Asiakirjat aiheen mukaan
SWIFT: Parliament to vote on interim accord
Next Thursday in Strasbourg MEPs will have the final say on the provisional nine-month agreement signed by EU government ministers on the transfer of bank data to the United States for counter-terrorism purposes. A rejection by MEPs would render the agreement legally void. Parliament will be exercising for the first time a new power conferred upon it by the Lisbon Treaty.
Read more : SWIFT: Parliament to vote on interim accord ….SWIFT: Civil Liberties Committee recommends rejecting the agreement
Parliament should withhold its consent to the EU's interim agreement on banking data transfers to the USA via the SWIFT network, the Civil Liberties Committee recommended today. The deal will be put to a plenary vote in Strasbourg on Thursday 11 February. Withholding Parliament's consent would render the agreement legally void - in effect, a rejection.
Read more : SWIFT: Civil Liberties Committee recommends rejecting the agreement ….Gender equality: new mentality needed for a better society
A new mentality and public intervention are required, not only to change the very serious situation of women, but to improve society, said MEP Ms Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL, PT), at a public hearing on "Towards a new EU strategy for gender equality" held by the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee on Thursday.
Read more : Gender equality: new mentality needed for a better society ….Body scanners : MEPs not yet convinced, await impact analysis
Joined-up information sharing is the first step towards preventing terrorists from boarding planes, reiterated Civil Liberties Committee MEPs in a debate with EU Counter-terrorism Co-ordinator Gilles de Kerkhove on Wednesday. The European Commission is to publish an impact evaluation on body scanners in the coming weeks, as requested by Parliament in October 2008. Aviation security measures, including body scanners, were also debated in the Transport Committee on Wednesday.
Read more : Body scanners : MEPs not yet convinced, await impact analysis ….SWIFT interim agreement: Civil liberties Committee to vote on 4 February
Just as Civil Liberties Committee MEPs were getting set to vote on the EU-USA interim agreement on personal bank data transfers via the SWIFT network, the European Commission announced that a second report on SWIFT, by former counter-terrorism judge Jean-Louis Bruguière, would be published on the same day - 4 February. MEPs criticized the timing, and disputed the Commission's claim that there would be a "security gap" if the agreement were rejected.
Read more : SWIFT interim agreement: Civil liberties Committee to vote on 4 February ….Gender equality means more than an end to violence
Combating violence against women is necessary, but not sufficient, to achieve gender equality, says an own-initiative report on EU gender equality in 2009, adopted by the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee on Monday. Paternity leave also needs to be tackled EU-wide, and linked to maternity leave so as to protect women better in the labour market, it adds.
Read more : Gender equality means more than an end to violence ….After his visit to Haiti last week, Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Karel De Gucht briefed MEPs on rescue and reconstruction efforts after the recent earthquake. MEPs quizzed him about the EU's visibility on the ground, the medium and long-term challenges of the reconstruction process and the possibility of establishing an EU rapid reaction capacity.
Read more : Commissioner De Gucht briefs MEPs on Haiti ….SWIFT: European Parliament to vote on interim agreement at February session
The European Parliament will have the last word on the interim agreement on banking data transfers to the United States, signed on 30 November. Parliament will receive the text on Monday 25 January, and the Civil Liberties Committee will discuss it the next day. EP President Jerzy Buzek said on Thursday he would ask the Council to delay the agreement's entry into force from 1 February until after the EP has taken its plenary vote on it, at its February session.
Read more : SWIFT: European Parliament to vote on interim agreement at February session ….Human rights: China, Philippines and attacks on religious minorities
Three human rights resolutions - on recent attacks on religious minorities in Egypt and in Malaysia, on the case of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo and human rights violations in China more generally, and on the situation in the Philippines - were approved by Parliament on Thursday.
Read more : Human rights: China, Philippines and attacks on religious minorities ….Nikiforos Diamandouros jatkaa Euroopan oikeusasiamiehenä
Euroopan parlamentti valitsi kreikkalaisen Nikiforos Diamandouroksen jatkokaudelle Euroopan oikeusasiamieheksi vuoteen 2014 asti. Diamandouros on hoitanut tointa vuodesta 2003 alkaen. Hän sai parlamentin salaisessa äänestyksessä keskiviikkona 340 ääntä. Kaksi muuta ehdokasta olivat italialainen Vittorio Bottoli ja belgialainen Pierre-Yves Monette. Oikeusasiamiehen tehtävänä on tutkia kansalaisten kanteluita EU-toimielinten huonosta hallinnosta.
