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 Comparability of vocational training qualifications between the Member States ***I |
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(Codecision procedure: first reading) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2007)0680), – having regard to Articles 251(2) and 150(4) of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C6-0398/2007), – having regard to Rule 51 and Rule 43(1) of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A6-0132/2008), 1. Approves the Commission proposal; 2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text; 3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission. | |||||||
| Simplifying procedures for listing and publishing information in the veterinary and zootechnical fields * |
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(Consultation procedure) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2008)0120), – having regard to Article 37 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0156/2008), – having regard to Rules 51 and 43(1) of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A6-0160/2008), 1. Approves the Commission proposal; 2. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 3. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 4. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission. | |||||||
| The return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State (codified version) ***I |
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(Codecision procedure – codification) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2007)0873), – having regard to Article 251(2) and Article 95 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C6-0025/2008), – having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 December 1994 – Accelerated working method for official codification of legislative texts(1), – having regard to Rules 80 and 51 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Legal Affairs (A6-0152/2008), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as adapted to the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the Legal Services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission; 2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.
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| Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking * |
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(Consultation procedure) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2007)0571), – having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities(1) (Financial Regulation), and in particular Article 185 thereof, – having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management(2) (IIA), and in particular Point 47 thereof, – having regard to Articles 171 and 172 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0446/2007), – having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A6-0145/2008), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended; 2. Considers that the reference amount indicated in the legislative proposal must be compatible with the ceiling of heading 1a of the current multiannual financial framework 2007-2013 and with the provisions of Point 47 of the Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) of 17 May 2006; notes that any financing beyond 2013 shall be evaluated in the context of the negotiations for the next financial framework; 3. Points out that the opinion delivered by the Committee on Budgets does not pre-empt the outcome of the procedure laid down in Point 47 of the IIA of 17 May 2006 which applies to the setting up of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking; 4. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty; 5. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 6. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 7. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.
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| Community Tobacco Fund * |
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(Consultation procedure) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2008)0051), – having regard to Article 37(2), third subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0062/2008), – having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A6-0164/2008), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended; 2. Considers that any amount provided for must be compatible with the ceiling of Heading 2 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2007-2013, and points out that the annual amount will be decided within the annual budgetary procedure and will be assessed in a multiannual context; 3. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty; 4. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 5. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 6. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.
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| The evaluation of the PEACE Programme |
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The European Parliament, – having regard to Article 158 of the EC Treaty, – having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions for the Structural Funds(1), – having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/93 of 20 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 on the tasks of the Structural Funds and their effectiveness and on the coordination of their activities between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments(2), – having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2082/93 of 20 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 4253/88 laying down provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88 as regards coordination of the activities of the different Structural Funds between themselves and with the operations of the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments(3), – having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 214/2000 of 24 January 2000 on Community financial contributions to the International Fund for Ireland(4), – having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2236/2002 of 10 December 2002 concerning Community financial contributions to the International Fund for Ireland (2003-2004)(5), – having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1105/2003 of 26 May 2003 amending Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds(6), – having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 173/2005 of 24 January 2005 amending Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds concerning the extension of the duration of the PEACE programme and the granting of new commitment appropriations(7), – having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 177/2005 of 24 January 2005 concerning Community financial contributions to the International Fund for Ireland (2005-2006)(8), – having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1968/2006 of 21 December 2006 concerning Community financial contributions to the International Fund for Ireland (2007 to 2010)(9), – having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC)(10), – having regard to the Commission's Communication entitled A Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland (COM(1994)0607), – having regard to the Commission's Communication entitled Report on the International Fund for Ireland pursuant to Article 5 of Council Regulation (EC) No 177/2005 (COM(2006)0563), – having regard to Court of Auditors" Special Report No 7/2000 concerning the International Fund for Ireland and the Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland (1995 to 1999), together with the Commission's replies thereto (paragraph 58)(11), – having regard to the public hearing on evaluation of the PEACE programme and strategies for the future organised by the Committee on Regional Development of the European Parliament on the 20 November 2007, – having regard to the Task Force for Northern Ireland (TFNI) created after the visit of Mr Barroso, President of the Commission, to Belfast in May 2007, – having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development (A6-0133/2008), A. whereas the EU programmes PEACE I and II, funded under Council Regulations (EC) Nos 1105/2003 and 173/2005, were aimed at securing peace and included two main elements: taking the opportunities arising from peace and addressing the legacy of conflict and violence, B. whereas the EU's participation in the PEACE programmes was and is of great positive value and the EU connection with such peace-building projects, in addition to providing a financial instrument, further demonstrated the EU's importance as a neutral authority with the expertise and long-term vision necessary for designing the programme, C. whereas the reconciliation process operates at various levels, and whereas it must be actively encouraged but cannot be imposed(12), D. whereas peace-building and reconciliation are by their very nature precarious but are essential in overcoming the political, economic and social problems in the region, and whereas projects for building confidence should therefore be given room for experimentation and for innovation in order to get started, E. whereas the conflict in Northern Ireland created segregated communities, leading to deep social, economic and political divides, F. whereas contact and confidence-building can result in changing negative views and whereas fostering mutual understanding among young people helps future leaders to understand the history and culture of both communities, G. whereas working in partnership with local communities may take more time as it involves more participants and procedures, although it is evident that the extra benefits obtained are essential, since delegating to a lower level of management and raising the level of participation increases awareness of both the programmes and the EU, H. whereas previously marginalised groups and people greatly affected by the conflict and violence have been empowered by the PEACE programmes to contribute to actively building peace; whereas projects under the PEACE programmes are serving the most marginalised segments of society by developing activities for individuals and groups such as victims of conflict, older and vulnerable people, the disabled, victims of domestic violence, ex-prisoners and unemployed young people(13), I. whereas many people who have worked in peace-building and reconciliation projects have done so on a voluntary basis, J. whereas it is vital that peace building programmes, in particular those involving community and voluntary groups, continue to be financially supported when PEACE funding comes to an end, K. whereas the voluntary and community sectors are renowned for their achievements in confronting social decline and deprivation and are well-placed to develop and provide frontline services for the most disadvantaged in society, and whereas women have a very positive role in peace-building, L. whereas the PEACE programmes have assisted in the development of economic projects in deprived areas by establishing new enterprises, M. whereas many community and voluntary initiatives funded under PEACE II are operating on an ongoing basis providing essential community services for marginalised groups in particular and are awaiting confirmation of funding so that they can continue providing these services, N. whereas one aspect of the economic development resulting from the support granted under the PEACE programmes, was that it benefited both urban and rural areas, O. whereas funding under the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) is often complementary and both programmes, IFI and PEACE, made it possible for projects to reach a stage where they could access other EU funding, such as Interreg, P. whereas many of the actions in the PEACE sub-programmes, the IFI programmes and the Interreg initiative, have shown a high degree of similarity and some degree of duplication of activities in certain areas, Q. whereas accountability and transparency, participation, recognition of the interdependence of all people, successful elimination of inequality, promotion of diversity and attention to vulnerable groups and equal opportunities are important elements in peace-building and reconciliation, R. whereas the report of the Interim Commissioner for Victims and Survivors1 stated that support groups for victims and survivors have a dependency on non-recurring PEACE funding and found a lack of clarity as regards how projects for victims and survivors would proceed when PEACE funding is no longer available, and whereas four new commissioners for victims have recently been appointed by the First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland(14), S. whereas the protection and promotion of human rights are an integral part of peace-building and the rebuilding of post-conflict societies, 1. Stresses that local empowerment is an essential part of peace-building and that the participation of civil society improves policy-making and the way in which society is governed; 2. Points out that the development of various implementation mechanisms together with the voluntary sector, non-governmental organisations and local authorities has provided wide-ranging experience of dealing with EU funds; hopes that such bottom-up provision mechanisms may be used in the implementation of other funding programmes; 3. Welcomes the contribution made by the PEACE and IFI programmes to economic and social development; notes that one enterprise centre established, before the implementation of the IFI, in a deprived area developed with the support of the IFI and the local district council into a network of thirty two enterprise centres, which helped boost confidence and hope amongst those involved; 4. Emphasises that the cooperation between participants in programmes financed by PEACE and IFI should not cease when the programmes comes to an end; calls on government departments to maintain that work, which proved to be effective, in order to ensure that mainstream funding continues for this invaluable work once all PEACE funding comes to an end; 5. Calls on the governments of both the United Kingdom and Ireland to put in place temporary funding arrangements for community and voluntary groups in particular in order to bridge the gap between the end of PEACE II funding programmes and the beginning of PEACE III funding programmes; 6. Calls on the Commission and the governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland to engage with the Commissioners for Victims and Survivors with a view to finding a mechanism for victim and survivor support groups to continue to receive financial support after the termination of all PEACE funding; 7. Calls on the Commission, in relation to the TFNI, to replicate the active citizenship approach of the PEACE I and PEACE II programmes, when structuring future initiatives; recalls the importance for the stabilisation of the peace process of balanced regional development including attention to infrastructure which is underdeveloped in comparison with that of other regions in the EU, and calls on the TFNI to be more positive in its support for infrastructure improvement; 8. Calls for the further development of cross-border work, given that cross-border work has been central to the regeneration of urban and rural communities in the border areas; urges the further development of co-operation between local chambers of commerce and public sector bodies as well as forums for the voluntary and community sectors on both sides of the border and for voluntary organisations that already work on a cross-border basis; 9. Calls on the Government of Ireland to implement Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 immediately; 10. Urges the widespread use of consultation, both large and small-scale and with a local focus, within the funding programmes and emphasises the importance of securing schemes that allow for the approval of small grants to fund work that is needed at short notice and work where its results cannot be easily quantified as well as schemes that allow for long-term sustainability and can make a contribution to local communities; 11. Calls for a reduction in bureaucracy to ensure that small projects are not overburdened; 12. Recognises that peace-building is a long-term, evolutionary process and that robust development towards peace and reconciliation takes time; calls for a longer time-frame for individual grants in order to allow projects to make a difference; recognises that not only economic initiatives but also cultural and sporting initiatives can make a significant contribution to peace and reconciliation and should therefore continue to be promoted; 13. Notes that the social economy sector is a sub-sector of the voluntary and community sectors the consultation of which is important in order to develop local strategies and areas; considers that other local businesses are also influential participants; 14. Emphasises that development in rural areas requires greater synergies between agricultural, rural and regional development funding and between nature conservation, ecotourism and the production and use of renewable energy than has been the case to date; 15. Emphasises that people should have easy access to information on the success stories of projects funded by PEACE I and PEACE II as well as the IFI; believes that the experience gained from such projects should be shared with those engaged in other international peace-building work; calls, in this connection, for the establishment of a database as a learning tool for peace and reconciliation work at home and abroad; calls, in addition, for every level of participation to be included in the creation of regional and metropolitan networks; 16. Recommends that comprehensive strategies be put in place to ensure not only that examples of good-practice are available, but also that they are used at every stage of the project cycle, i.e. project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; 17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
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| Meat and livestock statistics ***I |
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(Codecision procedure: first reading) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2007)0129), – having regard to Article 251(2) and Article 285(1) of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C6-0099/2007), – having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A6-0130/2008), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended; 2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend the proposal substantially or replace it with another text; 3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission. Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 20 May 2008 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EC) No .../2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning livestock and meat statistics and repealing Council Directives 93/23/EEC, 93/24/EEC and 93/25/EC
(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position at first reading corresponds to the final legislative act, Regulation (EC) No ...) | ||||||||
| Employment Policy Guidelines for Member States * |
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(Consulation procedure) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2007)0803, PART V), – having regard to Article 128(2) of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0031/2008), – having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (A6-0172/2008), 1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended; 2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty; 3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament; 4. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially; 5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.
