Activities of Louis MICHEL related to 2014/2254(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)

– having regard to the Commission Communication on an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 (COM(2011)0173) and the European Council Conclusions of 24 June 2011,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 c (new)

– having regard to the Commission Communication entitled ‘Steps forward in implementing national Roma integration strategies’ (COM(2013)0454),

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 d (new)

– having regard to the Council recommendation of 9 December 2014 on effective Roma integration measures in the Member States1, __________________ 1 OJ C 278, 14.12.2013, p. 1.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 e (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 12 December 2013 on the progress made in the implementation of the National Roma Integration Strategies (2013/2924(RSP)),

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 4 February 2014 on the EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 b (new)

– having regard to the guidelines to promote and protect the enjoyment of all human rights by LGBTI persons adopted by the Council on 24 June 2013,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 c (new)

– having regard to its resolutions on gender equality;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 d (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 14 September 2011 on an EU Homelessness Strategy,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 f (new)

– having regard to Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast),

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 g (new)

– having regard to Directive 2004/113/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)

– having regard to Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA (‘Victims’ Rights Directive’),

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 b (new)

– having regard to Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 c (new)

– having regard to the US Senate report on CIA detention and interrogation programmes,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15

– having regard to Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data2; having regard to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (‘General Data Protection Regulation’); having regard to the proposal for a directive on Personal data protection: the processing of such data for the purposes of prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or execution of criminal penalties, and free movement of data, __________________ 2 OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16

– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents3; having regard to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, __________________ 3 OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to promote a strategy and action plan to combat all forms of violence against women and homophobia, improving prevention and providing protection and assistance to victims, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people, such as children, the elderly and victims of multiple discrimination; 1and the Member States to bear in mind the risk of dual discrimination to which women and children belonging to groups already considered to be vulnerable are exposed, such as the disabled, the homeless, LGBT people, migrants and the elderly; Or. fr 2014/2217(INI)

2015/04/09
Committee: FEMM

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)

– having regard to the hearing of Dimitris Avramopoulos before the European Parliament on 30 September 2014,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Roundly condemns all psychological and physical violence, including sexual violence, perpetrated against women; calls on the EU and Member States to ensure that the victims receive assistance and protection;

2015/04/09
Committee: FEMM

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 12 March 2014 on the US NSA surveillance programme, surveillance bodies in various Member States and their impact on EU citizens’ fundamental rights and on transatlantic cooperation in Justice and Home Affairs,

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Points out that over half of all postgraduates are women; considers that until there is equal representation of men and women in decision-making posts, positive discrimination measures should be taken in this respect; invites the Member States to take all necessary measures to promote the appointment of women to high-level posts;

2015/04/09
Committee: FEMM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Points out that the pay difference between men and women constitutes unacceptable discrimination and runs counter to the EU Treaties (Article 157 TFUE); deplores the fact that, in the EU, women still receive 16% less than men, on average, for the same work; urges the Member States to ensure that the principle of equal pay for equal work is applied in all segments of the labour market;

2015/04/09
Committee: FEMM

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas, under Article 2 TEU, the EU is founded on respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights, values which are shared by all the Member States and which must be upheld by the EU, and by each individual Member State, in everything they do; and whereas, under Article 17 TEU, the Commission must ensure application of the Treaties;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Points out that too many women continue to fall prey to sexual harassment at the workplace, in every segment of the labour market; calls on the Member States to implement awareness-raising campaigns in this regard targeting both the private sector and the civil service; calls on the Member States also to combat impunity in this field;

2015/04/09
Committee: FEMM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Expresses serious concern at continuing genital mutilation practices, which are a serious form of violence against women and girls and constitute an unacceptable violation of their right to physical integrity; urges the EU and the Member States to exercise extreme vigilance with regard to such practices within their borders and to put a stop to them as swiftly as possible; calls in particular on the Member States to adopt a firm and dissuasive approach by systematically and effectively prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators of genital mutilation, for which there must be zero tolerance;

2015/04/09
Committee: FEMM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Welcomes the fact that EU legislation in the field of asylum views victims of genital mutilation as vulnerable persons and includes genital mutilation among the criteria for the granting of asylum; calls on Member States to train people working with migrants to screen for women and girls liable to be subjected to genital mutilation in their country of origin;