Lue lisää : Nikiforos Diamandouros jatkaa Euroopan oikeusasiamiehenä ….Two human rights resolutions - on anti-homosexual draft legislation in Uganda and freedom of expression in Azerbaijan - were approved by Parliament on Thursday. A debate and vote on the case of West Sahara human rights activist Aminatou Haidar were removed from the agenda.
Read more : Human Rights: Uganda and Azerbaijan ….Access to EU documents: urgent update of rules needed
The rules on public access to EU documents should be updated in the light of the Lisbon Treaty, say MEPs, who on Thursday criticised the European Commission for not modifying its latest draft legislation on the matter, following a request made by Parliament in March. MEPs had held back from taking their final vote on the legislation, pending the Commission's response.
Read more : Access to EU documents: urgent update of rules needed ….Krusifiksit Italian kouluissa: parlamentti lykkäsi äänestystä
Euroopan parlamentti päätti lykätä äänestystään päätöslauselmaesityksestä, joka koski Euroopan ihmisoikeustuomioistuimen äskettäistä päätöstä krusifiksien esillä pitämisestä Italian kouluissa. Täysistunto kävi asiasta kiivaan keskustelun tiistaina 15. joulukuuta, mutta päätti lykätä äänestystä, jotta asian käsittelyn hyväksyttävyys voidaan tarkistaa.
Lue lisää : Krusifiksit Italian kouluissa: parlamentti lykkäsi äänestystä ….Freezing of terrorists' bank accounts: MEPs want to have their say
Any future measures to freeze bank accounts of people linked to Al-Qaida must allow those individuals a right to defend themselves and must also be approved by the European Parliament, said MEPs in a resolution adopted on Wednesday. They also demanded to be consulted on any future "restrictive measures" against individuals who pose a threat to the rule of law in Zimbabwe and Somalia.
Read more : Freezing of terrorists' bank accounts: MEPs want to have their say ….Maternity leave directive: paid paternity leave creates controversy among MEPs
Maternity leave should be extended from 14 to 20 weeks, says MEP Edite Estrela (S&D, PT) in a report, debated by Womens' Rights Committee MEPs on Tuesday, on proposals to update the EU "maternity leave" directive. The idea of introducing paid paternity leave also gave rise to heated debate.
Read more : Maternity leave directive: paid paternity leave creates controversy among MEPs ….Human rights in China, including the case of Sakharov prize laureate Hu Jia, minority rights, the usefulness of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue and recommendations for future actions in EU-China relations were debated at a public hearing held the Human Rights Sub-Committee on Tuesday 1 December, the day after the EU-China summit in Nanjing.
Read more : Keep up the pressure on human rights in China ….Three candidates for the position of EU Ombudsman answered MEPs' questions at a hearing held by the Petitions committee on Monday, 30 November. MEPs focused on ways to improve EU institutions' transparency, co-operation between Parliament and the Ombudsman, and how to improve communication on the Ombudsman's work.
Read more : MEPs quiz candidates for EU Ombudsman position ….Human rights: China, Nicaragua and Laos, and Vietnam
Parliament on Thursday adopted three human rights resolutions: urging the Chinese government to adopt an immediate and unconditional moratorium on the death penalty, calling on President Ortega to respect the constitution of Nicaragua and urging the authorities in Laos and Vietnam to release all human rights defenders, political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
Read more : Human rights: China, Nicaragua and Laos, and Vietnam ….Naisiin kohdistuvan väkivallan torjumiseksi tarvitaan selkeää lainsäädäntöä
Seksuaalinen väkivalta tulisi tunnustaa rikokseksi kaikissa EU-jäsenmaissa ja lakia rikkoneita vastaan tulisi automaattisesti nostaa syyte, katsoo parlamentti torstaina hyväksytyssä päätöslauselmassa. Miesten väkivaltainen käytös naisia vastaan, riippumatta miehen iästä, koulutuksesta tai sosiaalisesta asemasta, on rakenteellinen ongelma EU:ssa. Naisiin kohdistuvan väkivallan uhreiksi joutuneiden määrä on parlamentin mielestä erittäin huolestuttava.
