[ParlTrack]

The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is of utmost importance for strengthening social cohesion, boosting unemployment and youth employment, but also helping address social challenges across the Union. The ESF+ will be more flexible, provide a better response in emergencies, it will assist in integrating migrants and reducing the administrative obstacles in the use of this fund. The ESF+ will help the EU to better tackle upcoming social, economic and labour market challenges. The fund will invest in social innovation, mobility, health and young people and will foster social inclusion and migrant integration and I am therefore convinced it will benefit millions of Europeans.

2016/11/22

It is important to reduce restrictions regarding visa liberalisation and to enable citizen of third countries, such as Kosovo, to travel freely within the European Union. Kosovo has already last year fulfilled all the necessary conditions for visa liberalisation, but its citizens still remain the only ones in the Western Balkans who cannot travel freely to the European Union. I ask the Council to grant the citizens of Kosovo visa free travel without further delay.

2016/11/22

. ‒ I support the report on the European peace facility (EPF) as it enables the Union to support military and defence operations in more flexible and effective ways. The EPF will help the European Union fulfil its role as a global actor and pursue a more concrete EU foreign policy. It will also increase the efficiency and flexibility of the EU’s external action as well as strengthen the EU’s security and development connection towards achieving sustainable peace.

2016/11/22

The Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Uzbekistan will strengthen the partiesʼ relations on the basis of common values and recognise Uzbekistan’s role as a significant cultural and political bridge between Europe and Asia. In addition, this agreement will support Uzbekistan’s political and social rights. It will pressure the Uzbek Government into ensuring that human rights defenders, civil society, international monitors and human rights organisations can work freely in a legal and politically secure environment. I therefore support this report calling for it.

2016/11/22

Foreign direct investment contributes to the European Union’s growth by improving its competitiveness, generating jobs and economies of scale, taking in capital, technologies, innovation, expertise, and by opening new markets for the EU’s exports. However, legal certainty for Member States’ screening mechanisms has to be created. It has to ensure EU-wide cooperation by establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investment in the Union on the grounds of security or public order. It is of great importance that we increase the security of the Union by strengthening controls, which is why I support this report.

2016/11/22

. ‒ I voted in favour of the amendments presented in the report on the law applicable to the third—party effects of assignments of claims. The report shows the improved version of the proposal for a regulation. It gives a more detailed explanation on the proposal, which is crucial for the internal markets well-functioning but also for the conflict-of-law rules in the Member States. It is important to encourage cross-border investment in the European Union and facilitate access to finance for firms, including SMEs.

2016/11/22

It is of great importance that the EU continues to lead an open and rule-based trading system and therefore I welcome the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. Singapore is EU’s largest partner within the Southeast Asian countries and over 10 000 European companies have their regional offices in the country. A successful conclusion of the EU Singapore agreement will remove all tariffs within five years and open up new opportunities for European producers, workers and consumers, while at the same time obtaining high social and environmental standards. This is why this deal is crucial for both parties.

2016/11/22

A Transport Community involving road transport, railways, inland roads and maritime transport as well as the development of the transport network between the European Union and the Western Balkans is desirable. Integrating the Western Balkans transport market into the European Union’s transport market is beneficial with regard to the accession processes in the Western Balkans and fostering regional cooperation, which is why I voted in favour of this report.

2016/11/22

I voted in favour of this report because the amendments presented speak for the interests of the proper functioning of the internal market. It is of great importance to further improve and expedite the cooperation between the courts of the Member States in the taking of evidence in order to develop a European area of civil law governed by the principle of mutual trust. This way, we strengthen the cooperation within the Members States, which is desirable.

2016/11/22

. ‒ The Directive on Cross-border Healthcare enables access to available healthcare in other European countries, alternative healthcare options, and specialised treatment abroad as well as achieving patient mobility, which is more than welcome. The provisions give the right balance between preserving the sustainability of health systems, while protecting patients’ right to seek treatment outside their home country. However, we have an obligation to improve the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive where it does not work. A major area that has to be improved is transparency. If our citizens do not know what type of care they have a right to and if they do not know if they can get reimbursement then they will not take the risk and travel to another country for treatment. This is why this report is important and why I support it.

