in such circumstances.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution, which highlights the negative implications that the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook has had on its workers and customers. The cessation of the operations of Thomas Cook, which employed 22 000 people and served 19 million people a year, has required an enormous repatriation operation for more than 600 000 holidaymakers from different locations around the world to their places of origin.I support the proposals made in the report, as it highlights the importance of sustained social dialogue at all levels.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution, which was co-signed by my group, GUE/NGL. The resolution calls on EU Member States to stop blocking a crucial proposal for corporate tax transparency in the Council.Public country-by-country reporting (CBCR) will require the largest multinationals to publish their profits and taxes paid in each EU member state as well as aggregated data for the rest of the world. Sinn Féin has strongly supported public CBCR, and the Irish Government is one of several blocking the proposal from proceeding in Council. The legal basis of the proposal is the right of the EU to legislate on accounting standards (as opposed to it being a taxation matter, which some Member States are claiming).The European Parliament adopted its mandate on for entering inter-institutional negotiations on this proposal in 2017; however, the Council has failed to adopt a common position so trilogues have not yet begun.The resolution notes the legal basis of the proposal and calls on Member States to break the deadlock in Council and enter trilogues. It calls on the Finnish Presidency of the Council to prioritise the file and progress it to COREPER level in the Council.

2016/11/22

. – Turkey’s invasion of north-east Syria is illegal under international law, and represents a dangerous escalation of conflict in the region. This Resolution, supported by all the major Groups in the European Parliament, is a strong rebuke to Turkey. It condemns the invasion, demands an immediate withdrawal and end to arms sales to Turkey by EU Member States, and calls for international dialogue in the framework of the UN.Some of the language in the Resolution is unfortunate, calling for the Commission and High Commissioner to act on behalf of the EU in the matter, but foreign affairs remains a national competence. It also refers approvingly to the military ‚Global Coalition‘ in the region. I voted for amendments to change these references.Another paragraph also advocates ‘targeted sanctions’ against Syrian and Turkish government officials. Sinn Féin is generally opposed to sanctions, particularly economic sanctions, as they frequently have a negative impact on the civilian population and can be counterproductive. I voted to remove this sentence.Despite these serious problems with the text, however, I voted in favour of the final resolution, as I felt the seriousness of the situation necessitated sending Turkey the strongest message possible.

2016/11/22

. – I supported this joint motion for resolution on search and rescue operations (SAR) for the following reasons. It calls on Member States to maintain their ports open to NGO vessels. It calls for proactive SAR operations along routes where they can make an effective contribution to the preservation of lives and calls for political and financial support of the Commission to such operations. It reiterates our demand adopted in the former resolution to exempt humanitarian assistance from criminalisation, and calls for a relocation mechanism for persons arriving by sea.More than 1 000 women, men and children have drowned or gone missing in the Mediterranean this year alone, according to Oxfam. Failure to take immediate action, such as called for in this resolution, condemns thousands more to death in the Mediterranean Sea.

2016/11/22

. – Firstly, Sinn Féin is not opposed to the accession process with North Macedonia and Albania. We do not believe it is our role to block these countries joining if it is the will of its population. It must be remembered that when Ireland joined its economy was a fraction of its current size.However, we abstained on the joint resolution due to its wording. The text contains many demands we disagree with. Many of the economic conditions are reforms that push neoliberal economics that will not benefit the people of North Macedonia. Of course, countries need to meet standards of democracy and governance but it should not be used to force a certain economic view on any country. We must ensure the highest standards on issues such as judicial independence and tackling corruption without telling people they have no longer have economic choice.We believe the reform package the EU demands of assent countries should be reformed as soon as possible.