Lue lisää : Naisiin kohdistuvan väkivallan torjumiseksi tarvitaan selkeää lainsäädäntöä ….Tukholman ohjelma: EP haluaa enemmän oikeuksia kansalaisille
EU-maiden tulisi työskennellä enemmän yhdessä turvapaikanhakijoiden vastaanottamisessa ja syrjinnän vastaisessa taistelussa. Oikeussuojakeinoja tulisi vahvistaa ja vankien oikeuksia parantaa. Parlamentti esitti nämä muun muassa nämä vaatimukset päätöslauselmassa, joka koski oikeus- ja sisäasioiden ohjelmaa seuraaviksi viideksi vuodeksi.
Lue lisää : Tukholman ohjelma: EP haluaa enemmän oikeuksia kansalaisille ….Europol reforms: MEPs criticize Council and demand democratic scrutiny
On Tuesday Parliament rejected four proposals, on Europol's analysis work files, the confidentiality of its information, its exchange of personal data with partners and its agreements with third countries, arguing that Europol rules should not be amended until the EP becomes a co-legislator in this area.
Read more : Europol reforms: MEPs criticize Council and demand democratic scrutiny ….Parlamentti vaatii lisää näkyvyyttä Euroopan oikeusasiamiehen työlle
Parlamentti antoi torstaina 12. marraskuuta vuosittaisen arvionsa Euroopan oikeusasiamiehen edellisvuoden työstä. Täysistunnossa hyväksymässään mietinnössä parlamentti vaatii lisää näkyvyyttä oikeusasiamiehen työlle. Se nostaa esille EU:n toimielinten avoimuuden puutetta koskevien kantelujen suuren määrän.
Lue lisää : Parlamentti vaatii lisää näkyvyyttä Euroopan oikeusasiamiehen työlle ….Albania and Bosnia must catch up on reform to qualify for short-stay visa waiver
Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina must catch up on the reforms needed to qualify for a short-stay visa waiver like those of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, said MEPs on Thursday. The European Commission should report on the two countries' progress early in 2010, and also start a dialogue on visas with Kosovo, they added.
Read more : Albania and Bosnia must catch up on reform to qualify for short-stay visa waiver ….The UN Human Rights Council should drop its "political bias" on human rights in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories and take a more flexible and pragmatic approach to human rights worldwide, said Human Rights Sub-Committee MEPs at a public hearing on Tuesday. It is too soon to judge the HRC, replied its President Alex Van Meeuwen.
Read more : UN Human Rights Council "bias" disappoints MEPs ….Targeted EU policy needed to combat violence against women
A targeted EU policy plan is needed to combat violence against women, said the Women's Rights Committee on Wednesday. Male violence against women is a structural and widespread problem, linked to unequal distribution of power between the sexes - it is not a question of age, education, income or social position, it stressed, adding that this violence also violates human rights to life, safety, dignity, physical and mental integrity and sexual and reproductive choice and health.
Read more : Targeted EU policy needed to combat violence against women ….Parental leave is only the first step towards work-life balance, say MEPs
Parental leave is the first step towards achieving a good "work-life balance" and should as such be supported by Parliament, Commission and Council, say MEPs from the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. Further measures are also needed to encourage men to equally share family responsibilities.
Read more : Parental leave is only the first step towards work-life balance, say MEPs ….Parliament adopted three urgent resolutions on the need for the EU to impose sanctions further to the violent repression of a demonstration in Guinea Conakry, the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, and access for humanitarian organisations to the 250,000 civilians displaced by the civil war and held in camps in Sri Lanka.
Read more : Human rights: Guinea Conakry, Iran and Sri Lanka ….Parliament is concerned at the further delays in modernising the Schengen Information System, a database that enables police forces across the EU to share data for law enforcement purposes. It includes missing persons, stolen goods and court proceedings.
