Activities of Josep-Maria TERRICABRAS related to 2018/2103(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2017 (debate)
Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2017 (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2017 PDF (502 KB) DOC (76 KB)
Amendments (22)
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas women and girls in the EU experience structural gender inequality in a variety of forms and in a range of settings – including gender discrimination, gender- based violence and misogynistic hate speech – which severely limits their ability to enjoy their rights and to participate on an equal footing in society; whereas in 2017, the #MeToo movement raised awareness of the scale and intensity of the sexual harassment and sexual and gender- based violence women face; whereas in recent years reports have pointed out a growing backlash against women’s rights and gender equality in the EU;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the signing of the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention on 13 June 2017, despite the limitation to only two mandates; regrets that, to date, only 19 Member States have ratified the Convention and calls on the remaining Member States to do so without delay; regrets that in some Member States, discussions around the ratification of the Istanbul Convention have been accompanied by campaigns against perceived gender ideology; points out that campaigns against perceived gender ideology go against principles of universal human rights and are harmful to society at large; recognises that when it comes to determining European standards for the protection of women againstagainst gender-based violence, the Istanbul Convention is the most important point of reference; calls on the Council to swiftly agree on the Code of Conduct, which will govern the implementation of the Convention by the EU;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the discussions and conclusions of the Commission’s 2017 Colloquium on fundamental rights, which focused on women’s rights and the actions carried out throughout the year to support national actors in their fight to prevent and combat violence against women and to raise awareness about the problem; welcomes the Commission’s initiative to support work-life balance for working parents and carers and its action plan to combat gender pay gap.
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that public deliberation and debate are the lifeblood of a healthy and functioning democracy and encourages, in this context, the EU and the Member States to take further steps to safeguards and protect freedom of speech and assembly as basic principles of democratic processes; strongly condemns in this regard the increasing restrictions on freedom of assembly, which the authorities have enforced in some cases with violence against protesters; recalls that, according to the Report by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the state of Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law 2017, opportunities for peaceful protest are limited where public assemblies are subject to undue restrictions, including in countries with long-standing democratic traditions; reaffirms the crucial role of these fundamental freedoms in the functioning of democratic societies and calls on the Commission to take an active role in promoting these rights in line with international human rights standards;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls that, in the performance of their duty, law enforcement officials must respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons; Stresses that any excessive and unjustified use of force by law enforcement officials must be subject to impartial and exhaustive investigations by the relevant authorities of each Member State.
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expresses its concerns that few specific legal provisions to ensure the protection ofor policy frameworks protecting journalists and media actoworkers from violence, threats and pressuresintimidation can be identified at national level in EU Member States; expresses its concern over the precarious working conditions forof many journalists and media workers and the amount of physical and psychological violence they witness, which compromises their ability to work appropriately and thus hampers media freedomare subjected to, which may hamper their ability to carry out their work thus having an impact on media freedom and pluralism; stresses the importance of EU-wide projects, such as the Media Pluralism Monitor and Mapping Media Freedom, that monitor risks to media pluralism across Europe, map violations of media freedom, conduct awareness raising campaigns and provide support for journalists under threat and for cross-border investigative journalism; underlines that financing for such and similar issues should be secured under the new MFF;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines the fact that whistle- blowing is an essential element in investigative journalism and pressmedia freedom, and in this context recalls its resolution of 24 October 2017 on legitimate measures to protect whistle- blowers acting in the public interest when disclosing the confidential information of companies and public bodies3; __________________ 3welcomes the proposal made by the Commission to strengthen whistle-blower protection across the EU and underlines the importance of a swift follow-up by the co- legislators, so that the proposal can be adopted before the end of this legislature. __________________ 3 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0402. Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0402.
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the Commission’s decision to establish a High Level Expert Group on fake news and online disinformationCommunication on Tackling online disinformation: a European approach and the actions it contains, which aim at creating a more transparent, trustworthy and accountable online ecosystem, improving the security and resilience of election processes, fostering education and media literacy, increasing support for quality journalism, and strengthening the Union’s strategic communication capabilities; expresses its concern about the potential threat the notion of “fake news” could pose to freedom of speech and expression and to the independence of the media, while underlining the negative effects that the spread of false newsdisinformation might have on the quality of political debate and on the well-informed participation of citizens in democratic society;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Points out that EU Member States should address adequateffectively discriminatory orand violent reactionincidents against the schooling of migrant and refugee children, both through law enforcementegal responses and by promoting mutual understanding and social cohesion; calls on Member States to structurally addressensure that regular school curricula includes effective measures guaranteeing respect for diversity, intercultural understanding and human rights, including children’s rights, in regular school curricula;.