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| 2009 budget: Parliament's estimates |
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The European Parliament, – having regard to Article 272(2) of the EC Treaty, – having regard to Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities(1), and particularly Article 31, – having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management(2), – having regard to its resolution of 10 April 2008 on the guidelines for the 2009 budget procedure – Sections I, II, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX(3), – having regard to the Secretary-General's report to the Bureau on drawing up Parliament's preliminary draft estimates for the financial year 2009, – having regard to the preliminary draft estimates drawn up by the Bureau on 21 April 2008 pursuant to Rules 22(6) and 73 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure, – having regard to Rule 73 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A6-0181/2008), A. whereas a pilot process was agreed in which enhanced cooperation between the Bureau and the Committee on Budgets, and early mutual cooperation on all items with significant budgetary implications, would be applied throughout the 2009 procedure, B. whereas the prerogatives of the plenary in adopting the budget will be fully maintained in accordance with the Treaty provisions and the Rules of Procedure, C. whereas a pre-conciliation meeting between delegations of the Bureau and the Committee on Budgets took place on 16 April 2008 during which a number of key issues were discussed between the two delegations, 1. Recalls that the 2009 budget should respond to a number of main challenges, as identified in its abovementioned resolution of 10 April 2008 on the budgetary guidelines, while making every effort to ensure the most efficient use of resources and examining all expenditure with a view to identifying savings wherever possible; stresses the high degree of accord on the following areas:
2. Takes note of the extended dialogue leading up to the estimates stage for 2009 and, particularly, welcomes the pilot process on enhanced internal cooperation, including the pre-conciliation meeting between its Bureau and the Committee on Budgets, in which budgetary issues related to the priorities above were discussed prior to the Bureau's adoption of its preliminary draft estimates; 3. Notes that the overall level of the budget 2009, as suggested by the Bureau, will stay below the traditional voluntary share of 20% of heading 5 (administrative expenditure) of the multi-annual financial framework; 4. Stresses the fact that human resources, and overall resources for Lisbon-related issues, were predominant questions at the pre-conciliation; welcomes the fact that the Bureau acted on concerns raised by integrating the proposed 65 new posts into the estimates (corresponding to EUR 2 020 023 for 2009) but, at the same time, placing 15% of those appropriations in reserve pending the submission by the end of June 2008 of complementary information, such as an analytical, detailed and user-friendly establishment plan assessing the allocation and use of human resources in Parliament's secretariat, including a detailed report on redeployment operations in 2008 and those planned for 2009, indicating positive and negative priorities; considers that this should include changes within and between DGs and an outlook in view of reinforcing core legislative activities and services to Members; is of the opinion that information concerning non-officials should be provided in order to allow full comprehension of the needs in terms of staff; 5. Emphasises that the cooperation between its Bureau and Committee on Budgets in jointly seeking such additional clarifications constitutes a new and positive development; underlines the importance of ex-ante and timely consultation of the Committee on Budgets on issues with important financial implications; 6. Agrees with the principle of budgeting all foreseeable needs in the Bureau's preliminary draft estimates, including a "Lisbon reserve" of EUR 2 million awaiting further evaluation, and a proposal from the Bureau, which should take account of the results of the ongoing working group on human and financial resources tasked with analysing the impact; reiterates its view that the tasks and responsibilities which can genuinely be regarded as new following the new Treaty, as well activities that can be discontinued or re-prioritised, are especially important to identify; 7. Underlines the fact that the new Lisbon Treaty also provides a challenge for political groups; acknowledges that, in line with the reinforcement of the core activities of parliamentary administration, political groups will also need strengthening in terms of staff, while observing budgetary prudence; 8. Notes also that the Bureau has indicated that an additional need, not currently budgeted, might arise for the Visitors' Centre; points out that this has been identified late and understands that the amount would be of a multi-annual nature; recalls its wish, as agreed under the pilot process, to have a timely consultation of the Committee on Budgets on issues with significant financial implications; 9. Notes the proposal to continue a three-year plan to reclaim expertise in the IT area, reducing the dependence on external consultants in some key areas, and the proposal for an increase of posts in this area; agrees to consider this approach but is of the opinion that, in order to maintain such increases for the final budget, related savings in the current consultant costs should be demonstrated; invites the administration to present before September 2008 a complete assessment of the situation including a coherent IT strategy; 10. Notes that a long-term strategic plan on buildings policy including maintenance costs and environmental issues will be presented before the end of May 2008; stresses the importance of a thorough debate on this issue in view of arriving at relevant decisions on the way forward and the destination of these appropriations as soon as possible; wishes to be informed about the work of the Bureau with the Commission on an agreement on purchase of buildings and costs; pending such information, takes note of the fact that the buildings reserve included in the draft estimates amounts to EUR 30 000 000, an increase of EUR 10 000 000 compared to 2008; decides to place in reserve EUR 3 400 000 entered by the Bureau in the preliminary draft estimates, pending technical, administrative and financial clarifications on the proposed asbestos removal work in the SDM building in Strasbourg; 11. Confirms its intention to continue the financing of priorities established in the 2008 budget, notably to improve services to Members in connection with interpretation and with the analytical service of the library; 12. Stresses the importance of good cooperation between the European institutions, particularly Parliament, the Council and the Commission, in the field of information and communication policy; 13. Is satisfied that reasonable estimations have been carried out as concerns the expenditure related to the new Members' Statute; insists that any updated figures should be communicated as soon as possible and underlines the possibility of fine-tuning the associated appropriations at a later stage; welcomes the commitment of the Secretary-General to immediately update its Bureau and Committee on Budgets on any new information from the Member States on their intended participation and/or opt-outs as and when it becomes available; 14. Is also encouraged by the information that contacts have been made with Member States, the Council and the current and forthcoming Council Presidencies, concerning the agreement on a Statute for Assistants; recalls, in this respect, its guidelines and stresses once again the importance it attaches to resolving this issue; 15. Looks forward to the proposal on a Knowledge Management System that should be presented to the Bureau within the next few weeks; reaffirms its intention to follow this issue closely and its recommendation to the Bureau to take the necessary decisions before the middle of July 2008; 16. Notwithstanding the positive outcome of the enhanced cooperation so far, and the results of the pre-conciliation meeting in particular, underlines that a more detailed examination of individual budget items should take place before the first reading of the budget in autumn 2008; will thus examine and take the final budgetary decisions at that time; 17. Adopts the estimates for the financial year 2009 as drawn up by the Bureau on 21 April 2008; recalls that the adoption of the draft budget will take place at first reading in October 2008, in accordance with the voting procedure laid down by the Treaty; 18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution and the estimates to the Council and the Commission.
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| Trade in raw materials and commodities |
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The European Parliament, – having regard to its resolutions of 3 September 2002 on trade and development for poverty eradication(1), of 30 January 2003 on world hunger and the elimination of barriers to trade with the poorest countries(2), of 10 April 2003 on the crisis in the international coffee market(3), of 1 June 2006 on trade and poverty: designing trade policies to maximise trade's contribution to poverty relief(4), of 15 February 2007 on the macroeconomic impact of the increase in the price of energy(5), of 22 May 2007 on Global Europe - external aspects of competitiveness(6), of 23 May 2007 on the EU's Aid for Trade(7) and of 29 November 2007 on Trade and Climate Change(8), – having regard to the Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000, which sets out the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as criteria established collectively by the international community for the elimination of poverty, and the review and update thereof at the United Nations 2005 World Summit of 14 –16 September 2005, – having regard to the reports of the three working groups of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) entitled ''Climate change 2007: The Physical Science Basis'', ''Climate change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability'' and ''Climate change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change'', all published in 2007, – having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament entitled ''Agricultural Commodity Chains, Dependence and Poverty - A proposal for an EU Action Plan'' (COM(2004)0089), – having regard to the Communications from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled "Global Europe: Competing in the world – A contribution to the EU's Growth and Jobs Strategy" (COM(2006)0567) and "Global Europe: A Stronger Partnership to deliver Market Access for European exporters" (COM(2007)0183), – having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament entitled "on the Competitiveness of the Metals Industries – A contribution to the EU's Growth and Jobs Strategy" (COM(2008)0108), – having regard to the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action adopted on 15 September 1995 by the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, – having regard to the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) entitled "Livestock's Long Shadow", published in 2006, – having regard to the work of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Accra Accord and Declaration concluded on 25 April 2008 at UNCTAD XII in Accra, Ghana, – having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled "Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources", published on the 21st of December 2005 (COM(2005)0670), – having regard to the G8 Summit declaration on "Growth and responsibility in the world economy" signed in Heiligendamm on 7 June 2007, in particular to its chapter on "Responsibility for raw materials: transparency and sustainable growth" according to which "free, transparent and open markets are fundamental to global growth, stability and sustainable development", – having regard to the Fourth report of the High Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the Environment of 11 June 2007 which supports the development of a raw materials policy, built on a well operating free and fair global market for raw materials using trade policy, in particular international multilateral and bilateral agreements, to ensure that EU and third countries support open and undistorted markets, – having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade (A6-0134/2008), A. whereas raw materials and commodities should be understood as agricultural food products, agricultural primary commodities, metals, minerals and energy products, which serve as input in the industrial process, whether processed, unprocessed, or recycling products such as scrap, B. whereas since 2002 the price index for non-fuel commodities has risen by 159%, metal and mineral prices by 285% and agricultural raw material prices have increased by 133%, C. whereas the EU economy depends considerably on imports of raw materials from third countries and access to raw materials plays a crucial role in ensuring EU competitiveness, D. whereas the recent price increase for raw materials has led to a lack of economic growth in the European Union and threatens EU competitiveness, E. whereas a further increase in worldwide demand in raw materials in the future is expected; whereas this increase will be due to economic growth in emerging economies, F. whereas in the past the short-term variations in prices of raw materials and commodities have shown extreme volatility and become even worse over time with phases of overproduction being followed by periods of shortages, G. whereas the recent price increases in international markets should not conceal the fact that prices of raw materials and commodities, compared with those of manufactured goods, have been characterised by a long-term downward trend, H. whereas these price increases - especially when instituted for industrial purposes by emerging economies - have posed competitiveness challenges to the EU's manufacturing industry and have raised longer term issues related to security of supply of raw materials, I. whereas 95 of 141 developing countries derive at least 50% of their export earnings from commodity exports, J. whereas the European Union is a major competitor in international trade in raw materials and commodities not least as a net importer of raw materials, K. whereas the European Union, due to the characteristics of the European industrial base, is highly dependent on imports of raw materials for its competitiveness and for its economic development, L. whereas there are many examples of policies and measures introduced by third countries, as well as a trend of creating obstacles to free and fair access to raw materials in emerging countries, which have the effect of limiting access by EU industries to raw materials and commodities, M. whereas the strengthening of research and innovation plays an important role in encouraging sustainable raw materials supplies, N. whereas the systems of STABEX, SYSMIN and FLEX reflect past and current efforts by the European Union to support developing countries affected by price and income instability, O. whereas the recent price increases on international markets for raw materials and commodities are due to a significant increase in the demand from emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil, changed weather patterns, some restrictive practices from some exporting countries and a boom in the market of agro fuels, livestock production, as well as stock market speculation, P. whereas women make up a significant majority of the world's poor who are often dependent on the acquisition, production and transformation of raw materials and commodities for their survival and livelihood, Q. whereas the international community has stated the need for an international effort to eliminate poverty through the concrete goals set out in the MDGs which ought to be fulfilled before 2015; whereas sufficient attention must be paid to the vital importance of commodity issues for developing countries, R. whereas the sustainable exploitation of natural resources could reduce poverty and foster economic growth if good governance is promoted; whereas weak