Read more : Concern at delay in Schengen Information System II ….Tiedonvälityksen vapaus Italiassa ja muissa EU-maissa: tekstit hylättiin
Parlamentin äänestyksessä ei saatu enemmistöä yhdellekään yhdeksästä päätöslauselmaesityksestä, jotka koskivat tiedonvälityksen vapautta Italiassa ja muissa EU:n jäsenvaltioissa. Parlamentti keskusteli asiasta 8. lokakuuta Brysselissä.
Lue lisää : Tiedonvälityksen vapaus Italiassa ja muissa EU-maissa: tekstit hylättiin ….Three candidates will compete for the post of European Ombudsman
The Petitions committee declared admissible three of the six applications received for the post of European Ombudsman, in an extraordinary meeting held on Monday, 19 October, in Strasbourg. The candidates running for this position are Nikiforos Diamandouros (Greek), Vittorio Bottoli (Italian) and Pierre-Yves Monette (Belgian). All of them will outline their priorities in a hearing in the Petitions committee on 30 November.
Read more : Three candidates will compete for the post of European Ombudsman ….Albania and Bosnia must catch up on reform for visa waiver, say MEPs
Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina must catch up on the reforms needed to qualify for a short-stay visa waiver like those of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, said Civil Liberties Committee MEPs on Monday. The European Commission should report on the two countries' progress early in 2010, and also start a dialogue on visas with Kosovo, they added.
Read more : Albania and Bosnia must catch up on reform for visa waiver, say MEPs ….Citizens' rights: MEPs shape the Stockholm programme
A five-year blueprint for laws to consolidate EU citizens' rights and improve their access to justice, protection and solidarity was debated by MEPs and their national counterparts on Thursday.
Read more : Citizens' rights: MEPs shape the Stockholm programme ….Keskustelussa tiedonvapaudesta Italiassa EPP-, ECR- ja EFD-ryhmien edustajat varoittivat Euroopan unionin käyttämisestä kansallisten poliittisten asioiden selvittelyn foorumina. Sen sijaan S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA ja GUE kehottivat Euroopan komissiota laatimaan Euroopan laajuista lainsäädäntöä mediapluralismista.
Lue lisää : Keskustelu tiedonvapaudesta Italiassa ….Cross-border criminal cases: Parliament demands more rights for defendants
People charged in cross-border criminal cases must have the right to appeal, to have some say in where they are tried and to use translation services, Parliament said today. MEPs voted to add these rights to a Council proposal aimed at ensuring that people are not tried twice for the same crime in two different Member States.
Read more : Cross-border criminal cases: Parliament demands more rights for defendants ….Asylum package: MEPs deplore lack of progress in Council
Solidarity among EU Member States should be enhanced by compulsory instruments to assist Member States receiving large numbers of asylum applications, MEPs reiterated in a debate today, deploring the reluctance of the Council of Ministers to introduce a binding mechanism.
Read more : Asylum package: MEPs deplore lack of progress in Council ….EU PNR talks on hold in Council until Lisbon Treaty is ratified
Parliament's pressure and the prospect of the Lisbon Treaty's entry into force appear to have led the Council of Ministers to suspend discussion on a European Passenger Name Record (PNR) scheme until Members receive co-decision powers on this issue. On Tuesday EP Rapporteur Sophie In't Veld (ALDE, NL) welcomed the decision to put on hold a European scheme for providing airline passengers' personal data to anti-terrorist units.
Read more : EU PNR talks on hold in Council until Lisbon Treaty is ratified ….Sakharov Prize 2009: MEPs decide on shortlist of three
The three finalists for this year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which the European Parliament awards each year to democracy and human rights campaigners, are Palestinian gynaecologist Izzeldin Abuelaish, Eritrean writer and political prisoner Dawit Isaak and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Oleg Orlov and Sergei Kovalev on behalf of MEMORIAL and all other human rights defenders in Russia.
Read more : Sakharov Prize 2009: MEPs decide on shortlist of three ….Irish "Yes": a bigger role for Parliament in civil liberties
If the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, the European Parliament will play a bigger role in the protection of fundamental rights and any EU law will have to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights, stressed MEPs and other speakers at the EP Civil Liberties Committee on Monday.