2015/04/09
Committee: FEMM

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the Commission, which is the guardian of the Treaties, has failed on a number of occasions to denounce promptly, and in a proportionate manner, violations of the principles of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights within Member States despite the existing instruments and mechanisms which could have been brought into play, thus demonstrating the current failings of the EU institutions as regards compliance with their binding obligations concerning democracy, the rule of law and human rights as laid down in Article 2 TEU; whereas, in addition, a graduated corrective mechanism needs to be introduced so as bridge the gap between political dialogue and the 'nuclear option' of Article 7 TEU and to address the 'Copenhagen dilemma' within the current Treaties;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas the financial crisis and its impact on the economy and budgets in Europe have led the EU to act to boost budgetary and economic coherence by adopting new instruments so that Member States abide to a greater extent by their obligations laid down in the Treaties, and whereas political impetus is needed so as to ensure a similar level of compliance and approach with regard to the rule of law and fundamental rights in the EU;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas compliance with the Copenhagen Criteria is an essential pre- condition for EU accession; stressing the importance to uphold these standards imposed on candidate countries within the EU; illustrating the need for a binding mechanism laying down the rules for the monitoring and enforcement of fundamental rights, rule of law and democracy after accession, to safeguard the EU Treaties all Member States have signed up to;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the EU is undergoing a period of economic and financial crisis~~, and whereas the response of the EU and the Member States has seriously compromised~~ which is affecting the wellbeing of citizens and might sap their fundamental rights;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas~~, following recent terrorist attacks on EU territory, fundamental rights are at risk of being seriously compromised in the name of a supposed need for tighter security~~ some anti-terrorism policies are likely to compromise fundamental rights in the EU;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas revision of the EU Treaties is necessary in order to strengthen the protection of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas, because there are no clear and common benchmarks, challenging the situation as regards the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights within a Member State is itself continually called into question, in the light of political and institutional considerations, and whereas in collusion with EU institutions, because there are no binding procedures, in too many instances there is permanent inertia and the Treaties and European values are not observed;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas it is essential that the promotion of fundamental rights by the EU as part of its external action be paralleled by a robust and systematic internal policy of monitoring fundamental-rights compliance within the EU itself;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

Gb. whereas the Member States are not immune from the evil practice of genital mutilation, to which a reported 500 000 individuals have fallen victim in the EU, with a further 180 000 at risk;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)

Gc. whereas in Europe, according to the WHO, at least 850 children under 15 die from maltreatment each year;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)

Gd. whereas about one thousand asylum applications a year directly relate to genital mutilation;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)

Ge. whereas, according to an FRA survey about discrimination and hate crime against LGBTI persons, in addition to the discrimination and violence of which they had been victims, almost half of all the LGBTI respondents 'believed that offensive language about LGBT people by politicians was widespread in their country of residence'; ;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G f (new)

Gf. whereas LGBTI people are victims of institutional discrimination either because civil unions are prohibited or because there are laws prohibiting assertion of sexual preference;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G g (new)

Gg. whereas the right to respect for private and family life and protection of personal data are enshrined in the Charter and are therefore an integral component of primary EU law;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G h (new)

Gh. whereas women still face many forms of discrimination in the EU and are often victims of violence and abuse, especially of a sexual nature;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G i (new)

Gi. having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention);

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G j (new)

Gj. whereas people with a disability face many different forms of discrimination which prevent them from exercising their fundamental rights to the full;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G k (new)

Gk. whereas secularism and neutrality offer the most effective guarantees that the religious communities which form part of any given state do not suffer discrimination;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G l (new)

Gl. whereas the right to asylum is guaranteed under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees (Geneva Convention) and the protocol of 31 January 1967;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G m (new)

Gm. whereas new technologies can adversely affect fundamental rights, in particular the right to privacy and the right to protection of personal data which are guaranteed under Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G n (new)

Gn. whereas freedom of the press and civil society groups such as NGOs is central to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights; whereas this freedom has been jeopardised by the adoption of laws or by direct intervention by the authorities in a number of Member States;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Recital G o (new)

Go. whereas the Charter of Fundamental Rights states that the elderly have the right ‘to lead a life of dignity and independence and to participate in social and cultural life’;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Frédérique RIES, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that it is essential tohat the EU and the Member States guarantee that the common European values listed in Article 2 TEU are upheld in full ~~in both European and national legislation~~;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Frédérique RIES, Morten PETERSEN, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Petr JEŽEK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – introductory part