2016/11/22

The report on Parliament’s Rules of Procedure and its demands for a ‘legislative footprint’ is extremely important for the credibility of the EU. In my view, lobbyist, either they are representatives for enterprises or a trade unions, NGOs like the Red Cross, Greenpeace, religious organisations, Human Rights organisations etc. are necessary for the legislative process and are improving the quality of it. However, transparency and openness of the lobbying is also crucial. That is why MEPs should have the obligation to show the list of lobbyists they meet while working on a new law, and if possible and appropriate even what specific points have been raised in these meetings. Therefore, I am in support of the amendments presented in the report on Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

2016/11/22

. ‒ I voted in favour of this report because the Convention is a very important tool. The aim of the Convention is to resolve the problems with child abduction that often arise in conjunction with a separation. In order to get custody of the child, parents exploit the absence of cooperation between their states, which creates problems. Cooperation between states is for that reason necessary.

2016/11/22

. ‒ This Convention introduces a system that allows states to cooperate and find a solution regarding international child abduction that often occurs following a separation. Nevertheless, there are very sensitive considerations in the report and some hesitation from my side about certain arguments. However, the report encourages cooperation between states and therefore I support this report.

2016/11/22

. ‒ I gladly welcome the accession of Honduras to the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This Convention is very important and introduces a system that permits states to collaborate and find a resolution concerning international child abduction that often occurs following a separation. Even though there are very sensitive considerations in the report, which I am doubtful about, I choose to vote for encouraging cooperation between states.

2016/11/22

. ‒ This Convention aims to resolve the problems with child abduction that often occur in conjunction with a divorce between the parents. However, there are very sensitive considerations in the report and I am doubtful about certain arguments. Nevertheless, the report encourages cooperation between states, which I fully support and therefore warmly welcome the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

2016/11/22

I voted in favour of the amendments presented in the report on the accession of the overseas countries and the territories with the EU, including relations between the EU, Greenland and Denmark. The report shows the improved version of the proposal of decision, which gives a more detailed explanation on the proposals. This was necessary in order to preserve a sustainable economic and social development but also an environmental protection.

2016/11/22

The humanitarian situation in Venezuela is terrifying. Massive demonstrations have taken place in the country where a large number of people have fallen victim to serious human rights violation. A dozen deaths and several hundred people injured are reported. Democracy and the rule of law must be restored. This is why I support this report calling for it.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of the amendments presented in the report on nuclear decommissioning assistance programme of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania. The report shows the improved version of the proposal of regulation, which gives a more detailed explanation on the proposals. This was necessary in order to increase the safety regarding Ignalina, but also the entire Baltic region.

2016/11/22

. – The InvestEU Programme ensembles the multitude of financial instruments that are available to support EU investments. This makes investment projects in Europe much easier and more effective. After 2020, the InvestEU Programme will take over the Juncker investment plan and intensify it. Sustainable investments and long-term projects will be easier to focus on with the InvestEU Programme. In addition, the InvestEU mechanism will make sure that all the investment projects are economically and environmentally maintainable without any of our principals abandoned. This programme is a favourable circumstance to boost investment proactively and to fill the investment gap. Investments that support an economic growth within the European Union are desirable which is why I voted in favour of this report.

2016/11/22

. – I voted in favour of the implementation of the Trade Agreement between the EU and Colombia and Peru. With this agreement, positive effects of development of the contracting parties is promising. This agreement contributes to an open market for e.g. goods and services and thus benefit both the EU but has also a positive impact on Peruvian and Colombian SMEs.

2016/11/22

. – The Member States have a responsibility to implement the necessary conventions and appropriate policies to ensure the most vulnerable; people with disabilities, the elderly, migrants etc. to have a decent life. In 2017, the refugee wave continued but many borders and ports remained closed for the ones most in need. Within the EU, this reality requires solidarity, effective reception structures must be established for those in need. There is a necessity to strengthen the system to increase the safety of migrants within the EU, especially women and children who, unfortunately, run a greater risk of being exposed to danger. Very often, migrants and immigrants are exposed to discrimination. This is something that we must constantly work on and urge the Member States to ensure protection for minority groups. This is why I support this report.