governance in countries rich in natural resources may also result in poverty, corruption, and conflict, S. whereas the preservation of biodiversity and the availability of cultivated land are essential elements for the future of any economy on earth; whereas any form of extraction of raw materials should keep these imperatives in mind, T. whereas climate change is taking place and is partly caused by human activity; whereas the extraction, production and transformation of raw materials and commodities results in significant emissions of greenhouse gases; whereas EU industry is facing increasing constraints for the purpose of addressing this issue, at the expense of its competitiveness, U. whereas the European Union currently does not provide a coherent strategy to face the challenges for the competitiveness of its economy due to enhanced competition in access to raw materials, 1. Urges the Commission and the EU's trade partners to address seriously, in all negotiations for trade agreements, the climate change imperatives of sharply reducing the extraction and exploitation of natural resources and to foster the expansion of energy-saving, renewable and resource-efficient technologies; Secure supplies of raw materials for the EU and ensure access to raw materials on world markets 2. Recognises that access to raw materials and commodities is vital for the EU economy, due to its lack of domestic supply of several raw materials; 3. Notes with concern the prospects of an increasing demand for raw materials on world markets; is worried about the limits of exploration capacity for the near future; takes note of the limited involvement of European companies in the exploration of raw materials in third countries; 4. Is concerned about the trend to restrict free access to raw materials in third countries by trade distorting measures; recognises however the right of countries to restrict access to their raw materials for environmental purposes or to address critical shortages of supply when necessary; this right must be exercised in conjunction with other domestic measures; 5. Is concerned about those investment activities aimed at better access to raw materials which neither comply with standards of fair and free competition nor to the principles of good governance and sustainability; 6. Asks the Commission to promote investment in research and development in technologies for the recycling of raw materials and the efficient and economic use of raw materials; calls on the Commission and the Member States to give more weight to this objective in their research activities; 7. Urges the Commission to address the issue of free and fair access to raw material markets in the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO); asks the Commission to pursue actively the objective of multilateral elimination of trade distorting measures in the sector of raw materials, while fully respecting restrictions based on developmental grounds for least developed countries (LDCs); 8. Asks the Commission to negotiate non-discriminatory access to raw material markets in return for access to energy-saving, renewable and resource-efficient technologies in all bilateral negotiations on free trade agreements; sets out the objective of abandoning all trade distorting measures which lead to an increase in the use and consumption of raw materials as an important objective in all possible agreements, while fully respecting developmental goals; 9. Asks the Commission to include the issue of raw materials in the market access strategy; welcomes the consultation on the supply of raw materials; calls on the Commission to draw up a coherent strategy on the supply of raw materials; recalls that Parliament is to be involved in all phases of these activities; Making developing countries and in particular LDCs benefit from raw materials 10. Regrets that many developing countries, and in particular LDCs, have been locked into the production and export of raw materials and commodities whose volatile prices have been declining over the long term, constituting a serious impediment to the alleviation of poverty as well as the realisation of the MDGs, but recognises that increasing commodity prices have contributed to significant improvements in the external accounts of some developing countries dependent on primary commodities; underlines the opportunities for the producer countries which lie in the own exploration and management of raw material deposits when fundamental rules of transparency and fair competition are respected; 11. Calls on the Commission to seek the effective elimination of the causes of distortions by firmly raising these issues in bilateral consultations and negotiations and to promote the development of new WTO rules at a multilateral level; 12. Supports current efforts in developing countries, and in particular in LDCs, to diversify their economies and develop economic activities at more advanced stages of the production process, in order to include processing and marketing and to enhance the quality, productivity and production of products with a higher degree of value added; urges the Commission to support national commodity development and diversification strategies with support from the European Development Fund when necessary; 13. Considers the set-up of regional economic frameworks and increased regional cooperation among developing countries to be of the utmost importance for the sustainable economic development of those countries; underlines in this respect the importance of South-South trade for the economic development of those countries; 14. Considers that, in the long term, regional economic and trade cooperation should be fostered and could lead to free trade agreements; notes at the same time that in different regional contexts free trade agreements face difficulties; considers that the EuroMed free trade agreement should be a priority given the importance of trade in raw materials in this region; 15. Encourages developing countries, and in particular LDCs, to raise the necessary investments and consolidate economic diversification through strengthened infrastructure and institutional capacity building, promoting good governance in managing economic development as well as facilitating access and distribution of products from small scale producers to local markets which would also strengthen regional integration and economies of scale, urges the Commission to use aid-for-trade as an important tool for development as well as strengthen existing mechanisms for transfer of technology, especially as a means to manage climate change; asks the Commission to promote transparency of the revenues stemming from raw materials via programmes like the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) process; 16. Encourages the Commission and EU companies to promote and invest in the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies; 17. Considers that the outcome of the Doha Development Agenda should ensure fair, balanced, equitable and market-opening commitments in all raw materials markets; 18. Recognises that the outcome of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations would significantly reduce tariff escalation; notes that the European Union has already phased out its tariffs on agricultural products from the LDCs (through the Everything But Arms initiative) and from many ACP countries (through Economic Partnership Agreements), and supports developing countries in identifying and implementing rules regarding special products and effective safeguard mechanisms for the sustainability of their markets and production; 19. Asks the European Union's Member States as well as partners around the world, including the emerging economies, to ratify core International Labour Organization labour standards and relevant Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines, especially regarding the exploration and refining of raw materials; believes that the involvement of civil society and national parliaments is crucial to achieve environmental and socio-economic sustainable development; 20. Acknowledges that speculation plays a significant role in the setting of prices of raw materials and commodities with increased volatility as a consequence; 21. Calls on the Commission to implement a comprehensive and balanced strategy in the field of access to raw materials taking into account the interests of EU industry and developing countries; 22. Calls on the Commission to review its compensatory finance scheme, FLEX, to ensure it is responsive and effective in supporting developing countries and in particular LDCs; believes that there is a need for relevant measures to be taken at national level in order to support the work being done by UNCTAD; 23. Calls on the Commission to collect data and generate statistics on international trade in raw materials and commodities that takes place in real terms; believes that there is a need to get a clear picture of global trade flows in commodities and raw materials not falsified by purely speculative transactions in order to better target economic policy measures; 24. Recognises that liberalisation of trade in agricultural food products and agricultural primary commodities has exposed small scale farmers in developing countries and in particular in LDCs to many new challenges. As small scale farmers are largely comprised of women, this can have a disproportionately negative effect on them if they are not able to cope with external competition; 25. Stresses the fundamental nature of the right to food and the need to improve access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life; 26. Strongly recommends, therefore, that all necessary measures are taken on a European and international scale in order to ensure moderate prices as an immediate way out of the food crisis; in the longer run, the creation of adequate regulation to better deal with speculative activities is needed; recommends in addition the examination of the powers and competences of national and international supervisory bodies in the field of food commodities in order to ensure that stable and secure markets are guaranteed in the future, and that speculation does not violate the right to food; 27. Welcomes the establishment of the UN high-powered task force, which addresses the current food crisis and its impact on poverty; encourages world leaders to participate at the High-Level Conference on World Food Security to be held in Rome (3-5 June 2008); 28. Supports developing countries in their endeavours to secure access to food for the local populations; believes that viable policy space must be further strengthened to enable national rules and measures for the development of this sector, as well as support women who carry the main responsibility for feeding their families and the local communities; 29. Acknowledges that increased prices of agricultural food products and commodities can have detrimental effects on food security and the actual access to food in developing countries, with a risk of hunger, malnutrition or food riots among the poorest people in developing countries; urgently demands increased levels of humanitarian aid to alleviate the food crisis which is threatening the lives of 100 million persons; 30. Calls on the Council and the Commission to ensure that multilateral, regional and bilateral trade agreements signed by the European Union are in accordance with the objective of sustainable development; calls on the Commission to take the necessary legislative measures to ensure the integration of its trade Sustainable Impact Assessments in developing the EU's trade policy, in particular from a climate, gender and sustainable development perspective; 31. Welcomes the Commission's announcement to present a Communication in 2008 aimed at improving conditions of sustainable access to minerals and secondary raw materials at EU and international level; 32. Takes note of the increased criticism regarding the economic and environmental benefits of agro fuel production; calls on the Commission to stimulate research and innovation on sustainable raw material supply through efficient resource extraction and development, material use and recovery of end of life; 33. Believes that the extraction, gathering and production of raw materials and commodities should be done in accordance with the principle of sustainability, which respects the natural processes of the ecosystems instead of altering them; 34. Urges the Commission to step up its efforts to obtain an international agreement on conflict resources whose primary objective would be to prohibit all trade in resources fuelling or resulting from armed conflicts, insists in the meantime on the development of a regulation prohibiting the trading and marketing of conflict resources in the European Union and urges all countries involved in the diamond trade to subscribe fully to the Kimberley certification scheme for international trade in rough diamonds; calls for the promotion of transparency via the EITI and other initiatives; 35. Renews its call on the Council and the Commission to promote Fair Trade, and other independently monitored trading initiatives contributing to raising social and environmental standards in supporting small and marginalised producers in developing countries, encourages public authorities in the European Union to integrate Fair Trade and sustainability criteria into their public tenders and purchasing policies; 36. Is concerned that a growing proportion of the earth's resources are used for livestock raising; recalls the abovementioned FAO report 'Livestock's Long Shadow' from November 2006 which estimates that the meat industry and livestock raising contribute 18% to the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, which also accelerate deforestation in developing countries; calls on the Commission to take the necessary action within this sector as well as to establish incentive mechanisms to avoid deforestation within the framework of international climate negotiations; 37. Believes that the EITI, which aims to strengthen governance by improving transparency and accountability in the extractives sector should be implemented world wide, in order to provide better opportunities for developing countries to receive the equivalent value of their natural resources; 38. Stresses that high oil prices reinforce the need for an urgent and different approach in energy policy aiming at improving energy efficiency and increasing use of other energy sources, including renewable energy; 39. Realises that climate change will hit hardest the communities that already face significant social and economic problems; understands that especially women are a particularly vulnerable group; encourages efforts to adapt at local level through relevant financial and technical international support; 40. Is concerned that China does not allow foreign companies to have a majority stake in sectors such as steel and has introduced a variety of mechanisms that restrict the export of metals raw materials or provide governmental support for buying them from external sources; recognises that such practices create serious difficulties for EU industry interests in respecting climate change goals and exporting energy-saving, renewable and resource-efficient technologies, and that this must be tackled using all available instruments, including through the facilitation of technology transfer both politically and financially; 41. Points out that the new trading policy of some emerging countries, especially China, for raw materials worldwide, in particular in Africa, is having a major and negative impact on global security of access to commodities; stresses the need to overcome the current approach based on one-to-one relations between states and neglecting references to human rights, corporate social responsibility and environmental and social standards, in favour of a multilateral approach based on the criteria of sufficiency and sustainability of resource use; 42. Welcomes the Commission's initiative to continue to use all existing instruments to address trade practices in violation of international trade agreements as announced in its above-mentioned Communication on the Competitiveness of the Metals Industries; o 43. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and relevant international organisations such as UNCTAD, the WTO, the World Bank, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and the FAO.