4. Urges the Commission to ensure that any such internal strategy is accompanied by a~~n action plan,~~ series of legislative proposals, in the context of the Treaties currently in for~~der to supplement and strengthen the~~ce, with a view to adopting a European Democratic Governance Pact in an effort to: (a) establish a scoreboard for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights so that each Member Strate~~gic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy already applied in EU external relations; notes that the strategy should:~~ is assessed periodically. – With that aim in view, the Commission should set up a group of experts with a remit to establish the indicators by which democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights will be measured. These indicators should reflect the Copenhagen political criteria governing accession and the values and rights laid down in Article 2 of the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. – The indicators should be drawn up on the basis of existing standards, such as those developed by the UN and the Council of Europe, and the contributions of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, existing international bodies and civil society organisations operating in the area of human rights and fundamental freedoms should be taken into account.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Frédérique RIES, Morten PETERSEN, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Petr JEŽEK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. b) expand the remit and structure of the Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). The founding regulation of the FRA should be amended to expand the Agency’s remit and power so that it can monitor the common indicators concerning the rule of law and fundamental rights and the additional human and financial resources it needs to carry out its new tasks, and do all this without detracting from its independence and impartiality, which are two of the Agency’s fundamental principles. – A rule of law and fundamental rights evaluation committee should be set up within the Agency (FRA Evaluation Committee) to analyse and evaluate the results of the regular monitoring of the indicators. – The FRA Evaluation Committee should publish an annual monitoring report containing a detailed evaluation of each Member State’s performance on the basis of the various indicators. – The Evaluation Committee could then recommend, on the basis of this annual report, that the Commission issue a formal warning if one or more indicators show that a Member State, or even several Member States, are violating the rule of law or fundamental rights.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Frédérique RIES, Morten PETERSEN, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Petr JEŽEK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. c) establish a European Semester for democratic governance, the rule of law and fundamental rights: a binding EU mechanism; – Following publication of the scoreboard and the FRA Evaluation Committee’s annual report, the Commission, acting on its own initiative or on a recommendation from the FRA Evaluation Committee, may issue a formal warning to a Member State which has committed one or more violations of the rule of law or fundamental rights (in the light of the evaluation carried out on the basis of the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Scoreboard); – A Member State which has been issued with a formal warning should have the opportunity, by a set deadline, to submit its observations on the concerns raised by the Commission; – After issuing its formal warning the Commission should carry out an in-depth analysis on the basis of the indicators, emphasising its concerns and taking account of any observations submitted by the Member state concerned; – In the context of a dialogue on the rule of law and fundamental rights, the Parliament’s committee responsible should invite the ministers of the Member State which has received a formal warning and the Commissioner responsible for an exchange of views on the concerns raised by the Commission and any observations submitted by the Member State. The Commission’s formal warning should also be specifically taken into account in Parliament’s annual report on the situation of fundamental rights in the EU. – The national parliament of the Member State which has received a formal warning may invite the Commission to a debate on the concerns it has raised and the specific indicators which have revealed a violation of the rule of law or fundamental rights. A formal warning issued by the Commission to a Member State should also be automatically included on the agenda for the next Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, so that the Member States can exchange views and a possible Council conclusion can be drafted; – After concluding the in-depth evaluation which follows the issuing of a formal warning to a Member State, the Commission should decide – by a set deadline – if the concerns it raised have been properly addressed by the Member State concerned by making observations or taking corrective measures at national level; – If the Commission concludes that the concerns raised in its formal warning have not been addressed by the Member State concerned, it should issue a formal recommendation on the rule of law and fundamental rights in which it outlines corrective measures which must be taken by the Member State by a set deadline; – The formal recommendation issued by the Commission should be included on the agenda for the next part-session and the next Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting - and may be challenged by a qualified majority vote (reverse qualified majority). Any challenge to a formal recommendation shall be without prejudice to the activation of the mechanism provided for in Article 7 TEU; – If the Member State concerned has not taken corrective measures the Commission should launch infringement proceedings (if applicable) or activate the mechanism provided for in Article 7 TEU.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Gérard DEPREZ, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Frédérique RIES, Morten PETERSEN, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Petr JEŽEK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Calls on EU Institutions to consider EU Treaty change in order to allow for the Democratic Governance Pact (DGP) to be fully functioning, in particular by; (a) Expanding the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union by creating a new specific procedure to enforce the rule of law principle of Article 2 TEU in a Member State by means of an infringement procedure brought by the Commission or another Member State before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU); (b) Revising Article 7 of the EU Treaty, adding an 'application of Article 2 of the EU Treaty' stage, separating the 'risk' stage from the 'violation' stage, with different thresholds for the majorities provided for, a strengthening of technical and objective (not only political) analysis, enhanced dialogue with the Member States' institutions and a wider range of detailed and predictable penalties which are applicable throughout the procedure (Michel, 2013); (c) Including a reference to the FRA in the Treaties, including a legal base making it possible to amend the Agency's founding regulation not by unanimity, as is currently the case, but via the ordinary legislative procedure; (d) Creating a possibility for national Parliament to refer a draft national law to the CJEU for an opinion on its compliance with the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights;