2016/11/22

. – The status agreement between the EU and Albania is necessary in order to include all aspects that are required for accomplishing the actions of the Agency in third countries and to help and support it in dealing with the current situation. In view of this, I am very pleased with the consent.

2016/11/22

. – A comprehensive agreement between the EU and Kyrgyzstan provides a stable and secure basis for both parties, which is why I support this report. Realising concrete social and economic benefits for residents on both sides will promote the market economy. Competition rules and legal certainty are also important to maintain with the help of, among other things, transparent institutions. For the benefit of both parties, more intensive cooperation on crisis management, combating terrorism, climate change, organised crime, etc. will be required. In addition, this kind of cooperation will strengthen the framework and the transparency of the institutions.

2016/11/22

. – Gender equality is the main factor in the protection of democracy and human rights; therefore, it is of great importance also for the European Parliament as one of the main EU institutions. Although gender equality is a core value for the European Parliament, there is a severe female under—representation among MEPs, which is also emphasised in the other bodies of the EU. A lesser amount of support for gender-specific actions and absence of gender indicators have often been the result of gender budgeting. Therefore, gender mainstreaming is of great importance and an improved inter-institutional cooperation between the Parliament, Council and the Commission is necessary in order to introduce gender mainstreaming in all phases of the EU. I believe that effective gender mainstreaming measures facilitate a greater understanding and will improve the situation, both within the EU institutions and the Member States.

2016/11/22

. – The employment rate of women across the EU is 12% lower than that of men. It is of great importance to address the gender employment gap. Different policies, not to mention those related to taxation, have to be evaluated from a gender perspective in order to amend them to endorse a reasonable distribution of assets, opportunities, etc. However, implicit tax biases are still current within the EU because of their interaction with socioeconomic realities. The absence of a gender perspective within the EU and within national taxation policies underline the gender gaps, including employment, income, pension, etc. Some Member States have dualised income tax systems using a higher marginal tax rate on the second earner. The unreasonably high taxation on the second earner is one of the obstacles to women’s participation in the labour market. The unequal distribution of capital incomes in a shared household has gotten worse due to dualised income tax systems. In order to maintain the core values of the EU, I voted in favour of this report.

2016/11/22

In the last couple of years, we have witnessed many world leaders and governments walking the path of protectionism by imposing trade restrictions, severing trade deals and hindering the possibility of free trade. These measures neither help to bridge the gaps between nations nor help to improve the living standards of citizens in European countries by increasing trade and growth; rather, they have the opposite effect. The EU needs increased trade and more international cooperation, not the opposite. Therefore, I strongly welcome the EU-Japan Partnership Agreement. This agreement will help Europe to facilitate more trade with the world’s second biggest economy, allow us build closer relations to Japan and bring substantial economic development to both parties.

2016/11/22

. ‒ The acquisition of digital skills goes hand in hand with a lifelong learning approach. It is necessary not only to transform educational and training systems at all levels to meet the demands but also to provide opportunities to upskill and reskill across all age groups.The digital transformation not only requires education in digital skills but also has the potential to transform teaching methods. EU-level action is needed to tackle this challenge. In order for this transformation to be successful, teachers need to be properly assisted and trained. The potential is not being fully tapped, as teachers themselves need to be educated. The report stresses that opportunities for re-skilling and upskilling are essential, with relevant digital skills components mainstreamed into workplace training programmes, and special training solutions for people working in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).For these reasons, I voted in favour of this report.

2016/11/22

. ‒ Since its establishment, Cedefop has played an important role in supporting the development of a common vocational education and training policy. At the same time, the concept and significance of vocational training has evolved under the influence of changing labour markets, increasing labour mobility and the Union’s commitment to sustainability and technological developments, particularly in the digital area, which add to the challenge of better matching competencies and qualifications with a constantly evolving demand.The tripartite nature of Cedefop, Eurofound and EU-OSHA represents a comprehensive approach based on the social dialogue between the social partners and Union and national authorities, which is extremely valuable for finding joint and sustainable solutions. I supported this report since Cedefop supports vocational training and labour mobility, as key pillars of the European Union single market.