2016/11/22

. – We voted against the 2020 budget because it continues to prioritise corporate interests and militarisation at the expense of socially beneficial programmes.Of particular concern is that for the second year, the EU budget has allocated EUR 250 million to the European Defence Industrial Defence Programme (EDIDP). This programme is a subsidy to the arms industry and contradicts EU treaties as it is prohibited to charge any spending with ‘military or defence implications’ to the EU budget (Article 41 TEU). Furthermore, the EDIDP is a precursor to the EUR 13 billion European Defence Fund planned for 2021.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of refusing to grant this discharge due to irregularities discovered by OLAF regarding breach of procurement procedures, misappropriation of EU funds, mismanagement, abuse of position in human resources issues, and breaches of data protection rules. I welcome that since then, corrective measures have been put in place to improve the governance, restore transparency and rebuild trust. However, as this discharge concerns the 2017 budget, I voted to refuse the discharge

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of refusing to grant this discharge because the European Council continues to refuse to engage with Parliament in the discharge procedure. This procedure is essential in order to maintain transparency and democratic accountability.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this objection because I believe the approach proposed by the Commission does not represent best practice. In its Draft Regulation, the Commission chooses to retain the sole criterion of acute oral and contact toxicity to assess pesticides’ impact on bees, thereby refusing to base its criteria on the latest scientific knowledge and evidence.The Commission excludes from the current Draft Regulation all important criteria from the Bee Guidance document, including chronic oral toxicity and larval toxicity, which were included in a previous draft of the contested measure. I believe the Commission should redraft the regulation to broaden texting requirements.

2016/11/22

. – This file deals with an emergency Brexit contingency amendment to Regulation which sets the current rules for the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The proposed change would include a ‘no deal’ Brexit as a basis for Member States to apply for EGF funding.The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) is a ‘solidarity fund’, financing measures to help workers affected by unexpected and significant dismissals provoked by globalisation or by global economic and financial crisis. It is an emergency fund, and is only mobilised on an ad hoc basis.Sinn Féin’s general approach to the EGF has been critical yet supportive of the EGF. The funds is mostly a ‘sticking plaster’ for the impacts of globalisation and EU market policies. Nevertheless, since this fund advances worker’s interests, their reskilling and their capacity to find new jobs, we have generally supported EGF applications.The impacts of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit are hard to predict, and could affect workers at a range of levels, leading to possibly considerable job losses. A flexible application of the EGF in the case of a ‘no deal’ Brexit could help to shield vulnerable workers from the worst of the potential fall-out. We therefore voted in favour.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this file to continue authorisation of fishing vessels in the case of a no-deal scenario.In the absence of a withdrawal agreement, fishing activities by Member State vessels in waters under British jurisdiction and by British registered vessels in EU waters would no longer be governed by the Common Fisheries Policy Basic Regulation when the British government withdraws from the EU.In case of a no-deal Brexit, EU and British registered vessels risk suddenly not having the possibility to utilise fully the fishing opportunities as established for 2019 or access, which would be catastrophic, especially for the sector in Ireland.It is important to keep open the possibility of arrangements for continued reciprocal fishing access by fishing vessels from the island of Ireland who rely on access to all our waters and beyond after the withdrawal date.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour to ensure that in the event of Britain leaving the EU without an agreement, the budgetary relations between the EU and the North of Ireland and Britain would not be left without an agreed legal arrangement. Such a scenario would create considerable uncertainty and difficulties for the implementation of the Union’s budgets for 2019 and 2020. The purpose of this proposal is to extend to 2020 the contingency framework approved by Parliament on 17 April 2019. This will allow for beneficiaries of the EU budget in the North of Ireland and Britain to continue to receive funding. Without this, farmers, universities, Erasmus students, etc., would be cut off from EU funds in the event of a no-deal Brexit, an outcome that it is in everyone’s interest to avoid.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this legislation to extend the period for Brexit contingency measures in the area of road transport, and air connectivity.In a no-deal scenario, road and air transport will be negatively affected and I therefore fully support extending the validity of these contingency measures for a further seven months.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this urgent procedure, to put to a vote extending the period for Brexit contingency measures in the area of road transport, and air connectivity.In a No Deal scenario, road and air transport will be negatively affected and I therefore fully support extending the validity of these contingency measures for a further seven months.