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Calls for the setting-up – if possible by means of an interinstitutional agreement – of a ‘Copenhagen Committee’ made up of independent experts in the field of fundamental rights, some of whom should be appointed by Parliament, whose task would be to ensure that all the Member States uphold the common values laid down in Article 2 TEU and observe the ‘Copenhagen criteria’ at all times, and to issue recommendations and draw up reports on issues relating to fundamental rights until such time as the FRA regulation is modified, when the Agency should have greater powers to monitor each Member State’s performance in the area of fundamental rights, as Parliament has repeatedly urged.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)

4e. Calls on the Commission to interpret the Charter of Fundamental Rights broadly so that it can, also on the basis of Article 2 TEU, initiate procedures to impose penalties if a Member State violates fundamental rights.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 f (new)

4f. Asks each EU institution to check carefully and systematically that legislative texts being drawn up are consistent with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, including during the negotiation and trilogue phases.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Notes the Commission's Communication on a new EU Framework to strengthen the rule of law; considers, however, that the proposed mechanism will not act as a sufficient deterrent when it comes to preventing and resolving fundamental rights violations in Member States; criticises the fact that the Commission has presented this framework in the form of a Communication, a text which is not binding and which does not specify when the Commission must activate the mechanism.

2015/05/18
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Deplores recent instances of discrimination and anti-Semitic and anti- Islamic ~~discrimination~~violence and the general climate of fear and vintolerance generated within society; calls on Member States to protect freedom of ~~religion or~~ thought, conscience, religion, belief or non-belief and to promote tolerance;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Sophia IN 'T VELD, Louis MICHEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Strongly condemns attacks against places of worship and urges Member States not to allow such offences to go unpunished;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Expresses its concerns over the application of blasphemy and religious insult laws in the European Union, which can have a serious chilling effect on freedom of expression; urges the Member States to abolish such laws;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Filiz HYUSMENOVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Recalls the importance of a neutral secular state in preventing discrimination against any religious, atheist or agnostic communities and guaranteeing equal treatment of all religions and beliefs; calls on the Member States to combat intolerance, fanaticism and religious extremism, particularly by promoting intercultural dialogue;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)

7c. Is alarmed at the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe and the increasingly widespread efforts to deny or downplay the Holocaust; is deeply concerned that many members of the Jewish Community are planning to leave Europe because of the worsening climate of anti-Semitism and discrimination and violence against them;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)

7d. Expresses deep concern at about the growth of anti-Islamic manifestations, attacks on mosques and the widespread tendency to associate the Islam with the religious fanaticism of a tiny minority; deplores discrimination and violence against the Muslim community; calls on the Member States to condemn such acts systematically and apply zero tolerance in this connection;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 e (new)

7e. Recalls that any antiterrorist initiatives by the Member States must comply with the principles of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, especially the right to legal defence presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, the right to respect for privacy and protection of personal data; expresses its concern about secret hearings and judgments and the special media censorship powers granted to governments;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 f (new)

7f. Urges the Member States not to tolerate torture or any other inhuman and degrading forms of treatment on their territory; calls on the Commission and the Member States to undertake proactive surveillance to ensure that no such practices occur within the Union;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 g (new)

7g. Calls on the Commission to examine Member State antiterrorist legislation in the light of Article 2 TEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 h (new)

7h. Welcomes the declaration of support for this priority measure by Commissioner Avramopoulos during his hearing before the European Parliament on 14 September 2014;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 i (new)

7i. Calls on the Member States to evaluate publicly any national drafts or proposals for antiterrorist regulatory and legislative instruments in terms of their compliance with Article 2 TEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 j (new)

7j. Welcomes the report by the US Senate on the CIA detention and interrogation programmes;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 k (new)

7k. Strongly condemns the mass surveillance activities discovered to have been taking place since 2013 and deplores their continued existence; calls for clarification of these activities and in particular the current involvement of a number of Member States; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take full account of the requirements and recommendations of Parliament as set out in its resolution of 12 March 2014 on the protection of European citizens with regard to the processing of personal data, in particular concerning 'safe harbour' principles and the future framework agreement with the US;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 l (new)

7l. Calls once more on the Member States to ensure that the activities of their intelligence services are consistent with fundamental rights and subject to parliamentary and judicial scrutiny;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 m (new)

7m. Considers it essential for the EU to develop state-of-the-art expertise in the field of cybersecurity so as to ensure closer compliance in cyberspace with Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 n (new)