2016/11/22

. ‒ The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) was established by the Council to contribute to improvement of the working environment, as regards the protection of the safety and health of workers, through action designed to increase and disseminate knowledge and research-based policy proposals likely to assist this improvement. Its main aim should be to provide information that is specialised and that makes a substantive contribution in its area of expertise. The Agency is important for improving workers’ safety and health standards, which is why I supported this report.

2016/11/22

. ‒ The free movement of persons across internal borders, stemming from the incorporation of the Schengen acquis into the EU legal framework, is one of the main achievements of the EU. The report highlights that all the necessary conditions for the full application of the Schengen acquis were met by Bulgaria and Romania in 2011. Nevertheless, in the seven years since, the Council has failed to take a decision on the full application of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania despite the repeated calls to this end by both the Commission and Parliament.The report calls on the Council to present a new draft decision on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in Bulgaria and Romania, on the basis of its draft decision of 29 September 2010, as soon as possible and, by means of a single legal act, to take an immediate decision for the abolition of checks at internal land, sea and air borders. I supported the report since I believe that the countries fulfilled their requirements on the full application of the Schengen acquis years ago, and deserve to be part of the Union without further internal borders.

2016/11/22

. ‒ Europe should be a continent where the spirit of free trade and openness is highly valued. Protectionism and trade restrictions do not go well with my liberal values. It is important to support the workers that lost their jobs. However, the solution to this problem has to be more intricate than this. The ideas in this report contradict the formula that once made Europe so successful. Free trade and an openness towards the markets go hand in hand, they are not mutually exclusive. This is why I decided to abstain from this vote.

2016/11/22

I welcome the progress made by Serbia and its continued engagement on the path of integration into the EU. I call for this strategic decision to be actively promoted among the Serbian public. However, much still needs to be done in the dialogue with Kosovo and assuring good and friendly relations with neighbouring countries. Any attempts to undermine the Srebrenica genocide are dangerous, counterproductive, and unacceptable, which we also stress in this report. So are all ideas of switching territories. Ethnically homogenous states should not be the objective in the region. Economic cooperation and improving life standards should remain a priority.Serbia should also be more aligned with the EU’s foreign and security policy, including on Russia, and within the United Nations. The report includes important facts on the situation in Serbia, which is why I have supported this report.

2016/11/22

I voted in favour of this report since it draws an accurate picture of the implementation of the Association Agreement with Georgia. Whilst calling on the Georgian authorities to address some remaining concerns in line with the AA – notably as regards labour standards, environmental protection and discrimination against vulnerable groups and women – the report also welcomes the legislative and institutional steps taken in order to address those topics. The positive results with regard to fighting corruption, welcomes the development of trade and the improvement of labour rights and notes with satisfaction the improvements in Georgia as reflected in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index.However, it remains a concern that Georgia failed to adopt new legislation to improve the public’s access to information and also the increasing pressure being exerted by Turkey on Turkish residents in Georgia, as well as on educational institutions.

2016/11/22

I voted in favour of the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Moldova since it reiterates clearly the most important challenges the country is facing.Some developments, such as the reform of the banking sector and public administration, deserve praise. On the other hand., the grave issues with corruption, deteriorating rule of law, the deliberate violation of the political conditions relating to democratic standards in Moldova and a further shrinking of the space for the country’s civil society are worrisome developments which need to be addressed and the country needs to urgently work on.The rule of law and democratic institutions need to be strengthened and democratic backsliding needs to be stopped.

2016/11/22

It is important that migration to the EU is conducted in an ordinary and safe way. The lack of a formal and common European migration policy as regards humanitarian refugees causes chaos in the migration system and leaves already vulnerable people more exposed. This is why I voted yes to this proposition on establishing a formal approach towards humanitarian visas. This will bring more order and safety to both the Member States involved and the refugees, and enable a safer and more organised way of dealing with humanitarian visas.

2016/11/22

The European Union Solidarity Fund aims to enable the Union to respond in a rapid, efficient and flexible manner to emergencies in order to show solidarity with the populations of regions struck by natural disasters. On 14 November 2017, Latvia submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, following a long-lasting period of intense rainfall during summer and autumn 2017, leading to the saturation of soil and subsequent flooding. I therefore voted for the provision of the funds to Latvia in response to the natural disasters, acting on the basis of European solidarity.