2016/11/22

. – This Report concerns cooperation and exchange of personal data between Eurojust and Serbia for criminal matters on a case by case basis. Such co-operation agreements can be adopted via 1) the pre-Lisbon procedure whereby the Council approves them through implementing measures, after consulting the European Parliament, or 2) the new Eurojust Regulation procedure (already adopted, but not operational until December). Under this second procedure, the EP will have a stronger role via a veto.Despite the fact that the Lisbon Treaty provided a stronger role of the European Parliament over such agreements, previous agreements have been adopted pursuant to the pre-Lisbon consultation procedure, where the Parliament’s opinion is not binding. This is possible as the pre-Lisbon instrument hasn’t yet been amended.I have abstained on previously such files on the basis that we support a stronger role for the European Parliament than provided for in the procedure used, in order to strengthen transparency and accountability. It should be noted that such personal data can be already be exchanged with Serbia directly through national prosecutors, and the transfer of personal data with this country does not depend on the approval of this tool. I therefore abstained on this file.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of the file on draft amending budget (DAB) No 4/2019 because we agree with the rapporteur’s assessment and oppose the cuts proposed by the Commission and Council. The goal of this DAB n°4 is to update both the expenditure and the revenue sides of the budget to take account of the postponement of the withdrawal of UK to 31 October. The Commission proposes an extra EUR 15 million for the European Parliament to take into account the fact that Britain remained in the EU until now. However, the Commission, together with the Council, seized this opportunity to also make cuts, amounting to EUR 100 million. The vast majority of these cuts come out of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the Solidarity Fund, ESMA and EBA.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against, because I oppose the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 1164 million as it is related to and conditional on the adoption of cuts in DAB4, which I also oppose. Furthermore, a lot of the funding will go to the EU’s failing approach to migration, with very little going to integration of refugees and asylum seekers.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of this objection because we do not agree this chemical should be automatically renewed for another year. This initial period of approval for this chemical expired a number of years ago, but its use licence was extended while the full renewal process was ongoing. Since its initial approval, concerns have been raised as to its safety. It has been identified as a probable endocrine disruptor. Considering this, I believe we must await the results of more comprehensive testing, which forms part of the full approval process. Until this process is complete and the results indicate the chemical is safe for usage, no further approvals should be permitted. The European Food Safety Agency should work to shorten approval-processing times, without compromising on safety, to ensure farmers have access to the chemicals they need to produce the food we eat.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of this objection because we do not agree this chemical should be automatically renewed for another year. This initial period of approval for this chemical expired a number of years ago, but its use licence was extended while the full renewal process was ongoing. Since its initial approval, concerns have been raised as to its safety. It has been identified and classified as toxic for reproduction category 1B and as a probable endocrine disruptor. Considering this, we believe we must await the results of more comprehensive testing, which forms part of the full approval process. Until this process is complete and the results indicate the chemical is safe for usage, no further approvals should be permitted. The European Food Safety Agency should work to shorten approval-processing times, without compromising on safety, to ensure farmers have access to the chemicals they need to produce the food we eat.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of this objection because we believe a positive opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health should be mandatory before use is authorised in the EU. The European Commission should withdraw proposals for authorisations, which have no accompanying positive opinion from the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.We also believe that GMO soybean designed to withstand pesticides, which are banned in Europe, should not be permitted to enter the EU. This soybean is clearly modified to an extent that is unnecessary and undesirable. The utmost consideration must be given to human and animal health and the environment in cases such as this.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of this objection because we believe a positive opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health should be mandatory before use is authorised in the EU. The European Commission should withdraw proposals for authorisations, which have no accompanying positive opinion from the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.We also believe that GMO soybean designed to withstand pesticides, which are banned in Europe, should not be permitted to enter the EU. This soybean is clearly modified to an extent that is unnecessary and undesirable. The upmost consideration must be given to human and animal health and the environment in cases such as this.