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| Outermost regions |
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The European Parliament, – having regard to the communication from the Commission of 12 September 2007, 'Strategy for the outermost regions: achievements and future prospects' (COM(2007)0507) and the communications of 12 May 2004 (COM(2004)0343) and 23 August 2004 (COM(2004)0543) on a stronger partnership for the outermost regions, – having regard to Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty, which will be replaced by Articles 349 and 355 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, concerning the special characteristics of the outermost regions, and Article 107(3)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, – having regard to paragraph 60 of the Presidency conclusions of the European Council in Brussels on 14 December 2007, – having regard to the final declaration of the Thirteenth Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions in Madeira on 5 October 2007, – having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2000 on the measures to implement Article 299(2): the outermost regions of the European Union(1), its resolution of 7 July 2005 on the proposal for a Council regulation laying down specific measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union(2) and its resolution of 28 September 2005 on a stronger partnership for the outermost regions(3), – having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development and the opinion of the Committee on Fisheries (A6-0158/2008), A. whereas the Azores, the Canaries, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique and Reunion are characterised by a combination of permanent and severe handicaps, including their remoteness from the European mainland, their insularity or inaccessibility, their difficult topography and climate and the smallness of their markets, B. whereas Saint-Martin and Saint Barthélemy, which are administratively and politically separate from Guadeloupe, are named as new outermost regions (ORs) in Articles 349 and 355 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (EC Treaty, as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon), C. having regard to the structure of the economies of the outermost regions, marked by close links with agriculture and fisheries, which, together with services (particularly tourism), are economic activities which account for a very large number of jobs in these regions, D. having regard to the ORs' dependent situation, in social and economic terms, with regard to the fish stocks in their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and to the biological vulnerability of their fishing zones, E. whereas the immediate geographical environment of the outermost regions offers very limited market opportunities, while the markets of these regions are highly attractive to all neighbouring third countries, F. whereas the ORs are totally dependent on transport links and whereas the additional costs relating to the transport of persons and goods, inadequate services in terms of frequency or coverage, high fares, and the difficulties in setting up or maintaining regional transport services are major obstacles in the way of the economic development and accessibility of ORs, G. whereas, during the last three years, the ORs have been directly affected by major Community reforms, including the financial perspective, regional policy 2007-2013, the European Fisheries Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, State aids, the Common Organisation of the Markets in sugar and bananas and the Specific Options for Remoteness and Insularity Programme, and whereas these changes have frequently had serious effects on these regions, H. whereas the Union's political priorities, which must remain consistent with the ever more binding international commitments dictated by globalisation, particularly within the WTO, frequently run counter to the specific measures taken to assist the ORs, I. whereas the relative influence of the ORs has declined substantially in a Union that has grown from 12 to 27 Member States, J. whereas the image of ORs, often seen as regions subsidised by Community or regional funds, without consideration for the positive impact of such funding, is hardly offset by the genuine added value they contribute to the Union in environmental, cultural and geostrategic terms and as regards space research, which is not immediately visible, K. whereas the ORs are vital footholds for Europe in the heart of the Caribbean, in the neighbourhood of the Mercosur countries, and off the coast of Africa in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, making the Union one of the world's largest maritime areas, with EEZs totalling 25 million km2, containing a wealth of resources of all kinds, Achievements of the stronger partnership for the ORs 1. Welcomes the fact that, three years after the publication of the highly ambitious political positions contained in the aforementioned communications on a 'stronger partnership for the outermost regions', the Commission is now submitting a fresh communication on this subject; 2. Calls for the ORs unit in DG Regional Policy at the Commission to be maintained and its staff considerably strengthened in order to provide it with the resources necessary to fulfil its tasks, given the wide range of sectors involved and the complexity of the policies concerned; 3. Notes that the communication offers a particularly favourable assessment of the action taken by the Commission, even though many of the measures it prides itself on only partly address the needs of the ORs (particularly in the fields of transport and accessibility, research, fisheries and regional cooperation) and no reference is made to the problems encountered and efforts made by the ORs, for example, in connection with the renewal of State aid schemes; 4. Notes that Structural Fund intervention continues to play a major role in the development of the ORs; nevertheless, would like see indicators other than merely GDP as compared with the Community average being used to measure the degree of cohesion achieved and cohesion policy being better coordinated with other Community policies across the board, so as to enhance synergies; calls on the Commission to display greater flexibility and adapt its current and future policies more effectively to the realities of the situation of the ORs, on the basis of Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty; 5. Notes the satisfactory results obtained under the POSEI programme (agriculture and fisheries) and in the sugar cane, rum and bananas sectors; wishes to see proper consideration given to the financial impact which the ongoing international negotiations and the measures undertaken at the WTO may have on these agricultural sectors; will closely monitor the forthcoming mid-term review of POSEI and the assessment of differentiated tax regimes; 6. Maintains that the specific characteristics of the outermost regions call for a strategy based on policies and measures that are not dependent on transitional criteria or circumstantial wealth trends, are adapted to the different needs of each of those regions and contribute to offering solutions for the permanent constraints to which they are subject; 7. Calls on the Commission, recognising the specific characteristics of and differences between ORs, on the one hand, and considering their role in the EU's integrated maritime policy, on the other, to include in its plan support measures for the fishing industries in these regions; considers that the Commission must ensure positive discrimination for the ORs' fleets in terms of access to their own fish stocks, and also, specifically, safeguard the sustainability of traditional fisheries; Fruition stage of the stronger partnership for the ORs 8. Regrets that the proposals put forward by the Commission for the fruition of the partnership mostly concern measures which already exist or are being finalised (the European Transport Network, the European Energy Network, the Seventh Framework Programme for research, development and demonstration activities, the Framework Programme on Innovation and Competitiveness, regional policy); awaits clarification of the specific operational resources to be given to the ORs to develop these opportunities; 9. Is concerned at the ever-increasing importance placed by the Commission on tools for assessing Community policies and instruments to assist the ORs, and to estimating the quantitative effects of the handicaps faced by these regions with a view to devising a methodology for offsetting the additional costs linked to their outermost status; 10. Hopes that this tendency to take into account increasingly mathematical justifications for the measures taken will not serve as a pretext for calling into question part of the Union's policy to assist the ORs nor deter institutional and economic actors in the outermost regions by imposing conditions on them which are too difficult to meet; 11. Regrets the initial reluctance shown by DG Trade to take into account the specific characteristics of the outermost regions when negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and urges the Commission to continue to seek compromises that respect the interests of the ORs concerned, when it comes to reaching final agreements with the ACP countries; 12. Calls on the Commission to provide evidence that it genuinely intends to promote the regional integration of the ORs so as to give real substance to the Wider Neighbourhood Action Plan it promised in 2004; 13. Is concerned at some of the measures proposed by the Commission in the transport sector, particularly the assessment of specific needs and the taking into account of environmental externalities; reiterates the need for the ORs to be given differential treatment in this area, particularly as regards the inclusion of civil aviation in the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) system, so as not to jeopardise the efforts made to overcome their accessibility deficit; 14. Considers that Community actions should be a catalyst for a spirit of enterprise that will, including on the basis of public/private partnerships, transform the ORs into centres of excellence, driven by sectors which fully exploit their advantages and know-how, such as waste management, renewable energies, energy self-sufficiency, biodiversity, student mobility, research into climate change and crisis management; 15. Points out that many actions and programmes to be pursued and initiated for the ORs can make significant contributions to established Community and international priorities, in particular as regards climate change, the protection of biodiversity, renewable energies, health in developing countries, food supplies and diversification of economic and productive activities; welcomes the implementation of the NET-BIOME programme (NETworking tropical and subtropical Biodiversity research in OuterMost regions and territories of Europe) in particular, which is a significant example of the ORs' potential in the field of scientific research; wonders, however, about the fact that, despite the quantity of projects conducted and the extent of the OR's potential, the ORs' integration in the European Research Area is still limited; 16. Calls for the efforts made to date concerning the ORs to be pursued in order both to step up the establishment of local research facilities that are equal to their potential and to encourage and help the development of attractive, successful universities, with genuine resources and with standards equal to those of universities in other parts of the Union's territory; Debate on the future of the Union's strategy for the ORs 17. Commends the Commission on its initiative in opening a debate on the future of the strategy to assist the outermost regions, in the form of a public consultation, the results of which will serve as the basis for drawing up a new proposal by 2009; 18. Stresses, nevertheless, that this debate should not be confined to the challenges mentioned (climate change, demographic change and migration management, agriculture, maritime policy) even though these topics clearly cannot be ignored, and considers that the debate should necessarily include Lisbon strategy implementation as regards the ORs; 19. Urges that the scope of Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty (in due course Articles 349 and 355 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), which is the cornerstone of the Union's policy to assist ORs and the basis for the approach taken to these regions by the Commission's services, should be included on the agenda for the debates so as to give them the legal, institutional and political substance they merit; 20. Stresses the importance of public services for economic, social and territorial cohesion in the outermost regions, in such areas as air and sea transport, postal services, energy and communications; 21. Believes there is an urgent need to adopt measures aimed at combating endemic unemployment, poverty and unequal income distribution in the ORs, which have some of the worst rates in the Union; 22. Calls on the Commission to assist any Member States planning to implement the 'passerelle' clause in Article 355(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union; 23. Believes that the ORs provide the Union with an opportunity in its current reflection on climate distortion with regard to trend observation, damage prevention, disaster response and the protection of ecosystems; calls, in this connection, on the Council to adopt without delay the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund, which is specifically aimed at the special position of outermost regions; believes also that the Commission's proposals to strengthen the Union's disaster response capacity should make full use of expertise relating to the geographical location of these regions; 24. Believes that the future common immigration policy should devote special attention to the position of ORs, which are all EU external borders, are surrounded by less-favoured third countries and are subject to very strong migratory pressure which, added to a population growth rate which in many cases is still far higher than the Community average, is causing worrying levels of economic and social tension in these regions; 25. Requests that Community support for agriculture in the ORs, which is given less emphasis than other sectors, should be the object of extensive debate with reference to identifying the real challenges, the need to move towards local self-sufficiency, farm income levels, support for producers" organisations in connection with the marketing of their products, the importance of the environmental dimension and the need to take into account the effects of the opening up of trade introduced by the EPAs and the free-trade agreements currently being negotiated with several Latin American regions; 26. Believes that ORs should be placed at the heart of EU maritime policy, and stresses that the debate on this issue should focus on the role they can play as regards sustainable use of seas, oceans and coastal areas, and international maritime governance; 27. Requests the Commission, the Council and the other EU institutions concerned to efficiently and adequately and effectively ensure future Community funding of the Union's strategy to assist ORs and the compensation of handicaps linked to their outermost status; 28. Recommends that ways of overcoming the narrowness of local markets, the increasingly open competitive environment and the difficulty of finding market outlets in mainland Europe markets, as well as of improving the coordination of the European Regional Development Fund/European Development Fund (ERDF/EDF) and European Regional Development Fund/Development Cooperation Instrument (ERDF/DCI) funding for cooperation projects with neighbouring countries, should also be priorities for debate, together with effective participation by the ORs in European policies to promote innovation and overcome the digital divide in order to ensure full access for the inhabitants of these regions to the means of information and communication offered by the new technologies, including broadband Internet access; 29. Stresses that the partnership, which is essential to the success of the debate, should not be limited solely to European, national and local public institutions, but should provide an opportunity, as in the past, to involve in discussions the entire economic fabric of the outermost regions, represented by structured organisations which have day-to-day experience of the impact of Community policies on the ground; calls on the Commission to submit, following the Partners' Conference, organised by the Commission, on the European strategy in relation to ORs, which is due to be held in Brussels on 14 and 15 May 2008, a new communication taking due account of the progress made at the conference; 30. Considers that the best strategy for ensuring the endogenous and sustainable development of the outermost regions is to make the most of their particular attributes, as outposts of the Union outside continental Europe, especially through a form of tourism that fully reflects the wealth of their history and cultural, artistic and architectural heritage, which the Union has a duty to preserve; o 31. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Committee of the Regions, the Economic and Social Committee, the national, regional and local authorities of the ORs, and the President-in-Office of the Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions.