Read more : Irish "Yes": a bigger role for Parliament in civil liberties ….The deteriorating human rights situation in Russia, especially the northern Caucasus, was the focus of a public hearing at the European Parliament on Wednesday involving MEPs and Russian activists. One issue discussed was how best to strike a balance between dialogue and pressure in relations with the Russian authorities.
Read more : Alarming human rights situation in Russia ….Financial crisis affects women differently than it does men
Women, especially migrant and/or poor women, have been harder hit by the financial crisis than men, MEPs heard on Wednesday. The worsening levels of poverty and violence suffered by women were highlighted by Osnat Lubrani, Director of UNIFEM Brussels Office in a discussion with the EP Committee of Women's Rights and Gender Equality.
Read more : Financial crisis affects women differently than it does men ….Cross-border criminal cases: more rights for the accused
People charged in cross-border criminal cases must have rights to appeal, make representations and get translation aid, said Civil Liberties Committee MEPs on Wednesday. They inserted these rights in a Council proposal to ensure that people cannot be tried twice for the same crime in two different Member States. The proposal goes to a plenary vote on Thursday next week.
Read more : Cross-border criminal cases: more rights for the accused ….Sakharov Prize 2009: names of ten candidates unveiled
The ten nominations for the 2009 Sakharov Prize, which the European Parliament awards each year to democracy and human rights campaigners, were officially presented at a meeting of MEPs on Wednesday. The winner will be chosen by Parliament's political group leaders on 22 October.
Read more : Sakharov Prize 2009: names of ten candidates unveiled ….MEPs want Russia to shed light on the murders of four human rights campaigners, Stanislav Markelov, Natalia Estemirova, Zarema Sadulayeva and Alik Dzhabrailov. They also call for the immediate release of Kazakh human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis and Syrian lawyer Muhannad Al-Hassani, in urgent resolutions adopted on Thursday in Strasbourg.
Read more : Human rights: Russia, Kazakhstan and Syria ….SWIFT: EU-USA-sopimus neuvotellaan uudelleen ensi vuonna
EU:n neuvosto on suostunut parlamentin painostuksesta neuvottelemaan ensi vuonna uudelleen EU:n ja Yhdysvaltojen välisen sopimuksen, joka koskee pankkitietojen siirtoa. Mikäli Lissabonin sopimus on tällöin voimassa, parlamentilla on viimeinen sana tämäntyyppisissä sopimuksissa. Tällä välin parlamentti hyväksyi päätöslauselman, jossa annetaan ohjeita sen takaamiseksi, ettei nykyisissä neuvotteluissa vaaranneta yksityisyyden suojaa.
Lue lisää : SWIFT: EU-USA-sopimus neuvotellaan uudelleen ensi vuonna ….Lithuanian law on child protection: MEPs say changes needed
Lithuania should reconsider recent changes in its child protection legislation to avoid any possibility of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, according to the European Parliament.
Read more : Lithuanian law on child protection: MEPs say changes needed ….SWIFT: European bank data transfers must comply with European standards
Members of the Civil Liberties Committee voiced concern on Thursday over the interim agreement under negotiation between the EU and the United States on data transfers via the SWIFT network. They criticised the Council's choice of legal base and demanded to be involved in the drafting of the agreement.
Read more : SWIFT: European bank data transfers must comply with European standards ….Parlamentti otti kantaa EU:n turvapaikkapakettiin
Euroopan parlamentti äänesti torstaina EU:n uusia turvapaikkasääntöjä koskevasta lakipaketista. Siinä käsitellään turvapaikanhakijoiden vastaanotto-olosuhteita, hakemusten käsittelyä ja sormenjälkirekisteriä. Lisäksi esillä oli ehdotus Euroopan turvapaikka-asioiden tukiviraston perustamisesta.
Lue lisää : Parlamentti otti kantaa EU:n turvapaikkapakettiin ….Union citizenship and freedom of movement: MEPs slam Member States
Since 2006 over eight million Europeans have exercised their right to reside in another EU Member State. However, the Member States have erected many obstacles to the free movement of the EU's citizens, according to the EP Civil Liberties Committee. The public still has little awareness of its rights, including the right to vote in local and European elections in the country where they live, say MEPs in two reports.