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Member States to makenhance efforts to systematically record, collect and publish annually comparabledisaggregated data on ethnicracial discrimination and hate crimes in order to enable them and other key stakeholders to develop effective, evidence-based legal and policy responses to these phenomena; recalls that any data should be collected in accordance with national legal frameworks and EU data protection legislation; welcomes the compilation of guiding principles on hate crime for law enforcement and criminal authorities and on access to justice, protection and support for victims of hate crime developed by the High level Group on Racism, Xenophobia and other forms of intolerance.
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Member States to continue their efforts to ensure the effective practical enforcement of the Race Equality Directive (2000/43/EC)4 and to ensure effective enforcement of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia to tackle persisting discrimination against Roma, anti- Semitism, Islamophobia, Afrophobia and, anti- Gypsyism and Aporophobia; points out that the Member States should review and amend, if necessary, their national integration strategies to ensure that all people regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender or any other status are truly empowered to engage aparticipate effectively in the process of inclusion by promoting their social, economic, political and cultural participation in society; __________________ 4and protecting their human rights; __________________ 4 OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22. OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22.
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Deplores the fact that in 2017, LGBTI people were still victims of discrimination and hatred and encourages the Member States to adopt laws and policies to combat homophobia and transphobia; condemns firmly the promotion and the practice of LGBTI conversion therapies and pathologisation of trans and intersex identities; urges all Member States to adopt similar measures that respect and uphold the right to gender identity, gender expression, physical integrity and self-determination;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Is concerned over the lack of knowledge and interventions by law enforcement authorities particularly towards trans people and marginalised LGBTI people; reminds that combating violence related to the gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics or sexual orientation of a person falls in the EU gender-based violence remit; calls upon the Commission to mainstream gender identity perspective in it; calls upon Member States to combat impunity in anti-trans crimes as a threat to the rule of law on the one hand, and develop together with civil society effective measures protecting trans people effectively against stigma, discrimination and violence;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Expresses concern that, despite the fact the fact that most Member States have adopted legislation to ensure judicial independence and impartiality, in compliance with Council of Europe standards, problems remain in the way these standards are applied, leaving national judiciaries open to political influence and fuelling public perceptions of interference in the judicial process and bias among individual judges.
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Recalls that, in accordance with article 1 in both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), all peoples within the European Union have the right to self- determination, by which they can freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on the European Parliament to send ad-hoc delegations to Member States when there is clear evidence of serious breaches of Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Stresses that corruption not only constitutes a significant systemic obstacle to the realisation of democracy and the respect for the rule of law, but it may also cause many fundamental rights violations; expresses its concerns about new legislative initiatives put forward in certain European countries that might reverse reforms previously undertaken to strengthen the prevention of corruption; Calls in this regard on all Member States and the EU institutions to firmly fight systemic corruption and to devise effective instruments for preventing, combating and sanctioning corruption;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Expresses concern about persistent fundamental rights challenges in the area of migration, with regard to access to territory, reception conditions, asylum procedures, immigration detention and protection of unaccompanied children; notes with concern that fast-track procedures, safe-country-lists, but also deportation to other unsafe Member States in Dublin procedures put LGBTI asylum seekers at a heightened risk to be deported before being able to substantiate their claim for asylum to foreign or other Member States, where they fear prosecution on grounds of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Emphasises that the EU and the Member States should develop credible and effective systems that would make it unnecessary to detain children for asylum or return purposes; stresses the importance of taking the principle of the best interests of the child into consideration in all aspects concerning children as well as of the practical implementation of the right to be heard; recalls that Article 14 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and Article 28 of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child guarantee the right to education to every child, including migrant and refugee children, both unaccompanied and accompanied and avoiding separated schooling and segregation; stresses that Member States should ensure that migrant and refugee children are effectively supported through linguistic, social and psychological support based on individual assessment of their needs; Is concerned over the specific needs and vulnerabilities of asylum seekers from marginalised groups, such as LGBTI asylum seekers; calls upon member states to ensure that the specific needs for safety, healthcare, legal recognition of trans asylum seekers are met;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Welcomes the establishment of a European Network on Guardianship following the Commission communication on the protection of children in migration and the subsequent Council conclusions. The network will facilitate cooperation between relevant national authorities and exchange of good practice on guardianship.
Amendment 410 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Welcomes the operational work of the Agency in different areas for example at the migration hotspots in Greece and Italy, awareness rising activities and training in the area of human rights; calls that the overall statutory mission of the Agency also includes the operational task to provide technical assistance, training and capacity-building on fundamental rights issues to EU institutions, bodies and agencies, as well as to Member States when they are implementing EU law.
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Is of the opinion that the EU institutions should provide for enhanced forms of consultation, impact assessments and legal scrutiny, including by requesting advice from appropriate independent expert bodies, such as FRA, whenever a legislative file potentially promotes or negatively affects fundamental rights; considers in this regard that more regular consultation of FRA could be provided for in a revised version of the inter-institutional agreement on better law-making.