2016/11/22

. – This contentious resolution seeks to accuse various third parties – particularly Russia – of interfering in elections in the EU, and to use this to ‘explain’ the rise of far-right populism in the EU.While outside interference is a genuine issue – just look at the Cambridge Analytica scandal surrounding the Brexit vote – this resolution goes too far and is unbalanced, only referring to online media and only looking outside the EU for sources of interference.It creates a slippery slope around ‘disinformation’ and ‘fake news’ that could harm freedom of political expression, and indeed restrict journalism and the right to inform. The resolution talks openly about supporting and fostering ‘responsible journalism’, which sounds dangerously Orwellian, and calls for legislative action to allow the EU to intervene in social media.Even more problematically, it calls for an upgrade of the EU’s propaganda arm, the EU East StratCom Task Force, into a permanent structure within the European External Action Service, and considers NATO an important tool in combatting ‘disinformation’.I supported several amendments to improve the overall text, but ultimately was unable to support the resolution for the reasons above. I therefore voted against.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this motion for resolution as I do not agree with its overarching vision for the EU. I particularly oppose increasing the EU budget by 30 percent as well as the creation of EU taxes such as: a common consolidated corporate tax base, digital services taxation, a financial transaction tax, income from the emissions trading scheme, a plastics contribution and a carbon border adjustment mechanism. For these reasons I voted against the Motion for resolution.

2016/11/22

. – This report represents a fairly typical response from the European Parliament to the issues of employment and social policies of the euro area and sets out the European Parliament’s position on these matters ahead of the next cycle. However, it is presented entirely within the framework of the European Semester – a regressive and failed economic paradigm that erodes sovereignty and reduces economic independence while failing to acknowledge or address the underlying structural and economic problems in the euro area.The draft report had some good points, in particular concerns about persistently high levels of youth unemployment, in-work poverty, the need to ensure quality job creation, reintegrate the unemployed into the labour force, and tackling inequalities, including the gender inequalities. While the final report is nonetheless an improvement, I could not support it, as it is entirely premised on the European Semester, to which I am opposed, and which would actually help prevent the action necessary to resolve these very issues.

2016/11/22

. – I supported this joint motion for a resolution because it challenges what I believe was an incorrect judgement by the European Patent Office (EPO). The decision made by the EPO effectively meant that plants could be patented by companies. This directly conflicts with European law: a plant species developed through a purely biological process is not patentable. Any derogation to this law would unfairly allow companies to take ownership of plant species. Sinn Féin is committed to protecting the rights of farmers to engage freely in biological breeding and is determined to fight big business’s attempt at monopolising the industry.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of this resolution on combating money laundering. The European Banking Authority opened an investigation earlier this year into a possible breach of EU law by the Estonian and Danish financial regulators with regard to revelations of money laundering in the Estonian branch of Dankse Bank. This involved EUR 200 billion worth of suspicious transactions, the largest money—laundering case ever to be exposed in the EU. In April, the EBA chair recommended that the EBA make a finding of ‘breach of Union law’. The Board of Supervisors of the EBA, composed of representatives from the Member States, rejected this proposal.The resolution expresses concerns about the EBA’s and the Commission’s response to MEPs at an ECON hearing on 5 September. It notes the circumstances of the dropping of the EBA’s investigation into Danske Bank, and calls on the Commission to continue investigating the case and to initiate infringement procedures if appropriate. It also calls on the Commission to initiate infringement procedures against those Member States that have failed to implement the Anti—Money Laundering Directive.

2016/11/22

. – We voted against what should have been a procedural proposal because the rapporteur used it as an opportunity to call for a significant change to the budgetary practice involved. The proposal is for all revenue resulting from fines or linked to late payments to be transferred without a corresponding decrease in the contributions based on gross national income (GNI). Currently, these surpluses are transferred forward to the next calendar year and there is a corresponding deduction from national contributions. Changing this practice would increase the budget and national contributions, which is something Sinn Féin opposes.