Read more : Union citizenship and freedom of movement: MEPs slam Member States ….Discrimination doesn't occur only in employment but also in access to goods and services such as banking, education, transport and health. A directive aiming to guarantee equal treatment in these areas was backed on Monday by the EP Civil Liberties Committee, which particularly highlighted the need to tackle multiple discrimination.
Read more : Combating multiple discrimination ….Biometric visas: children under twelve won't have to give fingerprints
Biometric visas, like biometric passports, should improve security provided the fingerprints they include are reliable. Children under twelve will be exempted from the requirement to provide fingerprints, as MEPs wished, following an agreement with the Council approved by the EP Civil Liberties Committee on Monday.
Read more : Biometric visas: children under twelve won't have to give fingerprints ….The assassinations of President Joao Bernardo Vieira and Army Chief of Staff General Tagme Na Waie in Guinea-Bissau, the on-going political violence in the Philippines and the expulsion of ten international NGOs by President Al-Bashir of Sudan were the subjects of three resolutions on democracy and human rights adopted by the EP at the end of this week's Strasbourg session.
Read more : Human rights: Guinea-Bissau, Philippines, Sudan ….50th anniversary of Tibetan uprising: EP urges China to negotiate
In a resolution adopted by MEPs on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, the Chinese Government is urged to resume talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives with a view to "positive, meaningful change in Tibet", not ruling out autonomy for the region, a solution that MEPs believe need not compromise China's territorial integrity.
Read more : 50th anniversary of Tibetan uprising: EP urges China to negotiate ….EP lykkäsi EU:n avoimuusasetuksen lopullista äänestystä
Euroopan parlamentti käsitteli komission ehdotusta EU:n avoimuusasetuksen uudistamiseksi täysistunnossaan tiistaina. Se äänesti asiaa koskevan mietinnön tarkistuksista keskiviikkona, mutta lykkäsi lopullista äänestystä myöhempään istuntoon. Mietinnössä kritisoidaan komission ehdotusta askeleeksi taaksepäin asiakirjajulkisuudessa.
Lue lisää : EP lykkäsi EU:n avoimuusasetuksen lopullista äänestystä ….Parliament considers the future of the European Common Asylum System
Legislative instruments relating to the first phase of the establishment of the common European asylum system have allowed the introduction of common minimum standards but not of equal conditions of access to protection throughout the EU, says the European Parliament. It claims the Dublin system results in "a disproportionate burden being imposed on some Member States, in particular on those representing the external EU border".
Read more : Parliament considers the future of the European Common Asylum System ….More in-depth discussion needed on new measures for border management
The European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report offering its opinion on a new block of measures envisaged by the Commission, which, although still in the policy development stage, is likely to "bring substantial changes in the way border management is conceived and can have a huge impact in terms of data protection", the House says. The resolution was adopted with 600 votes in favour, 46 against and 30 abstentions.
Read more : More in-depth discussion needed on new measures for border management ….Protecting citizens' rights on the internet
Governments, police, private companies and even criminals all want access to our personal data, and the internet stores endless details of our private lives that can be used - or abused. MEPs and experts debated the need to protect personal data at a Civil Liberties Committee hearing on 5 March.
Read more : Protecting citizens' rights on the internet ….European elections: an opportunity to promote gender equality
Equal representation of women in institutions goes hand-in-hand with democracy, and political parties must play a key role. This was the conclusion of a debate between European and national MPs held by the Women’s Rights Committee ahead of the European elections and on the eve of International Women’s Day. However, views differed on how to achieve parity.
Read more : European elections: an opportunity to promote gender equality …."We only want Iran to fulfil its international commitments", says Shirin Ebadi
Human rights campaigners in Iran have one clear demand of that country's government: that it should comply with the many international undertakings it has voluntarily signed up to, MEPs were told on Wednesday by Iranian human rights activist and former Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi.