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| EU consumer policy strategy 2007-2013 |
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The European Parliament, – having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee entitled "EU Consumer Policy strategy 2007-2013 - Empowering consumers, enhancing their welfare, effectively protecting them" (COM(2007)0099), – having regard to the Council Resolution on the Consumer Policy Strategy of the EU (2007-2013), adopted at its meeting held on 30 and 31 May 2007, – having regard to its resolution of 27 September 2007 on the obligations of cross-border service providers(1), – having regard to its resolution of 6 September 2007 on the Green Paper on the Review of the Consumer Acquis(2), – having regard to its resolution of 4 September 2007 on the Single Market Review: tackling barriers and inefficiencies through better implementation and enforcement(3), – having regard to its resolution of 21 June 2007 on consumer confidence in the digital environment(4), – having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a single market for 21st century Europe (COM(2007)0724), – having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, accompanying the Communication on a single market for 21st century Europe, on services of general interest, including social services of general interest: a new European commitment (COM(2007)0725), – having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on opportunities, access and solidarity: towards a new social vision for 21st century Europe (COM(2007)0726), – having regard to the Commission Staff Working Document entitled "Initiatives In The Area Of Retail Financial Services" (SEC(2007)1520), accompanying the Communication from the Commission on a single market for 21st century Europe, – having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and the opinions of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (A6-0155/2008), Introduction 1. Welcomes the Commission's communication on EU consumer policy strategy and also appreciates the Commission's efforts to incorporate consumer culture established at a higher level of consumer awareness, which forms the basis for better transposition and implementation of the existing legal framework; 2. Takes the view that a horizontal approach to consumer policy is necessary and that it is vital to take the consumer's interest into account in all relevant policy areas in order to ensure that all EU consumers enjoy a high level of protection; hence welcomes the Commission's highlighting the need to ensure that the internal market is more responsive to the expectations and concerns of citizens; stresses that consumer protection and the completion of the internal market are not conflicting objectives but on the contrary go hand in hand; reminds the Commission, in this respect, that consumer policy should be present in all policy areas as early as the stage of the impact assessment; 3. Considers that the needs of consumer protection can be satisfied by legislation only if it is better, simpler and prepared with the involvement of all the competent Commission Directorates-General – Health and Consumers; Justice, Freedom and Security; Internal Market and Services; Competition; 4. Emphasises the fact that the review of the consumer acquis should lead to a more coherent legal framework for consumers' rights; recalls its preference for the adoption of a mixed approach, i.e. a horizontal instrument with the primary goal of ensuring the coherence of existing legislation and enabling loopholes to be closed by grouping together, in consistent law, cross-sectoral issues common to all directives; considers that specific questions should continue to be considered separately in the sectoral directives; the long established principles of consumer rights should also be applied in the digital world; urges, in the context of the review of the aquis, more steps to be taken to ensure consumer protection, including privacy and security, in the digital world, without, however, putting an additional and unjustified burden on industry; 5. Deplores the weak emphasis on the law of contract in consumer protection and calls on the Commission to draw on the work done in the contract law project, where necessary refocusing it; 6. Since the greatest obstacles to the development of an internal market in retailing include uncertainties regarding consumer contracts, supports the Commission in its efforts to introduce standard contracts and conditions for contracts concluded on-line which would have the same force in all the Member States; 7. Emphasises the important role played by consumer organisations in improving consumer culture; considers strong, independent consumer organisations to be the basis of an effective consumer policy; hence calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide adequate funding for such organisations; advises the Commission, when drafting legislative proposals relating to consumer protection, to increase contact with non-governmental consumer organisations, which are well-placed to identify the actual needs of consumers; 8. Welcomes the proposal for consumer liaison officers to be appointed within the Commission; urges each relevant Directorate-General to publish annual reports on how consumer policy is integrated into its area of responsibility; 9. Takes the view that a strong consumer protection system, effective all over Europe, will benefit consumers as well as competitive producers and sellers; underlines the fact that this will create incentives for businesses to produce and sell more durable goods, resulting in more sustainable growth; underlines the fact that effective and improved consumer protection is necessary in order to achieve a better functioning internal market; 10. Calls for measures to ensure that the 27 national mini-markets within the EU will actually be transformed into the largest retail market in the world; takes the view that this requires that citizens feel equally safe shopping via the internet or at the local corner shop, and that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can rely on the same simple rules throughout the internal market; calls on the Commission to consider ways of improving protection for SMEs, in particular by means of the Small Business Act; 11. Stresses that the completion of the internal market must be a priority; recognises the positive role that the euro has played in reducing transaction costs, facilitating cross-border price comparisons for consumers, and increasing the potential of the internal market for retail; encourages the new Member States to continue with reforms in order to be able to adopt the euro as soon as they fulfil the Maastricht criteria, and thus to benefit fully from the positive impact of the single currency on the internal market; calls for the removal of all remaining barriers and obstacles in order to secure consumer confidence in cross-border purchases and other contracts, particularly concerning services, while keeping in mind the necessity of a specific approach with regard to language, culture and consumer preferences; 12. Stresses that European norms in consumer policy and self-regulation initiatives should serve as a reference for global standards and best practices, and welcomes the fact that Europe is a trendsetter, using its soft power to improve consumer rights globally; 13. Encourages the Commission to continue to strongly support consumers' rights in relation to product safety by ensuring the integrity of the CE marking and improving market surveillance at all appropriate national levels, using the RAPEX (Rapid Alert System for non-food consumer products), through the sharing of best practice solutions for market surveillance among Member States; calls on the Commission to work with Member States to ensure that existing legislation is properly implemented and fully enforced by the Member States including by assessing the possibility of reviewing Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 December 2001 on general product safety(5) ("the General Product Safety Directive"); recalls that the CE marking can be wrongly interpreted as a general indication of third-party testing or a mark of origin, but also that the Commission has been requested(6) to present an in-depth analysis in the field of consumer safety markings, if necessary followed by legislative proposals; 14. Welcomes the Commission's efforts to strengthen cooperation in the area of product safety at international level, in particular with the Chinese, US and Japanese authorities; notes that continued dialogue and information-sharing on product safety is in the interests of all parties and central to building consumer confidence; urges the Commission to report back to Parliament on this at regular intervals; Improved knowledge base 15. Takes the view that, as a rule, consumers can be assumed to act rationally prior to a purchase, but not to be fully aware of their rights in case of problems; hence calls for an increased focus on genuine consumer behaviour, while taking into account special needs of vulnerable groups such as children and elderly people and people with certain disabilities; recalls the newly adopted budget line proposed by Parliament for a pilot project inter alia to develop a consumer data base and conduct surveys and interviews and a comparison of achievements in the Member States; welcomes the work of the Commission in establishing a consumer policy scoreboard, which will lead to improved understanding inter alia of price structures and consumer behaviour and satisfaction; 16. Stresses the need for any harmonisation measures to be targeted carefully so as to tackle the real problems faced by consumers in the internal market; considers that, where there is a genuine need for harmonisation, it should be full in order to avoid consumer protection across the EU being patchy and difficult for undertakings to take into account in marketing across borders; points out that the present situation constitutes a disincentive for SMEs seeking to trade Europe-wide and is confusing for consumers; 17. Is of the view that special focus should be given to equip consumers with the skills and tools needed to increase their confidence in the digital environment; points out that personal data have become a trade product as well as an ingredient of commercial methods, for example behavioural targeting; is of the opinion, therefore, that data protection and privacy rules should be included in any consumer strategy; emphasises the fact that data are available for use at any given moment, in any part of the world; emphasises the urgent need for global standards for data protection to be developed by law-makers jointly with industry and consumer organisations; 18. Highlights the important role of new and increasingly used selling channels, such as e-commerce, in strengthening competition in the internal market and, as a consequence, the capacity to consume; is of the opinion that financial, banking and insurance markets are particularly open to e-commerce and urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure more favourable conditions for the development of the cross-border e-purchase; asks the Commission to conduct a study on the different mechanisms for solving disagreements between consumers and enterprises used in the Member States, with the aim to identify and promote the use of the effective ones; encourages the creation of a sound basis of consumer protection, which is essential, particularly in financial services; 19. Welcomes the use of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development as a tool to further increase analytical and empirical understanding of consumer behaviour; 20. Takes the view that consumer protection should be an integral part of the processes of the planning and design of products and services by undertakings, and that examining market change is vital; 21. Calls for measures to improve dialogue at EU level between consumer organisations and industry, to include all actors in the value chain; takes the view that a good dialogue, including the sharing of best practices, could reduce problems in the internal market; supports initiatives designed to encourage the participation of consumer policy stakeholders in consultations and policy development; welcomes efforts aimed at strengthening consumer protection and consumer awareness in newer Member States; stresses the importance of continued support for consumer organisations in the EU, in particular in newer Member States; 22. Underlines the fact that the development of a consumer culture is assisted by the systematic education of consumers as regards their rights and the assertion thereof; for this reason, the EU and the Member States should invest more in consumer information and education campaigns that target the right messages at the right consumer segment; emphasises the fact that consumer education must form part of lifelong education and recommends the use of new technologies (in particular the internet) as a means of informing consumers; 23. Is of the opinion that increased emphasis should be given to the special needs of vulnerable groups, such as children, elderly people and people with certain disabilities, when designing consumer policy, and that demographic development should be taken into account; 24. Underlines the need for a gender, as well as an age and ethnic dimension, to be taken into account when developing indicators and statistics in order to identify specific problem areas facing different consumer groups; Enhanced focus on services 25. Recalls its resolution on the obligations of cross-border service providers; looks forward to the Commission work programme on this issue; asks the Commission to further clarify its intentions, if any, for further initiatives in this area; 26. Highlights the importance of promoting cross-border transactions in order to increase freedom of choice and the role of competition policy and education about responsible consumption in ensuring that consumers have the best options in terms of price, quality and variety, particularly regarding basic goods and services such as food, housing, education, health, energy, transport and telecommunications; stresses that enhanced liberalisation of the services market in particular is needed to promote competition, thus offering lower prices for consumers; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote innovation in the financial services sector with the aim of providing better options for consumers; 27. Underlines the need, in addition to adequate and effective measures to protect consumers, to ensure good communication on the subject, so as to make it clear to consumers how they can assert their rights under internal market legislation and other legislation from which they stand to benefit; 28. Considers that special attention is needed to ensure consumer protection and choice in the completion of the internal market for financial services; stresses that financial, banking and insurance products are extremely complex, and that if citizens are to be encouraged to increase their use of those products, especially when dealing with their future pensions, binding policies favouring consumer information and advice should ensure that consumers are aware of all the options available; stresses, however, that consumer protection cannot be an excuse for protectionism; underlines that a fully integrated retail financial services market must be driven by market forces; 29. Believes that, in relation to financial markets, the key issue is the transposition and full implementation of all EU legislation, as well as harmonisation across the Member States; recommends strengthening uniform enforcement of existing legislation before proposing additional rules; in relation to new legislation, urges the Commission to comply