2016/11/22

. – We voted in favour of the proposal to allow for a reinforcement of EUR 100 million of commitment appropriations to Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+. We support the ring-fencing of the EUR 80 million for Horizon 2020 for environmental research and the allocation of EUR 20 million for core mobility activities in the field of higher education and vocational education and training.However, one issue of concern is the fact that the Commission intends to use some of the additional money to boost funding for pilot initiatives on European Universities and Centres of Vocational Excellence. Both initiatives are proposed for the next generation of the Erasmus+ programme from 2021 to 2027. They have nevertheless received funding through the 2019 work programme: ‘European Universities’ had received EUR 30 million already before the top-up via the draft amending budget. Supplementary policy choices like this are only supposed to be adopted via delegated acts, with oversight powers for both legislators.We will be following the issue closely.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of releasing funds from the European Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Austria, Italy and Romania as they have each suffered from extreme weather conditions that have caused substantial destruction. All three countries applied for support due to extreme weather events, and all three meet the criteria for support.

2016/11/22

. – The file requests the mobilisation of EUR 610 000 from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for technical assistance to the Commission in promoting the EGF.The EGF was established to support workers made redundant in EU Member States as a result of the adverse effects of globalisation.The funds requested cover technical assistance including: monitoring and data—gathering for EGF websites; improving ease of access; standardising and simplifying procedures; and awareness-raising about the EGF.This request is larger than last year, due to an important final evaluation of the EGF for the period 2014-2020.While we support this technical assistance and the EGF, it is important also to remain vigilant about the fund’s use. The EGF should not be used as an ‘opt-out’ clause for companies to get away with undermining workers’ rights, compensate for austerity cuts, or facilitate companies moving to countries with cheaper labour.The report itself also highlights the importance of ‘liaising between all those involved in EGF applications, including, in particular, the social partners and stakeholders at regional and local level’, which is welcome. We therefore voted in favour.

2016/11/22

. – This is a positive resolution. It reaffirms the positions that the European Parliament has already taken and goes further than previous resolutions in relation to the EU rights of Irish citizens in the north, and on the right of people in the north to decide their own citizenship as outlined in the Good Friday Agreement.For these reasons, we voted in favour.

2016/11/22

. – I voted against this report as it endorses the automatic flow of data, which includes the automatic exchange of DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration databases. This automatic data sharing needs to be evaluated in terms of its necessity and proportionality in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the case of this report, I have immense concerns over data protection, certainly with regard to the vast amount of data that will be collected on individuals without due cause. I therefore voted against.

2016/11/22

Written questions (6)

E-003116/2019 - Commission

2016/11/22
Documents: PDF(44 KB) DOC(19 KB)

E-002998/2019 - Commission

2016/11/22
Documents: PDF(38 KB) DOC(17 KB)

E-002920/2019 - Commission

2016/11/22
Documents: PDF(41 KB) DOC(19 KB)

E-002807/2019 - Commission

2016/11/22
Documents: PDF(39 KB) DOC(17 KB)

P-002636/2019 - Commission

2016/11/22
Documents: PDF(44 KB) DOC(18 KB)

E-002278/2019 - Commission

2016/11/22
Documents: PDF(51 KB) DOC(19 KB)

Amendments (1304)

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that the digital age requires electoral laws to be adapted to this new digital reality and suggests Member States introduce an obligatory system of ~~introduce an obligatory system of~~ digital imprints for electronic campaigning and advertising. Any form of political advertising should include easily accessible and understandable information on the publishing organisation, why the ad is displayed and who is legally responsible for spending so that it is clear who sponsored campaigns, similar to existing requirements for printed campaign materials currently in place in various Mmember Sstates;

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 9

9. Believes that profiling for political and electoral purposes, as, pursuant to EU data protection law, it refers to political or philosophical opinions, should be prohibited and is of the opinion that social media platforms should monitor and actively inform authorities if such behaviour occurs; Calls on political parties and other actors involved in elections to refrain from using profiling for political and electoral purposes; calls on political parties to be transparent as to their use of online platforms and data;

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 10

10. ~~Urges social media platforms,~~Recalls that the processing of personal data by political parties ~~and~~in the advertising industry to work closely with the European Commission to develop sector-wide Codes of Conduct that include at least guidelines for ethical campaigning in the digital age and cooperation methods with authorities in charge of verifying electoral processes in Member StateEU is subject to the General Data Protection Regulations and that the breach of principles, rights and obligations encompasses under this law would result in additional fines and sanctions;