7n. Calls on the Member States to make rapid progress on the data protection package so as to ensure a high level of data protection across the EU;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 o (new)

7o. Is concerned that citizens are not fully aware of their rights to data protection and privacy and of the channels of legal redress available to them; underlines in this respect the role of the national data protection authorities in upholding these rights and raising awareness of them;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 p (new)

7p. Considers it essential to familiarise the public, in particular children, with the importance of personal data protection in cyberspace and the dangers to which they are exposed; calls on the Member States to launch awareness-raising campaigns in schools;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 q (new)

7q. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to show the utmost vigilance as regards the impact which certain new technologies, for example drones, might have on citizens’ fundamental rights and more especially the right to privacy and the protection of personal data;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 r (new)

7r. Reiterates its call to the EU and its Member States to adopt a whistle-blower protection system for persons revealing serious violations of fundamental rights by intelligence services;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Deplores the fact that even today people belonging to minorities are still victims of discrimination and some of their fundamental rights are violated; points out that the Union is a community founded on the rule of law in which fundamental rights must be guaranteed to all;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Sophia IN 'T VELD, Gérard DEPREZ, Filiz HYUSMENOVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Deplores the acts of discrimination, not to say brutality, perpetrated by police forces in some Member States against minority groups such as migrants, Roma, LGBTI people, or people with a disability; urges Member States to investigate and punish such actions; believes that police forces should be made more aware of, and trained to deal with, the discrimination and violence inflicted on these minorities; calls on the Member States to restore the confidence that minorities should have in the police and to encourage them to report abuses; calls also on the authorities in the Member States to combat the discriminatory ethnic profiling carried out by some police forces;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Strongly deplores the ~~stalling of negotiations with the Council on the~~fact that the Council has still not adopted the 2008 proposal for an anti-discrimination directive and ~~restates its appeal to~~again urges the Council to adopt the proposal ~~as soon as possible~~by the end of this year;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Expresses its disquiet at the intolerance towards Roma and at the numerous acts of discrimination, segregation, and stigmatisation, and the violence, to which they are subjected; is concerned at the fact that progress is varying from one Member State to another, and calls on the Commission to provide for monitoring and better coordination in the implementation of action plans and national strategies; urges the Member States to involve representatives of the Roma community and civil society more closely in their national strategy or action plans;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Urges the EU and the Member States to ban a~~ny form of~~ll discrimination ~~for reasons of~~on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to combat and prosecute all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to allow for the risk of twofold discrimination posed to women and girls belonging to groups already considered to be vulnerable, such as people with a disability, the homeless, LGBTI people, migrants, and the elderly;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Roundly condemns all forms of psychological and physical violence, including sexual violence, against women and girls; calls on the EU and Member States to ensure that victims are helped and protected;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)

10c. Points out that more than half of all postgraduates are women; considers that for as long as women are not equally represented in senior decision-making positions, positive discrimination measures should be implemented; calls on the Member States to take every step required to help women move into high- level posts;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)

10d. Notes that the gender pay gap constitutes unacceptable discrimination contrary to our Treaties (Article 157 TFEU); deplores the fact that in the EU – when both do equal work – women’s income is still, on average, 16% lower than men’s income; urges the Member States to ensure that the principle of equal pay for equal work is observed in all segments of the labour market;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)

10e. Points out that too many women are continuing to fall prey to sexual harassment at the workplace and that no segment of the labour market is immune to this phenomenon; calls on the Member States to implement awareness-raising campaigns aimed both at the private sector and at civil services; also calls on the Member States to combat impunity in this area;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 f (new)

10f. Expresses profound concern at continuing genital mutilation practices, which are a serious form of violence against women and girls and constitute an unacceptable violation of their right to protection from physical injury; urges the EU and the Member States to exercise the utmost vigilance regarding such practices within their borders and to put a stop to them as swiftly as possible; calls in particular on the Member States to adopt a firm and dissuasive approach by systematically and effectively prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators of genital mutilation; considers that zero tolerance must be applied;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 g (new)

10g. Welcomes the fact that EU legislation on asylum treats victims of genital mutilation as vulnerable persons and includes genital mutilation among the criteria to be taken into account when asylum is sought; calls on Member States to train people working with migrants to screen for women and girls likely to be subjected to genital mutilation in their home country;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 h (new)

10h. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ratify the Istanbul Convention to combat violence against women and girls, as a systematic fundamental rights violation, including marital rape, domestic violence, sexual exploitation and harmful traditional practices, such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM) and honour crimes, while ensuring support and protection for victims; and calls on the Commission to establish 2016 as the year to combat violence against women and girls;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 i (new)