Read more : "We only want Iran to fulfil its international commitments", says Shirin Ebadi ….Eurobarometer on women and EP elections: politics still a male dominated world
Most women want the next European Parliament to guarantee equal pay for equal work, promote day care facilities for children, include child-minding years as pensionable years and combat violence towards women, according to a Eurobarometer Flash survey presented in the EP on Wednesday on opinions and expectations of European elections. The poll shows significant variations among countries, but a common view is that European politics is a male-dominated world.
Read more : Eurobarometer on women and EP elections: politics still a male dominated world ….EP: myös EU:n jäsenmaat ovat vastuussa CIA:n vankien luovutuksista
Viimeisimmät tiedot vahvistavat, että EU:n jäsenmailla on ollut oma osuutensa CIA:n vankikuljetuksissa ja laittomissa vankien säilyttämisissä. Siksi myös EU:n jäsenmailla on moraalinen vastuu vankien pitämisestä Guantánamossa. Näin toteaa Euroopan parlamentti torstaina hyväksymässään päätöslauselmassa.
Lue lisää : EP: myös EU:n jäsenmaat ovat vastuussa CIA:n vankien luovutuksista ….Laittomien maahanmuuttajien työllistäminen rangaistavaksi
Parlamentti äänesti mietinnöstä, joka koskee laittomien maahanmuuttajien työllistämistä. Siinä vaaditaan rikosoikeudellisia seuraamuksia vakavimmissa tapauksissa ja yrityksiä vastuuseen alihankkijoidensa toimista. Mietintö oli esillä myös Strasbourgin helmikuun täysistunnossa, ja nyt se hyväksyttiin lopullisesti.
Lue lisää : Laittomien maahanmuuttajien työllistäminen rangaistavaksi ….Access to documents: Civil Liberties Committee demands more transparency
No legislative documents should be kept secret: this must be a basic principle of the reformed policy on access to documents, say members of the Civil Liberties Committee in a vote on a new EU rules on the issue.
Read more : Access to documents: Civil Liberties Committee demands more transparency ….Petitions Committee criticises "extensive urbanisation" practices in Spain
"Extensive urbanisation" practices in Spain were criticised in a report adopted by the Petitions Committee on Wednesday, which suggests interrupting EU aid for the country until the problem is solved. The report goes before the full Parliament at the end of March.
Read more : Petitions Committee criticises "extensive urbanisation" practices in Spain ….Stop female genital mutilation
A clear strategy for banning female genital mutilation on EU territory and the need to acknowledge the problem in EU immigration law and cooperation agreements were among the key points of a report, adopted on Tuesday by the EP Women's Rights Committee, aimed at stamping out this practice.
Read more : Stop female genital mutilation ….Human rights: Sri Lanka, Burmese refugees, Cesare Battisti
Civilians caught in deadly crossfire between the Sri Lankan Government and rebel group Tamil Tigers, the persecution of the Rohingya people of Burma, and the refusal to extradite convicted murderer Cesare Battisti by the Brazilian authorities, were the subjects of three resolutions on democracy and human rights adopted at the end of this week's Strasbourg plenary session.
Read more : Human rights: Sri Lanka, Burmese refugees, Cesare Battisti ….EP kritisoi jäsenvaltioita turvapaikanhakijoiden vastaanottokeskuksista
Parlamentti hyväksyi kansalaisvapauksien sekä oikeus- ja sisäasioiden valiokuntansa raportin tämän vierailuista turvapaikanhakijoiden vastaanottokeskuksiin EU-maissa vuosina 2005–2008. Keskuksista löytyi runsaasti puutteita niin niiden kunnossa, hygieniassa kuin terveys- ja oikeuspalveluissa. Parlamentti pitää valitettavana myös solidaarisuuden puutetta jäsenmaiden välillä maahanmuuttokysymyksissä.
Lue lisää : EP kritisoi jäsenvaltioita turvapaikanhakijoiden vastaanottokeskuksista ….EP kannustaa jäsenmaita täyttämään tavoitteensa lastenhoidossa
Parlamentti kehottaa jäsenmaita täyttämään lastenhoitoa koskevat tavoitteensa vuoteen 2010 mennessä. Näihin kuuluu lastenhoidon takaaminen 90 prosentille lapsista, jotka ovat täyttäneet kolme vuotta, mutta eivät ole vielä kouluiässä. Parlamentti vaatii unionilta myös työ- ja perhe-elämän yhteensovittamista koskevan politiikan tarkastelua.
