Report - A6-0147/2007Report
A6-0147/2007
European Parliament

RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING on the Council common position for adopting a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing for the period 2007-2013 a specific programme to prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk (Daphne III programme) as part of the General programme "Fundamental Rights and Justice"

18.4.2007 - (16367/1/2006 – C6‑0089/2007 – 2005/0037A(COD)) - ***II

Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
Rapporteur: Lissy Gröner

Procedure : 2005/0037A(COD)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
A6-0147/2007
Texts tabled :
A6-0147/2007
Debates :
Votes :
Texts adopted :

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the Council common position for adopting a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing for the period 2007-2013 a specific programme to prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk (Daphne III programme) as part of the General programme "Fundamental Rights and Justice"

(16367/1/2006 – C6‑0089/2007 – 2005/0037A(COD))

(Codecision procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Council common position (16367/1/2006 – C6‑0089/2007),

–   having regard to its position at first reading[1] on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2005)0122)[2] and on the amended proposal (COM(2006)0230)[3],

–   having regard to Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty,

–   having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (A6‑0147/2007),

1.  Approves the common position;

2.  Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the common position;

3.  Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council pursuant to Article 254(1) of the EC Treaty;

4.  Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to have it published in the Official Journal of the European Union;

5.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The DAPHNE programme is a specific programme to prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk, which has successfully operated since its establishment on 24 January 2000[1]. On 21 April 2004 it entered its second phase[2], and this decision is to establish a third phase of the programme.

On 13 April 2005, the Commission submitted to the Parliament and the Council a Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing for the period 2007-2013 the specific programme "Fight against violence (Daphne) and drugs prevention and information" as part of the General programme "Fundamental Rights and Justice", on the basis of Article 152 of the EC Treaty[3]. Combining both drugs prevention and information and the fight against violence in a single programme gave rise to objections, and requests to treat those matters separately were made in letters to Vice-President Frattini by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality and by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on 23 September 2005, by the rapporteur on 18 October 2005, as well as in the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on 19 January 2006[4].

The Commission submitted its amended proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing for the period 2007-2013 the specific programme "Fight against violence (Daphne)" as part of the General programme "Fundamental Rights and Justice" on 30 May 2006[5].

The Parliament delivered its opinion at first reading on 5 September 2006, adopting 53 amendments to the Commission proposal[6].

From the end of September 2006 to mid-November 2006, a number of informal meetings between the Rapporteur and shadow Rapporteurs, the Presidency in office and the representatives of the Commission took place. The Council common position was agreed on the basis of informal tripartite negotiations, and the draft text was submitted to the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality on 20 November 2006. In its letter of 23 November 2006, the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality stated that if the text, subject to legal-linguistic verification, were adopted as the Council's common position, the committee would recommend that the Parliament approve the text without amendment.

On 1 December 2006, the Council expressed its political agreement on a draft common position. In accordance with Article 251 of the Treaty, the Council unanimously adopted its common position on 5 March 2007[7].

In its Common Position, the Council accepted 32 of the Parliaments amendments:7 amendments in full, 17 in principle or in part, and a compromise was reached on 8 amendments. The Council did not accept 21 of the Parliament's amendments. Other changes made by the Council were agreed upon in the informal tripartite negotiations.

As part of the compromise it was agreed that a joint statement would be made by Parliament and the Council inviting the Commission to consider the possibility of an initiative for a European Year to combat violence against children, young people and women[8].

In adopting its common position, the Council acknowledged the success of the DAPHNE programme — and gave its unanimous support to the continuation of the programme for a third phase, from 2007 until the end of 2013. The Council has accepted the main objectives both in the European Parliament's amendments and the Commission proposal. The budget increase to EUR 116 850 000,- (as compared to EUR 50 000 000,- for a five year period for Daphne II and 20 000 000,- for a four year period of Daphne I) reflects the recognition of the importance and the achievements of the programme.

In the process of the negotiations with the Council and the Commission on the common position, Parliament succeeded in defending a number of its amendments aiming at improving of the transparency of the programme, reducing the bureaucracy, and thus alleviating access to the programme for NGOs, and providing services to assist them in the preparation of the project proposals. Among other things, the Parliament has ensured that the highly successful helpdesk service will continue, and that a think-tank providing expert advice is to be set up. On the issue of the European Year to combat violence, the compromise of making a separate joint statement was achieved.

The negotiated compromise agreement enjoys the support of the Rapporteur and shadow Rapporteurs, and therefore the Rapporteur proposes the adoption of the Council common position without amendment.

PROCEDURE

Title

Specific programme: Fight against violence (Daphne) (2007-2013)

References

16367/1/2006 - C6-0089/2007 - 2005/0037A(COD)

Date of Parliament’s first reading – P number

5.9.2006                     T6-0333/2006

Commission proposal

COM(2006)0230 -

Date receipt of common position announced in plenary

15.3.2007

Committee responsible

       Date announced in plenary

FEMM

15.3.2007

Not delivering opinions

       Date of decision

BUDG

6.3.2006

 

 

 

Rapporteur(s)

       Date appointed

Lissy Gröner

20.3.2007

 

 

Date adopted

12.4.2007

 

 

 

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

16

0

1

Members present for the final vote

Katerina Batzeli, Hiltrud Breyer, Věra Flasarová, Nicole Fontaine, Lissy Gröner, Esther Herranz García, Lívia Járóka, Piia-Noora Kauppi, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Urszula Krupa, Pia Elda Locatelli, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Christa Prets, Eva-Britt Svensson, Anna Záborská

Substitute(s) present for the final vote

Gabriela Creţu, Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg
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