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 11

11. Considers election interference to be a great challenge for democracy which requires a joint effort involving service providers, regulators and political actors and parties; ~~welcomes the intention of the Commission to provide recommendations in this regard;~~

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 17

17. Takes note of the privacy improvements that Facebook has undertaken after the Facebook/ Cambridge Analytica scandal, but recalls that Facebook promised to hold a full internal audit of which the European Parliament has not yet been informed and ~~recommend~~urges that Facebook make substantial modifications to its platform to ensure its compliance with EU data protection law, that would also affect the core business model and the structure of its platform;

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Calls on the European Parliament to encourage the British Government to legislate as soon as possible to review the new rules under ‘The Transparency of Donations and Loans etc. (Northern Ireland Political Parties) Order 2018’ applying to the North of Ireland, recognising that the new rules do not apply to retroactive donations, and still incur legislative loopholes as per the work undertaken via campaigning journalism by OpenDemocracy;

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 23 b (new)

23 b. Recognises the work of legal representatives within the non-profit organisation ‘Good Law Project’ in their successful Court case against the Electoral Commission and VoteLeave, which challenged the adequacy of the Electoral Commission’s investigation into spending by VoteLeave alongside their reading of the law around donations;

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 23 c (new)

23 c. Recognises that the non-profit ‘Good Law Project’ are continuing their efforts to uphold transparent, open and accountable politics, fundraising for a continued legal challenge, that the same logic must apply to the Constitutional Research Council, the body that gave the £435,000 donation to the Democratic Unionist Party;

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2855(RSP)

Cornelia ERNST, Martina ANDERSON

Paragraph 33

33. Is of the opinion ~~Eurojust should urgently initiate, in cooperation with Member States authorities a special~~that Member States should urgently conduct, with the support of Eurojust, if necessary, investigations into the alleged misuse of the online political space by foreign forces; ~~calls on the Commission to swiftly come up with the necessary proposals to enlarge the competences of EPPO to include prosecution of crimes against electoral infrastructure;~~

2018/10/02
Committee: LIBE

2018/2111(INI)

Martina ANDERSON, Jean LAMBERT

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas EU citizenship is gained through nationality of a Member State, and clearly supplements national citizenship in accordance with Article 9 of the TEU; whereas European citizenship does not, and cannot, supersede national citizenship; whereas northern Ireland is a special case whereby citizens are entitled to dual- citizenship, under the Good Friday Agreement, an internationally recognised Treaty lodged in the United Nations, and the Irish constitution recognises everyone born in the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish Nation, therefore Irish citizens in northern Ireland as per the EU/UK December Joint Agreement, should enjoy, access and exercise their European rights where they reside;

2018/11/16
Committee: LIBE

2018/2111(INI)

Martina ANDERSON, Jean LAMBERT

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas European citizens are directly represented in the European Parliament and have a democratic right to stand and vote in European elections, even when residing in another territory; whereas EU rights holders must, in association with Article 22 TFEU and Article 10 TEU, have the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament;

2018/11/16
Committee: LIBE

2018/2111(INI)

Martina ANDERSON, Jean LAMBERT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that the EU has a duty to protect minorities and to guarantee their rights; notes that Article 2 of the TEU frames the protection of minorities as one of the fundamental values of the EU; further notes that Articles 21 (on non- discrimination) and 22 (on cultural, religious and linguistic diversity) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights acquired legally binding form in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); Notes that all current rights available under the Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), alongside the oversight and protections provided by the CJEU are fundamental to citizens in northern Ireland for the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement;

2018/11/16
Committee: LIBE

2018/2111(INI)

Martina ANDERSON, Jean LAMBERT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes with concern that there are Member States which do not extend voting rights in European Parliament elections to their nationals, who are European citizens; points out that this limits the diversity of views in the Parliament and mitigates the accountability of the European institutions to European citizens; Member States must ensure that their nationals receive the protection of all economic, social, political, environmental and democratic rights associated with EU citizenship;

2018/11/16
Committee: LIBE