with the principle of better regulation, avoiding unjustified additional burdens on consumers and industry; Improved access to redress 30. Welcomes the strategy's focus on better enforcement and redress, which are important factors in creating consumer confidence; takes the view that creating consumer confidence is the most important factor for the completion of the internal market for consumer goods and services; advocates further work on this issue; 31. Takes the view that disputes between consumers and economic operators should primarily be settled out of court, as solutions reached by non-judicial means of redress may be more rapid and reached at a lower cost; this necessitates strengthening the European Consumers Centres and SOLVIT and greater financial resources for their network; recalls that Member States are free to require that a prior consultation be undertaken by the party that intends to bring an action in order to give the defendant an opportunity to bring the contested infringement to an end; 32. Recalls that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) systems are, by their nature, an alternative solution to traditional black-letter law mechanisms; the incentive to use ADR is therefore dependent on the existence of hard-law alternatives that provide effective, readily accessible and non-discriminatory redress for the consumer; 33. Recalls that the growth of e-commerce necessitates a harmonisation throughout the EU of ADR which satisfies the requirements of Commission Recommendation 98/257/EC of 30 March 1998 on the principles applicable to the bodies responsible for out-of-court settlement of consumer disputes(7) and Commission Recommendation 2001/310/EC of 4 April 2001 on the principles for out-of-court bodies involved in the consensual resolution of consumer disputes(8); more work is needed on on-line dispute resolution, for which Parliament has been calling since at least 1999; 34. Recalls that safeguarding effective enforcement of rights originating from Community legislation is principally an obligation of Member States; they are responsible for adapting their national procedural law in such a way that these rights are readily enforceable, to the benefit of consumers and economic operators; first of all, the Community is not competent to prescribe rules for national procedural law, and moreover, Article 5 of the EC Treaty requires the Community not to go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaty; consequently, in accordance with that Article, the specific features of national legal systems must as far as possible be taken into account by leaving Member States free to choose between different options having equivalent effect; 35. Calls on the Commission to explore the merits of establishing a special European Consumer Ombudsman for cross-border cases; notes that a number of Member States have consumer ombudsmen in several sectors, helping consumers to deal with economic operators; believes this approach could be examined by the Commission on a country-by-country basis; 36. Notes that in some, but not all, Member States elements of a specific consumer redress system already exist, such as joint actions, group actions, representative actions, test cases and skimming-off procedures; points to the fact that, as a result, consumers may face different legal provisions in cross-border cases in this respect; 37. Recalls that Directive 98/27/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 1998 on injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests(9) already aims at the protection of the collective interests of consumers; underlines that this Directive gives inter alia consumer organisations standing to start injunction procedures; asks the Commission to submit, to the Parliament and the Council, a report evaluating how far and why this Directive has or has not brought the expected improvements in relation to the protection of the collective interests of consumers; 38. Considers that, before starting any reflections about legislation at EU level, a thorough examination of existing problems, if any, and the envisaged benefits for consumers should be undertaken; 39. Considers that in a number of Member States there are constitutional constraints that have to be taken into account when it comes to designing a European model for consumer redress; further considers that Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights needs to be fully respected; calls on the Commission to submit a report to the Parliament and the Council on how, in this regard, to achieve the necessary balance between the rights of consumers, consumer organisations and economic operators; 40. Calls on the Commission to carefully assess the issue of consumer redress in the Member States, bearing in mind that any new proposals by it in that area should be based on a thorough examination of existing problems and the envisaged benefits for consumers, andthat in respect of cross-border proceedings and possible systems of collective redress, extensive research should be carried out, drawing on experience around the world, with special regard to the concerns expressed at the excesses and drawbacks of the US model, and dealing clearly with the question of an appropriate legal base for such an instrument at EU level; asks the Commission then to present, as appropriate, a coherent solution at European level, providing all consumers with access to collective redress mechanisms for the settlement of cross-border complaints; 41. Asks the Commission to consult Parliament and the Member States on the assessment of those studies; o 42. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.
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| Progress made in equal-opportunities and non-discrimination in the EU (transposition of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC) |
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The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission communication on non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all - A framework strategy (COM(2005)0224), – having regard to Article 13 of the EC Treaty, – having regard to Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin(1), – having regard to Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation(2), – having regard to the Commission communication on the application of Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (COM(2006)0643), – having regard to the Commission report on Developing Anti-Discrimination Law in Europe: The 25 EU Member States compared, of July 2007, – having regard to the national reports on the implementation of anti-discrimination legislation and the thematic reports produced by the network of legal experts in anti-discrimination to support its work set up by the Commission in order to provide independent information and advice on relevant developments in the Member States, – having regard to the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, – having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, – having regard to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Protocol No12 thereto, – having regard to the Commission's Special Eurobarometer Survey on Discrimination in the European Union, of January 2007, – having regard to the designation of 2007 as European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and 2008 as European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, – having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A6-0159/2008), A. whereas Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union provides that the European Union shall be founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States and it is important that political declarations on the fight against discrimination are matched by the progressive development and full and correct implementation of legislation and policies, notably as regards the directives prohibiting discrimination and projects promoting equality, B. whereas Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union also provides that the European Union shall respect fundamental rights as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the promotion of equality and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 13 of the EC Treaty should be a priority of the European Union's laws and policies, C. whereas employment is one of the basic requirements of social inclusion but levels of unemployment among many groups, in particular women, migrants, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, older and younger people and those with isolated or unrecognised skills, remain unacceptably high; whereas unemployment among persons suffering from multiple discrimination is even higher, D. whereas Community law does not currently cover discrimination in most areas of Community competence and whereas Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC provide different levels of protection, which create gaps in protection against discrimination that impacts on employment, E. whereas the Commission's mapping survey on Developing Anti-Discrimination law in Europe confirms that at Member State level there is a patchwork of legislation across Member States, protecting against discrimination in different ways and often lacking a common method of implementation, which has led to a lack of harmony in the implementation of directives and a situation in which people are not sufficiently aware of their rights, F. whereas the inconsistent application of non-discrimination policies in Member States contributes to the lack of implementation in practice of Community directives prohibiting discrimination, as is reflected in reports such as that of the European Group of Experts on Combating Sexual Orientation Discrimination entitled "Combating sexual orientation discrimination in employment: legislation in fifteen EU member states", G. whereas in its resolution of 5 December 2007 on the follow-up of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007)(3), the Council invited Member States and the Commission, in accordance with their respective competences, to sustain and reinforce the mainstreaming of disability issues into all relevant policies, H. whereas the Commission has therefore justly commenced procedures against several Member States, and needs to continue doing so when necessary, 1. Calls on the Member States to take due account in their legislative practice of the various grounds for discrimination set out in Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; 2. Recalls that Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC provide minimum requirements and should be the foundation on which a more comprehensive Community anti-discrimination policy is built; 3. Expresses concern about deficiencies in the transposition and implementation of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC by some Member States and the lack of information for EU citizens about possible remedies in cases of discrimination; 4. Regrets that Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC do not cover differences in treatment of a discriminatory nature based on physical criteria such as height or complexion, particularly in relation to access to jobs where there is no direct link between those physical characteristics and the skills required to perform the jobs concerned; 5. Calls on the Member States to ensure that, following the transposition of all their provisions, Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC are fully, correctly and effectively transposed and adequately implemented, and that, in accordance with their provisions, any exemptions are objectively justified; 6. Calls on the competent EU, national and local authorities to improve the coordination of their efforts of implementation; calls for a unified approach to combating discrimination which is inclusive of, and takes into account, all grounds for discrimination at the same time; 7. Emphasises that public authorities have a key role to play in promoting equality and preventing discrimination, through their policies, their provision of services and their employment practices; 8. Calls for a commitment by the Commission to carry out a substantial review of the implementation of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC as well as issuing interpretive guidelines for their implementation to ensure full and correct implementation by Member States; calls on the Commission, in particular, to assess the way in which Member States have interpreted the exemptions provided for in Articles 6 and 8 when transposing Directive 2000/78/EC into national law; recalls that the implementation of both Directives requires a range of mechanisms and strategies including compliance, proactive engagement and enforcement as well as effective exchanges of best practices; 9. Urges that sanctions applicable to infringements of national provisions adopted pursuant to the transposition of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive; 10. Urges the Commission to monitor carefully the transposition of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC as well as compliance with legislation resulting from their transposition, and to continue to put pressure on the Member States, by way of infringement and non-compliance procedures, to respect their legal obligations in fully transposing those Directives as soon as possible; believes that Parliament's competent Committee should play a role in the ongoing monitoring of Member States" obligations under those Directives; 11. Reminds the Commission that Article 4 of Directive 2000/78/EC permits exceptions only to the extent that they are genuinely objectively necessary for the satisfactory performance of occupational activities; calls on the Commission to interpret that article strictly and to bring actions against Member States before the Court of Justice if they permit too broad a definition in their national legislation; 12. Asks for an annual evaluation of Member State implementation as part of the open method of coordination and an extended review of the implementation of such legislation every five years as part of the Social Agenda; believes that independent bodies concerned with non-discrimination issues, including the Commission's network of legal experts and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) representing potential victims of discrimination, should be involved in that annual evaluation and that concrete measures should be taken to build the capacity of NGOs in order to enable them to provide information and support to victims and to contribute constructively to the annual evaluation; 13. Believes that the absence of a provision in Directive 2000/78/EC indicating the necessity for broad definitions of disability has excluded some categories of disabled people from the legal protection of that Directive; therefore invites the Commission and the Member States to agree such broad definitions of disability urgently, in order to facilitate the harmonisation of anti-discrimination legislation, which could be based on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; 14. Believes that the lack of a provision establishing a time limit for bringing proceedings to challenge discrimination has led some Member States to set very short time limits, which might be an obstacle to bringing such proceedings; 15. Believes that exceptions linked to marital status in Directive 2000/78/EC has limited the protection against discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation offered by that Directive; 16. Urges the Member States to promote more effectively the application of the rights of EU citizens under Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC, and urges the Commission, the Member States, trade unions, employers, as well as governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to do all in their power to