2016/11/22

I voted in favour of the Agreement between the European Union and Antigua and Barbuda amending the Agreement between the European Community and Antigua and Barbuda on the short-stay visa waiver. The amended regulation was approved in the committee responsible and represents an improved version of the previous agreement by adhering to the new definition of short-stay provided by the Schengen Borders Code amendment, which gives a clearer interpretation of ʻshort-stayʼ. The amended definition was necessary, which is why I supported the report.

2016/11/22

The role of employee financial participation (EFP) in creating jobs and reactivating the unemployed highlights that despite the increases in interest in Member States, 68% of the firms in the EU do not provide any type of EFP scheme. Without asking for new legislative instruments at EU level, this report aims to stimulate the development of EFP in Europe by suggesting a number of measures which could be taken at Union level to facilitate EFP, such as the need for awareness—raising campaigns, platforms for exchanges of best practices, citizens’ financial education, more transparency and information, more incentives and a reflection on transnational obstacles. I agree with this idea and have therefore supported this report.

2016/11/22

. ‒ I supported the long-standing idea for the establishment of an efficient and independent European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in order to reduce the current fragmentation of national law enforcement efforts to protect the EU budget, thus strengthening the fight against fraud in the European Union. It recalls that according to a recent study on the VAT gap in the EU28 Member States, an overwhelming EUR 159.5 billion in value added tax (VAT) revenues was lost across the EU in 2014. I hope that this Office will be a great contribution to the protecting the EU budget.

2016/11/22

. ‒ I voted in favour of this report because the current VAT systems has been in place for several decades and created a complex transitional VAT system susceptible to intra-Union cross-border VAT fraud. Those transitional rules suffer from numerous shortcomings, which result in the VAT system being neither fully efficient nor compatible with the requirements of a true single market. The creation of a single EU VAT area is crucial for decreasing compliance costs for businesses, reducing the risks of cross-border VAT fraud and for simplifying VAT-related procedures. What matters a lot is that the Commission should present simplified administrative procedures for SMEs to obtain the status of certified taxable person to not create additional administrative burden on them. This is a positive and much needed change, which I strongly support.

2016/11/22

I voted for this resolution because the EU Canada Air Transport Agreement is ground-breaking in the aviation world: it provides for unprecedented levels of liberalisation in terms of traffic rights as well as foreign investment in airlines.Thanks to the agreement, all EU airlines will be able to operate direct flights to Canada from anywhere in Europe. The agreement removes all restrictions on routes, prices, or the number of weekly flights between Canada and the EU. Airlines will be free to enter into commercial arrangements such as code-share agreements, which are important for airlines serving a large number of destinations, and to establish their tariffs in line with competition law.The EU and Canada are key partners for a more liberal world order, especially since the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is now being provisionally applied. The EU Canada Air Transport Agreement will only reinforce this already very strong relationship.

2016/11/22

As the rapporteur for the legislative file in IMCO, I totally support the request made by the Italian Government to include the Italian municipality of Campione d’Italia and the Italian waters of Lake Lugano in the EU customs territory. This should take effect as soon as possible, as their exclusion from the EU customs territory is no longer justified.Such a change will require many technical adjustments, such as the vote that this report is based on: the exclusion of the two territories from the territorial application of Directive 2006/112/EC (VAT Directive) on the common system of value added tax should be continued, so as to ensure a level playing field between economic actors in Campione d’Italia and Switzerland. Those two territories will therefore pay a local indirect tax in line with the Swiss value added tax (VAT) system.