10i. Expresses concern at the low female employment rates compared with the male rates; points out that in 2013, 63% of women were in employment, compared with 75% of men; considers that women’s financial independence is one element to tackle in order to combat poverty; calls on the Member States to encourage women to enter the labour market, not least by setting up childcare systems and care arrangements for the elderly;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 j (new)

10j. Calls on Member States to actively combat the impunity with which rape, sexual assault, conjugal violence and harassment are still, in too many cases, committed;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 k (new)

10k. Calls on the Commission to step up monitoring of compliance with the principle of gender equality in European legislation; calls on Member States to undertake a similar analysis of their national legislation;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 l (new)

10l. Recalls that the child’s best interests as referred to in Article 24 of the Charter must always be a prime consideration in any policy and measure adopted in relation to children;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 m (new)

10m. Expresses its concern about the increase in the number of cases of international abduction by parents; stresses, in this context, the importance of the role of the European Parliament Mediator for International Parental Child Abduction; calls on Member States to cooperate fully with one another in such cases, particularly in the interests of the child;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 n (new)

10n. Strongly condemns the sexual exploitation of children, particularly the growing phenomenon of child pornography on the Internet; urges the Union and Member States to unite in their efforts to combat these serious infringements of children’s rights and to take due account of the recommendations made by Parliament in its Resolution of 11 March 2015 on Child Sexual Abuse Online; reiterates its call for those Member States which have not yet done so to transpose the directive on combating the sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of children and child pornography; calls, furthermore, on the Union and those Member States which have not yet done so to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 o (new)

10o. Strongly condemns the violence and ill-treatment inflicted on children within the Union; calls on Member States to make child protection a priority; stresses the role of professionals who concern themselves with children, such as teachers, youth workers and paediatricians, when it comes to detecting signs of mistreatment of children; calls on Member States to ensure that such professionals have their awareness raised, and receive training, to this end; calls furthermore on Member States to establish hotlines where children can report any act of mistreatment, sexual violence, intimidation or harassment against them;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 p (new)

10p. Recalls that the right to education is provided for in the Charter and that education is essential, not only for a child’s welfare and personal development but also for the future of society; considers the education of children from low-income families to be an essential precondition for enabling children to escape from poverty; calls on Member States, therefore, to promote high-quality education for all; recalls, likewise, the importance of national child protection services for the identification and monitoring of abused children, and calls on Member States not to reduce funding of these services;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 q (new)

10q. Expresses its concern that the economic situation may result in a rise in the number of children who are induced to work, in many cases to the detriment of their schooling; recalls that child labour is prohibited, particularly under the Charter, and calls on the Commission and Member States to give greater consideration to this issue, to collect data and to combat this phenomenon;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 r (new)

10r. Recalls the importance of making children aware of their rights, so that they can stand up for their own rights; calls on Member States to encourage such awareness-raising as part of compulsory schooling;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Nathalie GRIESBECK, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 s (new)

10s. Welcomes the trend towards defining forced marriage as a criminal offence in the Member States; calls on Member States to be vigilant and to provide training for and raise the awareness of staff who come into contact with children, such as teachers or youth workers, to equip them to identify children who are at risk of being abducted to their country of origin in order to be forcibly married;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 t (new)

10t. Recognises that Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) are fundamental rights and an essential element of human dignity, gender equality and self-determination; urges the European Commission to include SRHR, as basic human rights, in its next EU Health Strategy to ensure coherence between EU's internal and external fundamental rights policy as called upon by the Parliament on 10 March 2015;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 u (new)

10u. Recognises that the denial of a life- saving abortion amounts to a serious breach of fundamental rights;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 v (new)

10v. Calls on the Member States, in liaison with the Commission, to recognise the right to access safe and modern contraceptives and sexuality education in schools; and urges the Commission to complement national policies to improve public health, while keeping the European Parliament fully informed;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Condemns all forms of discrimination and violence on EU territory against lesbian, gay, transsexual, bisexual and intersex people (LGBTI), as fostered by laws and policies that restrict the fundamental rights of these persons; recalls on the ~~Commission and~~need for Member States to adopt specific laws and policies to combat homophobia and transphobia and promote the fundamental rights of LGBTI people; calls once again on the Commission to submit as soon as possible a European LGBTI strategy along similar lines to the Lunacek report on the EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Calls on Member States to be vigilant and firm and to impose penalties on public office-holders who insult or stigmatise LGBTI people in a public forum;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11b. Considers that the authorities of the Member States should facilitate procedures enabling people who have changed sex to have their new gender recognised in official documents; reiterates its condemnation of any legal recognition procedure which imposes sterilisation on transgender people;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)