improve awareness of rights under those Directives and to ensure that victims of discrimination have access to a range of advocacy support to enable them effective to exercise their rights thereunder; notes that the burden is often on the victim to challenge the alleged perpetrator of the discrimination, frequently with neither support from any public authority nor access to legal aid; urges Member States to empower concerned independent bodies to provide effective help to victims of discrimination; 17. Is concerned about the low level of awareness of anti-discrimination legislation among citizens in the Member States and calls on the Commission, the Member States, trade unions and employers to step up their efforts to raise that level of awareness; recalls that the Directives impose an obligation on Member States to disseminate information to the public on the relevant provisions of the Directives by all appropriate means; 18. Recommends that Member States undertake independent reviews of preventive and restitutive anti-discriminatory measures and the effectiveness of protection against victimisation and ensure that statutory and non-statutory bodies that participate in the prevention of discrimination and that support the victims of discrimination are adequately resourced; recommends also that the Commission include peer reviews in its ongoing monitoring exercise; 19. Recommends that Member States adequately resource and empower independent bodies that promote equality so that they can perform their role effectively and independently, including providing sound expertise on all forms of discrimination and appropriate assistance for victims of discrimination; encourages the Member States to ensure that the remit of those bodies covers all forms of discrimination, and calls on the Commission to establish standards against which to monitor and ensure the effectiveness and independence of those bodies; 20. Recommends that Member States and the Commission resource and empower those NGOs that represent discriminated groups, and those that are active in informing citizens and providing legal aid, as regards matters of discrimination; 21. Calls on the Member States to work together with the relevant social partners to monitor the correct implementation of Community legislation; 22. Stresses that in any event Member States should ensure that victims of discrimination are automatically assisted in legal proceedings, if necessary by public funding through legal aid schemes; 23. Calls upon the Commission practically and effectively to support the adoption of measures by Member States through the Progress programme and the European Social Fund in order to support programmes promoting equal opportunities and the eradication of discrimination; 24. Recommends that, in order to provide a more effective level of protection, Member States should empower associations, organisations and other legal entities to engage in legal proceedings, including on behalf or in support of any victim; 25. Urges the Member State governments to ensure equal treatment and opportunities under employment and social inclusion policies, and, in particular, to address the serious barriers raised by discrimination in recruitment procedures; 26. Recommends that Member States ensure that associations, organisations and other legal entities may engage on behalf of one or more complainants in any judicial proceedings for the enforcement of the Directives; 27. Calls on the Member States, in cooperation with the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and the Commission, to collect, compile and publish comprehensive, accurate, comparable, reliable and separate statistics on discrimination at regular intervals and to publish them in such a way that they can be easily understood by the public and enable a more effective exchanges of best practices; stresses the need for the availability of sufficient funds to achieve this and the importance of developing ways of gathering data on discrimination in line with data protection legislation; 28. Calls for the establishment of national integrated action plans against all forms of discrimination; 29. Welcomes the Commission's interest in collecting equality data, including the publishing of the European handbook on such data; asks the Commission to study carefully the various legal questions and parameters regarding the issue of data collection and to put forward proposals to improve the recording of cases of discrimination and look at common standards for data collection; recommends that the Commission continue to provide legal training for judges, lawyers, trade unions and NGOs in order to enhance the long-term impact of the Directives, and also conduct more research and analysis of the impact of legislation transposing the Directives; 30. Welcomes the Commission's interest in multiple discrimination, including its launch of a study on this subject; calls on the Commission to adopt a balanced broad concept of multiple discrimination and for the Commission to examine and supply data on multiple discrimination and hate crimes; calls on the Commission to include provisions explicitly designed to combat multiple discrimination in any future legislation adopted under Article 13 of the EC Treaty, which can be invoked on either one or a combination of more than one of the grounds; 31. Stresses the importance of networking between groups active in combating discrimination at European, national, regional and local level; 32. Calls on Member States to review their national legislation and consider repealing acts that are incompatible with Article 13 of the EC Treaty; 33. Regards Directive 2000/43/EC as the foundation upon which to base a comprehensive anti-discrimination framework for measures relating to the prohibition against discrimination on the basis of race or ethnic origin; stresses, however, that account must be taken of problematic aspects which have already been identified and of the difficulties encountered by Member States in effectively transposing and implementing the provisions of that Directive; 34. Stresses that the Commission must produce a common, EU-wide definition of, or at least work towards a consensus about, the meaning of positive action, thereby dispelling the myths surrounding its meaning and its application in some Member States, particularly given its effectiveness for successfully tackling discrimination and producing equality of outcomes in some Member States; 35. Notes that the Commission may intend now to put forward only legislation to outlaw discrimination in access to goods and services on some, but not all grounds; reminds the Commission of its commitment to put forward a comprehensive directive covering disability, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation to complete the package of anti-discrimination legislation under Article 13 of the EC Treaty as provided in its 2008 work programme; reiterates the political, social and legal desirability of putting an end to the hierarchy of protection against the different grounds of discrimination; strongly believes that it does not make sense to prohibit discrimination in one area while allowing it in another; 36. Awaits with interest the development of the Community definition of disability which will allow disabled people from all over the European Union to enjoy the same rights wherever they are situated within the European Union; 37. Believes that any new proposed directive designed to combat discrimination as referred to in Article 13 of the EC Treaty will have to prohibit all forms of discrimination, including direct and indirect discrimination, in all areas already covered by Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC, discrimination by association, discrimination linked to perceived membership of a protected group and harassment; believes that an instruction to discriminate should be deemed to constitute discrimination, and that an unjustified failure to make a reasonable accommodation should be regarded as a form of discrimination; believes that the Directives should make clear that there is no hierarchy between the different forms of discrimination and that they must all be combated in equally strong measure; insists that any new proposed legislation duly reflects all the specificities of the different respective grounds; 38. Believes strongly that the material scope of the new proposal for a directive to combat discrimination within the meaning of Article 13 of the EC Treaty must be broad, covering all the areas that fall within the Community's competence as well as education, life-long learning, social protection including social security, housing and healthcare, images of discriminated groups in the media and advertising, physical access to information for people with disabilities, telecommunication, electronic communication, transport modes and public spaces, social advantages and access to and supply of goods and services which are available to the public; further believes that the new directive should also develop the scope of Council Directive 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions(4) to make it is consistent with the protection of discrimination against the other groups; 39. Is firmly convinced that in combating discrimination, a holistic approach to raising public awareness must be developed, beginning with school programmes; 40. Calls on the Commission to investigate how future legislation based on Article 13 can incorporate further provisions promoting the implementation of the principles of non-discrimination and equality which are not dependent on complaints being made by individual victims; believes that that investigation should consider how future legislation can create obligations to introduce positive action and/or positive duties to promote equality, and link obligations related to non-discrimination and equality to national public procurement policy; 41. Takes the view that differences in treatment based on nationality or language, which are neither objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim nor achieved by appropriate and necessary means, may constitute indirect discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin contrary to Directive 2000/43/EC; 42. Considers that discrimination must also be seen as interfering with the four fundamental freedoms - particularly the freedom of movement for persons - and as such constitutes an obstacle to the functioning of the internal market; calls on the Commission to encourage the Member States to review their transitional provisions regulating access to their labour markets in order to eliminate differentiation between European citizens in this respect; 43. Considers that minority communities, and in particular the Roma community, need specific social protection, since their problems of exploitation, discrimination and exclusion have become even more acute in the areas of education, health, housing, employment and women's rights following recent enlargements of the European Union; 44. Recommends that, as regards access to high-quality education for disadvantaged and Roma children and their unjustified classification as disabled, special attention be paid to fighting all forms of discrimination encountered in the field of education; 45. Emphasises, that legislation is effective only when citizens are aware of their rights and have easy access to the courts; therefore believes that the new proposal for a directive to combat discrimination within the meaning of Article 13 of the EC Treaty must also address remedies and enforcement and recommends the establishment by Member States of one or more independent and effective bodies for the promotion of equal treatment and for combating the various forms of discrimination, with a remit to cover all grounds of discrimination under Article 13, and all areas covered by Directive 76/207/EEC; believes that the competence of those bodies should include providing independent assistance to the victims of discrimination in order to enable them to pursue their complaints about discrimination, conducting independent surveys about the application of non-discrimination legislation and making recommendations on any issue relating to such discrimination; 46. Calls for an obligation to be included in any future legislation under Article 13 of the EC Treaty to consult and include NGOs, independent specialised equality bodies, and representative national organisations, in regard to the drafting, the transposition process and the monitoring of its implementation; 47. Believes that the new directive should include a requirement that Member States implement equality mainstreaming in all planning, policy making and programme development in the areas covered by the directive, that service providers be organised and systematic in their approach to equality, and that service providers make adjustments and provide special treatment to ensure that members of minority groups that are experiencing inequality can access and benefit from the services provided; 48. Notes with concern that while 19 Member States have signed Protocol No12 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, only 5 have ratified that Protocol; 49. Calls for the continuation of the process of signature, conclusion and ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including its Optional Protocol, and recalls that, following ratification of the Convention by the Community, any proposed Community non-discrimination legislation must comply with its requirements in full; reminds the Council about its call on the Commission, made at the informal ministerial conference on disability in June 2007, to launch a European strategy for the effective implementation of the Convention; calls upon the Commission, within that framework, to evaluate the need to amend secondary Community legislation or adapt relevant policies; 50. Stresses the importance of horizontal implementation and mainstreaming of the non-discrimination clause of the Treaty of Lisbon after it comes into force, which commits the European Union to aim to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in defining and implementing its policies and activities; 51. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to mainstream equal opportunities and non-discrimination in the Lisbon Strategy for growth and employment, the guidelines for the open method of coordination on social inclusion, and national reform programmes and the regulations governing the structural funds; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to revise the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs and, in particular, the Employment Guidelines in order to ensure and improve the integration and visibility of the social dimension in the next cycle of the Lisbon Strategy; emphasises that in order to be effective equality and non-discrimination policies need to be strongly linked to social policies with an important role for social partners; 52. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to end all discrimination based on the employment contract by ensuring equal treatment for all workers, health and safety protection, provision for working and rest time, freedom of association and representation, protection against unfair dismissal, collective bargaining and collective action; emphasises the importance of access to training as well as the continued protection of acquired rights by covering periods of education and training, improved care opportunities, the maintenance of essential social rights such as pension rights, training rights and the right to unemployment benefits during changes in a person's occupational situation, between employment contracts and between dependent and autonomous employment; 53. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the parliaments and governments of the Member States and candidate countries.
