MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on discriminatory internet sites and government reactions (2012/2554(RSP))
12.3.2012
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Manfred Weber, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Simon Busuttil, Theodor Dumitru Stolojan, Andrey Kovatchev, Sebastian Valentin Bodu, Arkadiusz Tomasz Bratkowski, Iliana Ivanova, Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Mariya Nedelcheva, Jacek Protasiewicz, Csaba Sógor, Tadeusz Zwiefka, Joanna Katarzyna Skrzydlewska on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0152/2012
B7‑0154/2012
European Parliament resolution on discriminatory internet sites and government reactions (2012/2554(RSP))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular the equality of all citizens as laid down in Article 1, the principle of non-discrimination as enshrined in Article 21 and the freedom of movement and residence as laid down in Article 45,
– having regard to Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty on European Union, which lay down the fundamental rights and principles of the European Union, including the principles of non-discrimination and free movement,
– having regard to Article 18 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of nationality,
– having regard to the open letter from the ambassadors of ten EU Member States (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary) to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, dated 13 February 2012,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas on 8 February 2012 the Dutch far-right Party of Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV), led by Geert Wilders, launched a website inviting Dutch nationals to lodge their anonymous complaints about problems allegedly caused by European citizens from Central and Eastern European Member States, living and working in the Netherlands (Meldpunt Midden en Oost Europeanen);
B. whereas the ambassadors of ten Central and Eastern European countries in the Netherlands strongly objected to the website, stating that ‘it encourages negative perception of a particular group of EU citizens within the Dutch society’;
C. whereas the fight against discrimination, including on grounds of nationality, is one of the EU’s fundamental principles, as enshrined in the Treaties;
D. whereas public incitement to discrimination on grounds of race, religion or national or ethnic origin, violence or racial hatred constitutes an infringement of EU fundamental law and is therefore punishable under the criminal law of the Member States;
E. whereas the right of EU citizens to freedom of expression and the freedom of the press and media are EU fundamental rights which must be respected by Member States, but which reach their limits wherever they violate the fundamental rights of other citizens;
F. whereas unjustified fuelling of discrimination and xenophobia may potentially turn into a real concern as regards relations between Member States, in particular between civil society in Central and Eastern European Member States and Dutch civil society;
G. whereas Eastern and Central European citizens have been exposed to acts of physical violence and other kinds of harassment;
H. whereas, according to the latest studies carried out by the Erasmus University in Rotterdam[1], migrant workers from Central and Eastern European countries are making a significant contribution to the Dutch economy and the Dutch labour market;
I. whereas the impetus given by Dutch government policy to European integration has significantly decreased over the last years, as demonstrated by the position of the current Dutch Government on issues such as Schengen enlargement, visa liberalisation and the opening up of labour markets;
J. whereas Dutch Prime Minister Rutte’s government is supported in the Dutch Parliament by the Party of Freedom (PVV); whereas Mr Rutte has failed to denounce this incident of a manifest discriminatory and xenophobic nature, and no measures have yet been taken to address the issue;
1. Expresses its outrage at the setting-up and maintenance of a website which is openly discriminatory, encourages discriminatory and xenophobic practices and is against the fundamental values of the EU;
2. Expresses its genuine concern that the PVV website is likely to create a strong precedent and to generate intolerance between EU citizens of different nationalities;
3. Urges Prime Minister Rutte and all other Dutch political leaders to distance themselves from this deplorable initiative;
4. Urges the Dutch Government to review its tolerance towards the Party of Freedom’s policies which are in contradiction with fundamental EU values;
5. Underlines that the setting-up and maintenance of the PVV website is subject to Dutch law and therefore calls on the Dutch enforcement authorities to act and to stop the promotion of discriminatory practices by this website immediately;
6. Does not agree with statements made on the website such as the accusation that EU citizens from Central and Eastern European Member States are taking jobs from the local workforce; underlines that in reality Bulgarian and Romanian workers do not yet have access to the Dutch labour market;
7. Calls on the Commission to do its utmost to stop the spread of xenophobic attitudes such as those expressed on this website;
8. Calls on all EU institutions and all Member States to participate actively in the fight against extremism and xenophobia across the EU since such phenomena undermine the very foundations and essential principles upon which the European Union is built;
9. Suggests that an open and substantial dialogue be held between EU institutions, Member State governments and civil society on the social, political and economic challenges arising from intra-EU migration;
10. Calls on the Dutch Government give a swift answer to the letters sent by the Commission on envisaged legislation that may infringe Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of EU citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States;
11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the Council, the Commission and the parliaments and governments of the Member States.
- [1] Arbeidsmigranten uit Polen, Roemenie en Bulgarije in Den Haag. Sociale leefsituatie, arbeidpositie en toekomstperspectief, Prof. Gotfried Engbersen, Afdeling Sociologie Universiteit Rotterdam.