11c. Reiterates its call on the Commission to submit a proposal for an ambitious regulation to ensure mutual recognition of civil status documents and their legal effects;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Deplores the discrimination and exclusion that persons with a disability still face today; recalls that the Union and its Member States are parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to implement this Convention, to implement the European Disability Strategy and to monitor and apply the relevant European legislation;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls on the Commission to assess the compatibility of European legislation with the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to evaluate any future proposal in the light of that Convention by means of its impact assessments;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Recalls that people with disabilities must be able to exercise their fundamental rights and rights vested in them by virtue of their citizenship of the European Union on the same footing as all other European citizens;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)

12c. Deplores the fact that people with disabilities still encounter obstacles to their access to the market in goods and services within the Union; considers that these obstacles are of a nature to limit their participation in society and constitute a breach of the rights which they derive, in particular, from their European citizenship; calls on the Commission to make rapid progress with the work on accessibility in the European Union so that a legislative act can be adopted without delay;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)

12d. Regrets the fact that a large number of people with disabilities who have been deprived of their legal capacity are likewise stripped of the right to vote; recalls that the right to vote is among the attributes derived from European citizenship; calls therefore on Member States not to systematically withdraw the right to vote from people with disabilities who have been deprived of their legal capacity but rather to perform case-by- case analyses and to provide assistance to people with disabilities during voting procedures;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 e (new)

12e. Deplores the numerous difficulties facing people with disabilities as regards access to housing, education, justice, the labour market, services (particularly health care), public transport, culture and leisure activities; calls on Member States to pursue ambitious policies in this regard in order to improve the integration of people with disabilities into the very heart of society;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 f (new)

12f. Recalls that integration of people with disabilities figures in the Charter of Fundamental Rights; calls on Member States to promote the autonomy of people with disabilities and their participation in the community;

2015/05/12
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Expresses its concerns regarding investigations and convictions in connection with hate crimes in the Member States; calls on the EU to make the fight against hate crimes a priority when drawing up European policies against discrimination and in the field of justice; calls for a review of the framework decision on racism and xenophobia with a view to including hate crimes, anti- Semitic and Islamophobic acts, acts of religious intolerance, hostility to Roma, homophobia, transphobia and gender identity;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Is deeply concerned at the growing trivialisation of racist and xenophobic acts and speech owing to the ever greater visibility in the public sphere of racist and xenophobic groups, some of which have acquired or are seeking the status of political parties;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Forcefully condemns the intimidation and persecution of minorities, particularly Roma and migrants, by paramilitary groups, some of which are directly linked to a political party; urges the Member States to outlaw and punish such practices;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

13c. Is concerned that many victims of hate crime fail to report it because of a lack of confidence in the law enforcement authorities and/or because they do not believe that justice will be done; encourages the Member States to boost public confidence in the police force and judicial system by routinely prosecuting and punishing hate crimes; to that end, calls on the Member States to simplify procedures relating to hate crimes and to step up training and awareness-raising for police forces;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)

13d. Takes the view that the trend towards ghetto mentalities, intolerance and hate speech represent a dangerous threat to the cohesion of our European society; urges the Member States to defend tolerance and fundamental rights, and considers that this should be done first and foremost via education; encourages the Member States’ authorities to train teachers to detect and react to signs of intolerance and discrimination in schools;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)

13e. Is disturbed at the growing presence of hate speech on the internet; encourages the Member States to detect and punish such speech, and calls on Member States to put in place a simple procedure enabling members of the public to report the presence of hate content on the internet;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 a (new)

Homeless people

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)

13f. Stresses that homeless people are vulnerable people and reiterates its call on the Member States to refrain from stigmatising them as criminals; calls on the Member States to abolish any law or policy which presents them as such;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 g (new)

13g. Calls on the Member States to devise national strategies seeking to combat the phenomenon of homelessness in their territories; stresses that the right to housing assistance for the poorest in society appears in the Charter of Fundamental Rights;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 h (new)

13h. Expresses its concern at the number of people who have lost their homes as a result of the economic crisis; takes the view that homeless people must be kept integrated within society, and that their isolation and marginalisation needs to be combated; to that end, calls on the Member States to adopt ambitious policies to help such people;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 i (new)

13i. Reminds the Member States of their obligations towards refugees, particularly under the Geneva Convention and the non-refoulement principle;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)

13f. Urges the EU to extend the mandate of Frontex so as to authorise it to carry out sea rescue operations;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)