2016/11/22

Jag har stolt röstat nej till dagens text om audiovisuella medietjänster. Anledningen till det är enkel: punkten om ungdomars moral kommer säkert att ha förödande konsekvenser i olika länder. Hur ska man konkret skydda ungdomars moral? Det är upp till medlemsstaterna att bestämma. Med tanke på hur sexuella minoriteter behandlas i vissa medlemsländer redan i dag är det inte särskilt svårt att se hur direktivet skulle kunna bli ett vapen i händerna på nationella, populistiska rörelser, där homo-, trans- och xenofobi härjar öppet.Jag är naturligtvis för att man ska skydda ungdomars moral, men det jag är helt emot är att vi öppnar för moralism och sanktionerar den homofobi som många konservativa regeringar står för i dag. Det är helt oacceptabelt. Tänk dessutom lite grann vad som skulle hända om någon sverigedemokrat skulle bli Sveriges kulturminister någon gång i framtiden. Vad skulle den personen göra med en sådan punkt? Censurera såklart – allt som inte skulle gå partiet till mötes. En sådan värld vill jag inte leva i. Därför röstade jag nej.

2016/11/22

The Eurojust-Albania Cooperation agreement follows the model of similar agreements concluded by Eurojust in the past to foster cooperation as regards combating serious crime, especially organised crime and terrorism. This agreement can foster the fight against such crime and is in the interest of Albania and EU Member States as organised crime is a transnational problem.In addition, Albania has been an EU candidate country since 2014, which is why I support all efforts to improve the rule of law and fight against organised crime in Albania.Consequently, given the above, I endorse the draft Council implementing decision as regards the draft Agreement on Cooperation between Eurojust and the Republic of Albania.

2016/11/22

I decided to support this report since Kosovo by now has been the only country in the western Balkans that still needs visas to travel abroad. The other Western Balkan countries have enjoyed visa free travel since 2010 already. The Kosovo government has fulfilled all the necessary conditions, including the finalisation of the border demarcation with Montenegro. Now it is up to the EU to deliver on the agreement and grant their citizens the deserved visa- free travel. By this report, I expect that another milestone on Kosovo´s EU path will be set.

2016/11/22

Hungary, the country of the 1956 revolution, has been hijacked by an undemocratic and illiberal leadership based on authoritarian principles. In recent years, we have seen an immense crackdown on the media, liberal NGOs and the constitution of Hungary. All to the tune of xenophobic and outright racist hate speech. This is why I had to vote yes to the draft report on Hungary to trigger article 7(1) of the Treaty on the European Union. The European Union is a peace project built on liberal values that stresses inclusiveness and democracy. The behaviour of Mr Orbán and his cabinet is simply not suitable and in coherence with the overall ambition of the European Union.

2016/11/22

. ‒ The future of the European Union are the young people. Amidst growing tensions in the EU between Member States, Euroscepticism and unemployment, it is important to invest in the young people that constitute the future of this Union. This is why I voted yes for the on the report on the European Solidarity Corps. The proposal strengthens solidarity between young people across the Union, including people with disabilities. The new proposal widens and increases the solidarity aspects of the old one, and introduces more emphasis on voluntary services. This is also why I supported this report.

2016/11/22

. ‒ The report draws on the fact that more than 20 European languages are in danger of digital language extinction, and the increasing digitalisation of European society is leading to disparities in access to information, particularly for the low-skilled, the elderly, people on low incomes and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.In order to keep the linguistic variety of the 24 official and 60 regional languages in the EU, in addition to migrant languages, the EU needs to act on enhancing, promoting and upholding linguistic diversity in Europe. The deepening digital divide between widely used and less-used languages should be addressed, and making content available in different languages would reduce inequality. I decided to support this report to improve the institutional framework for language technology policies and research policies at EU level so as to promote language diversity further and to reduce the inequality brought about by digitalisation.

2016/11/22

I want to support the families of workers who lost their jobs, but I don’t believe this is the right way to do it. There are several reasons for that. I support openness and free trade, and I believe that the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund is a move towards more protectionism in EU. European politicians should not decide in specific cases. Instead, what we need is a firm strategy in place and focus on creating jobs and economic growth to tackle these issues. I am also afraid that this proposal risks spreading itself to other cases, and feeding the nationalism and populism that is on the rise. This is why I abstain from this vote.