Lue lisää : EP kannustaa jäsenmaita täyttämään tavoitteensa lastenhoidossa ….EP ehdottaa toimia lasten seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön torjumiseksi
Yhä suurempi osa lasten ja nuorten sosiaalisesta kanssakäynnistä tapahtuu verkossa. Seksuaalirikolliset käyttävät internetiä lisääntyvässä määrin lasten seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön valmisteluun. Lapsiporno, viekoittelu, hyväksikäyttö ja väkivalta uhkaavat entistä useampaa lasta ja nuorta verkossa. Parlamentti vaatii EU-maita kriminalisoimaan kaikki lasten seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön muodot.
Lue lisää : EP ehdottaa toimia lasten seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön torjumiseksi ….Parliament votes on "sanctions directive"
Employers of clandestine immigrants could soon be penalised throughout the EU. A directive laying down standard penalties, from fines to prison terms, to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings, will be put to the vote at Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg next week.
Read more : Parliament votes on "sanctions directive" ….Between 4.5 and 8 million illegal immigrants work in the construction, farming, hotel and other sectors in the EU. Under a new draft directive, their employers would be penalised while the illegal immigrants would be granted legal conditions of employment. MEPs are calling for criminal law sanctions in the most serious cases and want to make companies responsible for the actions of their subcontractors.
Read more : Europe to penalise employers of illegal immigrants ….Maternity leave: length, payment and other forms of family leave
The EP Women's Rights Committee held a public hearing on Monday following the European Commission's proposal of 3 October 2008 to extend maternity leave to 18 weeks. The committee is drafting a co-decision report at first reading, the key points of which are the duration and payment for such leave and other arrangements such as paternity or parental leave.
Read more : Maternity leave: length, payment and other forms of family leave ….Human Rights: persecution of Shirin Ebadi, coup in Guinea, censorship in Kenya
In three resolutions on democracy and human rights adopted at the end of this week's Strasbourg plenary session, the European Parliament strongly condemns the persecution of Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi in Iran, denounces the "seizure of power" by junta in Guinea and voices its regret at the signing of a bill, which could lead to direct media censorship in Kenya.
Read more : Human Rights: persecution of Shirin Ebadi, coup in Guinea, censorship in Kenya ….Euroopan parlamentti kiinnitti täysistunnossaan huomiota lukuisiin perusoikeuksien rikkomuksiin EU:n alueella. Se nosti esiin vakavia yksityisyyden loukkaus- ja vähemmistösyrjintätapauksia sekä patisti toimielimiä ja jäsenmaita parempaan yhteistyöhön maahanmuutto- ja turvapaikkakysymyksissä.
Lue lisää : EP kritisoi perusoikeuksien tilannetta EU:ssa ….
Euroopan parlamentti haluaa EU-toimielimiltä nykyistä suurempaa avoimuutta. Se patistaa neuvostoa istuntojen täyteen julkisuuteen ja itseään julkaisemaan enemmän tietoja edustajien läsnäoloista ja kuluista. Parlamentti hyväksyi asiaa koskevan mietinnön täysistunnossaan keskiviikkona.
Lue lisää : EP haluaa lisää avoimuutta EU:lta ….
Euroopan parlamentti hyväksyi ensimmäisessä käsittelyssään passiasetuksen muutoksen, jonka mukaan alle 12-vuotiaiden lasten sormenjälkiä ei sisällytetä passeihin. Täysistunto äänesti myös sen puolesta, että jokaisella lapsella tulee olla oma passi. Biometriset passit otetaan käyttöön koko EU:n alueella 29. kesäkuuta 2009.
Lue lisää : EP: ei sormenjälkiä passeihin lapsilta ….Parliament today approved a report welcoming the work carried out by the UN Human Rights Council in its first two years of existence but regretting that it has not yet achieved more in improving the UN's human rights record. The EU should play a more prominent role in promoting a clear vision, political agenda and long-term strategy for the UN body, say MEPs.
Read more : UN Human Rights Council: a mixed record so far ….