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| An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union |
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The European Parliament, – having regard to the Commission communication entitled 'An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union' (COM(2007)0575 - SEC(2007)1283), – having regard to the Commission communication entitled 'Conclusions from the Consultation on a European Maritime Policy' (COM(2007)0574), – having regard to the Commission proposal for a joint tripartite declaration establishing a 'European Maritime Day' (SEC(2007)1631), – having regard to the Commission Green Paper entitled 'Towards a future maritime policy for the Union: a European vision for the oceans and seas' (COM(2006)0275) and the Parliament's resolution of 12 July 2007(1), – having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the European Council of 8 - 9 March 2007 on the adoption by the European Council of a 'European Council Action Plan (2007-2009) – Energy Policy for Europe', – having regard to the Commission communication entitled '20 20 by 2020 – Europe's climate change opportunity' (COM(2008)0030), – having regard to the provisions laid down in the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 23 February 2006, a single instrument encompassing and adapting the maritime labour conventions adopted by the ILO since 1919, – having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure, – having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the opinions of the Committee on Regional Development, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Fisheries (A6-0163/2008), A. whereas the oceans and seas are essential economic and environmental factors for the EU; whereas the EU, through its coastal and outermost regions, offers 320 000 km of coastline which is home to a third of Europe's population, B. whereas marine-based industries and services, together with the coastal regions, contribute 40 % of EU GDP, C. whereas climate change is the greatest challenge of all policies in the 21st century; having regard to the threat posed to coastal regions by the climate-induced rise in sea levels, which may be on a massive scale, with drastic consequences for residents, D. whereas on the one hand the EU's maritime regions, and particularly its outermost regions, play a very important role regarding safety and security against criminal acts such as illegal immigration, terrorism and smuggling and yet on the other hand they are exposed to specific environmental disasters, E. whereas in the last year criminal assaults against Community fishing, merchant and passenger vessels, in international waters near the African coasts have increased in number and frequency, posing a great risk to the lives of the crew, and having a significant negative impact on international trade, 1. Welcomes the adoption by the Commission of the above-mentioned communications and the Action Plan presented in the above-mentioned staff working document; 2. Reaffirms its resolution of 12 July 2007 and welcomes the fact that the Commission has taken over a fair proportion of the requests made by the Parliament, at least to some extent; 3. Points out that the exceptional maritime dimension conferred on the EU by its coasts and its outermost regions offers unique opportunities as regards innovation, research, the environment, and biodiversity, which must be taken into account in the integrated maritime policy for the EU, and points out that the outermost regions, moreover, provide excellent communication bases for transport and security purposes at EU and global level; 4. Emphatically supports the Commission's intention to exploit the potential of short sea shipping and inland waterway transport between the Member States and to integrate this rapidly into the single market and welcomes the Commission's intention to speed up its proposals for a common maritime transport area together with a comprehensive maritime transport strategy for 2008-2018; 5. Encourages Member States to strengthen cooperation among themselves and with neighbouring countries for the appropriate use of TEN-T and other European financing mechanisms (such as Marco Polo) in order to accomplish the Motorways of the Sea and Short Sea Shipping Networks projects; 6. Welcomes the Commission's intention to improve coordination with the European agencies responsible for maritime surveillance, underlining especially the prevention of illegal activities (human and drug trafficking, illegal immigration and terrorist threats) with special focus on international waters; 7. Welcomes the initiative by the Commission to start a European network for maritime surveillance and promote improved cooperation between Member States´ coastguards; calls on the Commission to come up with the results of the feasibility study on a European coastguard, which was due to be published and presented to the Parliament and the Council by the end of 2006; 8. Takes the view that maritime clusters are particularly well placed to make a contribution to achieving an integrated maritime policy; calls on the Commission to make a prompt start with the project for a European network of maritime clusters; 9. Supports the proposal to establish an annual 'European Maritime Day' on 20 May; considers that such an action day should be used to highlight the significance of maritime policy outside maritime circles, with the participation of ordinary citizens, schools, universities and non-governmental organisations; reminds the Commission of its proposal for a prize to be awarded to exemplary maritime regions as a way of promoting best practice; 10. Takes the overall view, however, that the Action Plan includes too few practical measures and encourages the Commission to be more ambitious in future in using the instruments at its disposal under the Treaties; 11. Regrets the fact that the Action Plan addresses the challenges of climate change only in a non-binding way; reaffirms its view that one task of a European maritime policy has to be to prepare for and to adapt to the consequences of climate change, and, as a matter of urgency, lay down the adjustment measures required, especially in view of the melting of glaciers leading to the rise in sea levels, together with the increased risk of flooding of ports and coastal regions, and in this connection calls for all relevant policies, and in particular research policy, to play their part; 12. Recalls the fact that the melting of glaciers causes not only a rise in sea levels but also irreparable damage to human, animal and plant life and therefore welcomes the Commission's intention to put forward an Arctic Initiative and calls on the scientific community and decision makers to further explore possibilities for protecting the polar ice caps; 13. Maintains that sound management of the seas requires sound management of coastal areas and that construction projects on EU coasts must therefore make provision in every case for the consequences of climate change and the resulting rise in the sea level, the erosion of sands, and the increase in the frequency and violence of storms; 14. Supports the target set by the European Council of March 2007 of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and reaffirms its call for maritime policy to make a substantial contribution to reducing these emissions; this should include incorporating shipping into the emissions trading scheme and enhancing research efforts both with regard to exploiting the seas as a source of renewable energy and with a view to developing cleaner new ship propulsion technologies; considers that if Europe leads the way in combating climate change this could strengthen and develop its leading role in environmental technology and research; 15. Calls emphatically on the Commission to be more ambitious in combating sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions, as well as solid waste from ships; in this connection, reiterates the need for closer cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and, in particular, its calls for:
16. Welcomes the measures adopted for satellite monitoring of uncontrolled discharges at sea as practised by certain vessels; calls, nonetheless, for rules to oblige vessels to use inviolable (and patented) devices of the 'black box' type enabling the registration at close intervals of the levels and nature of the liquids entering or leaving tanks and bilges; considers that the examination of such registers would make it possible to determine whether there have been uncontrolled and illegal discharges of residues of polluting fuels; 17. Reiterates its call on the Member States and the Commission, in view of the air pollution affecting many port towns and regions, to provide significantly better incentives for the provision of land-based electricity for ships in port; calls, therefore, for a proposal for an amendment to Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003 restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity(2), whereby those Member States which take advantage of the tax exemption on bunker oil pursuant to Article 14 of that Directive would be required to exempt land-based electricity from tax to the same extent; points out that the equal treatment for tax purposes of electricity and bunker oil would be a major incentive for ports and ship-owners to help reduce air pollution in port towns by investing in the electricity supply for ships in port; 18. Points out, once again, that land-based pollution of the seas constitutes a significant proportion of overall maritime pollution and that the Commission has so far not got to grips with this issue; therefore reiterates its call for the Commission to put forward an action plan to reduce such pollution, and highlights its call for the Member States to act promptly to transpose the legislation in this field, such as the water framework Directive(3), into national law; stresses that an action plan to identify and remove old munitions from past wars dumped in the North Sea and the Baltic forms part of the transposition of the water framework Directive; 19. Urges the Commission to help Member States to launch a plan to survey and map wrecked ships and submerged archaeological sites – since these form part of the Community's historic and cultural heritage – and hence to facilitate understanding and the study of such sites and help prevent the despoliation to which they are being subjected, thus enabling them to be properly preserved; 20. Urges the institutions involved to adopt the Erika III maritime package as quickly as possible and calls on the Member States to start implementing the package without delay, with a view to providing the legal means necessary to avert or remedy accidents or incidents with disastrous consequences for the development of maritime regions, the Erika and the Prestige accidents being two such examples; 21. Considers that the Marine Strategy Framework Directive(4) should constitute the environmental cornerstone of the integrated maritime policy for the EU; notes that the Directive states that regions in which the state of the sea is critical should draw up and implement faster measures to achieve good environmental status; emphasises that in such regions, it is particularly important that the Commission should coordinate different sectors, programmes and strategies and provide sufficient financial support; points out that in order to achieve such an integrated maritime policy, it is necessary to include land-based activities such as agriculture, waste water management, transport and energy production; believes that such regions can constitute pilot areas for a genuine and fully integrated maritime policy; 22. Welcomes the Commission's stocktaking with regard to the exclusion of seafarers from a number of areas of European social and labour protection rules (e.g. Directive 98/59/EC(5) on collective redundancies, Directive 2001/23/EC(6) on the safeguarding of employees' rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses, Directive 2002/14/EC(7) on informing and consulting employees and Directive 96/71/EC(8) concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services); proposes that these directives be revised in close cooperation with the social partners; 23. Urges those Member States which have not yet done so to ratify, as soon as possible, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, adopted with a view to improving the living and working conditions of seafarers and to preventing unfair competition in the shipping industry by updating and codifying the entire body of international labour standards in force; 24. Urges the Commission to update Directive 1999/95/EC(9) on seafarers" hours of work, and the legislation on matters falling under the Commission's responsibility but not covered, or covered only in part, at Community level, for instance the rules governing temporary recruitment agencies or a worker's right to have a signed employment contract; 25. Considers the involvement of regional and local partners to be essential in order to make a success of maritime policy; maintains, therefore, that there must be closer cooperation and interconnection between European coastal regions, to be achieved by promoting coordinated strategies to foster development and competitiveness and by dovetailing the different tiers of governance more effectively; 26. Renews its call for the approach to an integrated maritime policy for the EU to be continued in future and calls on the Commission to strengthen the political framework thereof, as well as the territorial, social, and economic cohesion providing the link to inland Europe and its constituent policies; proposes that a report on European maritime policy be published every two years and that a regular public exchange of views be held with all those involved; calls on future Council presidencies to deal with maritime policy as part of their work programmes; over and above this, calls for all maritime-related projects supported by EU funding to be clearly identified annually by the Commission; 27. Welcomes the Commission's initiative to promote negotiations for better management of sea-sharing with third countries and strongly supports the increased cooperation with neighbouring countries for the protection of seas beyond national jurisdictions; 28. Urges the Commission and the Member States to support actively, in the framework of the UN and the IMO, the initiative promoted by several Member States, to extend the right of sea and air pursuit to the territorial waters of the coastal states, provided the countries concerned agree, as well as to develop a mechanism of mutual assistance against cases of maritime piracy; 29. Asks the Commission to set up, in the framework of the new Integrated Maritime Policy, a Community system for coordination and mutual assistance, that would allow naval vessels flying the flag of a Member State deployed in international waters, to protect fishing and merchant vessels from other Member States, at the earliest possible opportunity; 30. Considers that a comprehensive European Strategy for Marine and Maritime research is of major importance and must be properly financed, already within the seventh research framework programme and in future programmes; 31. Declares itself in favour of maritime policy being given appropriate consideration in the EU budget and instruments after 2013 and calls for this to be reflected in summaries in the regular reports on the European maritime policy; 32. Also welcomes the recommendation issued by the European Council of 14 December 2007 to the effect that maritime policy should be adapted to the various specific features of the Member States and maritime regions, including coastal regions, islands, and the outermost regions; 33. Whilst acknowledging the competence of the Member States in this field, awaits with interest the publication by the Commission of a road map to facilitate the development by Member States of maritime spatial planning; points to the need to maintain the appropriate balance between economic, social, territorial, and environmental considerations; 34. Points out that the exceptional maritime dimension which the coastal regions, islands, and the outermost regions bring to the EU offers unique opportunities as regards innovation, research, the environment, biodiversity, the development of innovative sea-based technologies and other areas, and that the future integrated maritime policy must capitalise on these opportunities; recognises the desirability of setting up centres of excellence and recommends that encouragement and support be given to the university research centres already present in coastal areas; 35. Points to the importance of wave power as an alternative clean energy source and calls on the Commission to take this form of energy into account in future action plans; 36. Takes the view that the key objective of the integrated maritime policy for the European Union in the field of fisheries should be to promote the modernisation and sustainable, balanced and fair development of the industry throughout the EU, safeguarding its socio-economic viability and the sustainability of resources and guaranteeing food sovereignty and food security, the supply of fish to the public, job preservation and improved living conditions for fishermen; 37. Considers that, to date, neither the sustainability of marine resources nor the economic viability of the EU's fishing fleets and coastal communities has been well served by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and that, accordingly, the integrated maritime policy for the European Union should be developed in such a way as to avoid failings in the CFP such as over-centralisation and the failure to take account of the regional diversity of the EU's waters; 38. Believes that creating more and better seafaring jobs, particularly in the fishing industry, also depends on a guarantee of a fair and adequate income, proper working conditions (including health and safety) and access to training for people working in the industry; 39. Calls for mutual recognition by the Member States of intermediate diplomas for the occupations of steersman and mechanic for fishing vessels; 40. Reiterates the need for mechanisms to subsidise or compensate fishermen who are affected by the socio-economic repercussions of stock recovery plans or measures to protect ecosystems, especially in less favoured regions and communities and the outermost regions; 41. Reiterates the need to boost support for scientific fisheries research in the various Member States, particularly under the seventh research framework programme; 42. Calls for Community support for the implementation of effective measures to ensure adequate means of evacuation, assistance and rescue for crews; 43. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, and to the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
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