2016/11/22

With a turnover of EUR 97.3 billion in 2014, 500 000 people directly employed and 1.2 million indirect jobs, the European defence industry is a major industrial sector. And I believe those numbers will even more increase in the future, since there is a strong demand from citizens for the European Union to be a ‘security provider’, since we are currently seeing worsening of the security situation in many regions.This demand has unfortunately not been completely met by Member States, who have consistently decreased their defence budget, especially on research and innovation. And when they do invest in those areas, they don’t even cooperate with each other.That’s why I voted for creating a Defense Fund. It is indeed crucial that Member States better cooperate in order to create a genuine and integrated defence market by injecting funds for both private and public undertakings so that they develop new, innovative defence products that will benefit the whole Union.

2016/11/22

I support workers who lost their jobs, I share the pain of both workers and their families. However, I did abstain from voting since it is my conviction that free trade offers the best prospects for prosperity as well as wealth for all. In my view the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund is a clear indication of protectionism. I firmly believe that politicians in the EU and its Member States should not decide in specific cases such as Microsoft Mobile Oy. I believe that we need a more ambitious industrial strategy aimed at creating jobs and economic growth and a strategy that is able to provide needed help when necessary. This is why I abstained to vote on this report.

2016/11/22

The previous EU-Iceland agreement on liberalising agricultural trade entered into force in 2007. Since then, the progressive liberalisation has triggered that, in 2015, EU exports of agricultural products were worth EUR 290 million while the value of imports reached EU 44 million. This decision now between the EU and Iceland will allow 90% of agricultural exports from the EU to enter Iceland duty-free. As a net exporter of basic agricultural products to Iceland, the EU will benefit from increased quotas, in particular for cheese, beef, pig meat and poultry whereas Iceland will gain additional access for its dairy exports.Therefore, I sincerely support this consent in order to conclude this Agreement.

2016/11/22

Jag stöder de slutsatser som man kommit fram till i detta betänkande om hur franchising fungerar inom detaljhandeln. Jag tror att detta område behöver förbättras. För att illustrera behovet med ett exempel kan man notera att USA har bara 60 procent av EU:s befolkning och en lägre BNP, men franchisingens omsättning i USA är mer än dubbelt så stor som i EU.Detta betänkande pekar på behovet att förbättra möjligheterna för franchising, sänka de komplicerade regleringsbarriärerna, balansera förhållandet mellan franchisetagare och franchisegivare och hindra orättvis praxis på franchisemarknaden. Min övertygelse är att medlemsstaterna och kommissionen måste agera så snabbt som möjligt i enlighet med slutsatserna i betänkandet.

2016/11/22

Jag röstade för detta betänkande eftersom, såsom betänkandet poängterar, "det finns 28 olika uppsättningar av rättsregler om tullrättsliga överträdelser och sanktioner för sådana överträdelser, vilket får till följd att en viss överträdelse av unionens tullagstiftning inte behandlas på samma sätt i hela unionen och att de sanktioner som kan komma att tillgripas i ett visst fall skiljer sig åt från en medlemsstat till en annan i fråga om art och stränghet". Dessa skillnader påverkar negativt handelsflödena inom EU och ger upphov till osäkerhet för företagare. Det finns därför anledning att bidra till att tillnärma de nationella rättssystem vad gäller tullrättsliga överträdelser och sanktioner, vilket jag stödjer.

2016/11/22

Jag röstade för detta betänkande eftersom det möjliggör för EU-medborgarna att titta på sina favoritfilmer och lyssna på sina favoritsånger under semestern, jobbresan eller vid utbytesstudier i ett annat EU-land. Idag hindras ofta dessa att få tillgång till innehållstjänster online, som till exempel filmer, TV-serier, musik, spel osv. när de inte befinner sig i sina hemländer. Med dessa nya regler har EU kommit en bra bit på vägen mot att fullborda den digitala inre marknaden, trots att vi behöver göra mycket mer för att den digitala inre marknaden ska få maximala effekter. EU har också levererat något som EU-medborgarna länge har efterfrågat. Därför stödjer jag detta betänkande till fullo.