13d. Welcomes the establishment by the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, of the Task-Force for the Mediterranean following the Lampedusa tragedy of 3 October 2013, but thinks that more ought to be done particularly in terms of legal access routes to the European Union for people in need of protection; to that end, encourages the Commission and the Member States to make progress on the matter of humanitarian visas;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 h (new)

13h. Stresses that building walls or barriers at borders cannot be an answer to migratory pressure, and is concerned that people in need of protection may be unable to find refuge as a result of these walls and barriers;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 j (new)

13j. Notes that collective expulsions are prohibited under Article 19 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – indent 3 a (new)

- establish a new centralised EU asylum system that would allocate refugees between member states, based on a quota system taking both quantitative (GDP and population of the member state) and qualitative (language, cultural ties, family ties of the refugee) data into account;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – indent 3 b (new)

- mandatory participation by all Member States in resettlement programmes;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Louis MICHEL, Gérard DEPREZ, Cecilia WIKSTRÖM, Angelika MLINAR, Filiz HYUSMENOVA, Sophia IN 'T VELD

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls on the Member States to take into account the specific needs of certain categories of particularly vulnerable migrants, such as women, children, LGBTI people, disabled people and elderly people;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5

Solidarity in the crisis ~~– austerity~~

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Deplores the way in which the financial and economic crisis and the measures taken to deal with it have ~~had an impact – in some cases a drastic one –~~, in some cases, had an impact on economic, social and cultural rights, resulting in poverty, exclusion and isolation;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Calls on the EU institutions, when adopting and implementing ~~austerity measure~~budget cuts, to guarantee that sufficient resources are still made available to ensure the satisfaction of minimum essential levels of economic and social rights;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. DPoints out that the fundamental rights of prisoners must be guaranteed by the national authorities; deplores the poor conditions in the prisons of numerous Member States, including prison overcrowding and the ill-treatment of prisoners; regards it as essential that the EU should adopt an instrument which guarantees that the recommendations of the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment (CPT) and the judgments of the ECtHR are implemented;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Considers that the reintegration of prisoners who have served their sentence has to be a priority in the Member States’ legal systems; calls on the Member States, therefore, to adopt strategies to promote the training and employment of persons serving terms of imprisonment; calls on the Commission to start an initiative with a view to providing the necessary support to Member States;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 a (new)

Citizenship

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)

22c. Points out that the right of access to documents of EU institutions, bodies, and agencies is guaranteed by the Charter and that institutional transparency has to be a feature underlying all democracy; deplores the deadlock in the revision of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and renews its call on the Commission and Council to resume work, taking Parliament’s proposals as the starting point;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)

22d. Points out that informing citizens about their fundamental rights is part and parcel of the right to good governance as set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights; calls on the Member States to pay particular attention to the most needy, to ensure that their rights are explained to them, and to support them, to ensure that those rights are respected;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 e (new)

22e. Applauds the European Ombudsman for her determination to ensure good administration and transparency within EU institutions and bodies;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 f (new)

22f. Area of justice

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 g (new)

22g. Points out that the right of access which every person has to an impartial independent court is recognised by the Charter and central to the rule of law; expresses disquiet at the continuing corruption within the EU, which could jeopardise the enjoyment of that right; calls on the Member States to fight corruption and guarantee the independence of their judiciary;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 h (new)

22h. Also expresses its concern at the fact that the quality of legal advice and assistance is tending to decline and at the effect of this deterioration on the right of access to justice for those who are most needy;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 i (new)

22i. Welcomes the steps already taken at European level to harmonise Member States’ criminal procedures and their benefits for citizens as regards access to justice;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 j (new)

22j. Considers that the protection of victims has to be a priority and calls for victims’ rights to be harmonised at European level; welcomes the fact that a regulation on mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters was adopted in 2013; notes that the directive on victims’ rights has to be transposed by 16 November 2015; calls on the Member States to take every step required without delay in order to meet that deadline;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 k (new)

22k. Considers it vital to make European citizens aware both of the values underlying our society, as set out in Article 2 TEU, and of the fundamental rights which they enjoy, as laid down in the Charter;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 l (new)

22l. Recalls that freedom of expression, information and the media are fundamental with a view to ensuring democracy and the rule of law, and reiterates its call for the Commission to review and amend the audiovisual media services directive along the lines indicated by Parliament in its report on the subject; strongly condemns violence, pressure or threats against journalists and the media, including in relation to the disclosure of their sources and information about breaches of fundamental rights by governments and states; calls on the Union institutions and the Member States to respect, guarantee, protect and promote the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information, and hence to refrain from exerting or developing mechanisms to impede those freedoms;

2015/05/19
Committee: LIBE