2016/11/22

Jag röstade för denna resolution för att den starkt fördömer de förfärliga brotten mot homosexuella män i Tjetjenien. Enligt RFSL, som varit i kontakt med ryska HBTQ-organisationer, finns det ögonvittnesskildringar som beskriver hur människor brutalt mördas, får elektrochocker, torteras och hur männen stängs in i betongskjul. Detta sker till och med på uppmaning av åtskilliga politiska företrädare, med Tjetjeniens president Ramzan Kadyrov i spetsen. EU måste stå upp för HBTQ-rättigheter i Tjetjenien och kraftigt uppmana Rysslands och Tjetjeniens ledare att genast stoppa dessa fruktansvärda attacker mot HBTQ-personer samt börja respektera dessa människors fundamentala rättigheter.

2016/11/22

Min övertygelse är att välstånd skapas genom öppenhet och fri handel. Därför är jag principiellt emot den europeiska globaliseringsfonden, som för mig är ett uttryck för protektionism. Den Europeiska revisionsrätten har till och med styrkt att globaliseringsfonden används ineffektivt.Dock har jag valt att avstå från att rösta med tanke på att bidragen, i akuta tider, kan bidra till att bemöta människors känsla av maktlöshet och det utanförskap som följer i krisens spår, som riskerar att ytterligare förstärka den våg av nationalism och populism som sprider sig i EU.

2016/11/22

Jag stödjer denna resolution eftersom Ungerns premiärminister Viktor Orbán på ett uppenbart sätt åsidosätter de värden som anges i artikel 2 i EU-fördraget, såsom respekt för människans värdighet, frihet, demokrati, jämlikhet, rättsstaten och respekt för de mänskliga rättigheterna, inklusive rättigheter för personer som tillhör minoriteter. Vi kan aldrig acceptera att situationen för de mänskliga rättigheterna så kraftigt försämras inom EU.Dessutom har Herr Orbán till och med tagit oacceptabelt hårda tag mot akademiska institutioner, bl.a. genom en ny lag som nu gör att framtiden för ett av Ungerns mest kända universitet, Centraleuropeiska universitetet i Budapest är hotad. Detta förfärliga agerande kan inte godtas av ett annat EU-land.Jag stödjer därför att resolutionen påkallar att artikel 7 i EU-fördraget ska åberopas för att reda ut om en ”tydlig risk för att ett allvarligt brott mot EU:s värderingar” har ägt rum. Jag uppmanar Europaparlamentets utskott för medborgerliga fri- och rättigheter (LIBE) att börja utarbeta en resolution i den meningen så snabbt som möjligt.

2016/11/22

I voted in favour of the final adaptation of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina SAA after Croatia’s accession. I do hope that this will now mean a swifter EU integration path for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The adaptation of the SAA was necessary after the neighbouring country joined and meant dealing with the changes Croatia’s membership has brought. I believe that the next step is candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina and dedicated work to remain on the EU integration reform agenda.

2016/11/22

I do not support this motion aimed at objecting the authorisation of the genetically modified maize Bt11 × 59122 × MIR604 ×1507× GA21. I do not believe that systematically opposing GMO authorisations on mainly procedural grounds is the right way of forcing the Commission to change the EU level authorisation regime. I totally disagree with the political strategy chosen by the objectors to block all future approvals of GMOs. In addition, let me conclude by expressing my absolute trust in our safety system in the EU and the European Agency’s scientific assessments.

2016/11/22

I do support this Report on Civil Law Rules on Robotics as a whole with a positive view. However, I would like to mention my strong disagreement with the Amendment tabled to Recital k regarding the need to tax the work performed by robots. I cannot support this since it will necessarily slow down the development of robotics systems and consequently the involvement of the new entrepreneurs developing these new technologies. I therefore [voted] no to the whole resolution.

2016/11/22

I support the visa-free travel regime for Georgian citizens, allowing them to travel freely in the European Union for 90 days, both for tourism and for business activities. This decision is historic, and it sends as well a strong signal to all the countries wanting to get closer to the European Union that reforms do bring tangible results.Georgia is a trustworthy strategic partner for the EU in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and in particular of the Eastern Partnership. It has since 2014 signed an Association Agreement with the EU, which has brought the EU-Georgia relations to a unprecedented level of cooperation and dialogue. I am therefore in favour of lifting the visa requirements for Georgian citizens.

2016/11/22

62 Written explanations of Jasenko SELIMOVIC

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