Values and rights, rule of law, security
Upholding EU values across all EU countries
Values enshrined in the EU Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights are non-negotiable, irreversible and necessary conditions for EU membership. To make these values tangible, the Plenary proposes a European citizenship statute and a statute for European cross-border associations and non-profit organisations. A European public sphere (including audiovisual and online media outlets) should be developed, including by further EU investment. Annual conferences on the rule of law (following the Commission’ Rule of law Report) with delegations from all Member States (citizens, civil servants, parliamentarians, local authorities, social partners and civil society) should be organised. The ‘Conditionality Regulation’ and other rule of law instruments should be effectively applied, and a similar approach may have to be put in place even in areas not relevant to the EU budget.
Key Parliament actions
- Rule of Law conditionality: Commission must immediately initiate proceedings
- EU values in Poland: MEPs concerned about continuous deterioration
- Rule of law in Poland and Hungary has worsened
- European democracy and the role of political entities in the social media era
- Parliament demands a legally binding, effective mechanism to protect EU values
- Rule of law: the Commission’s annual report still needs improvements, MEPs say
- Civil society: Parliament calls for EU rules and strategy to counter threats
- MEPs push for game-changer rules for pan-European civil society
Media independence and the fight against disinformation
Proposals are also put forward to promote media independence and pluralism, as well as media literacy, including through legislation addressing threats, potentially at business model level. EU competition rules should be strictly enforced to prevent monopolies and ensure independence from undue interference. Quality journalism should be promoted and an EU body for disinformation and interference is among the key proposals, complemented through more efforts to promote media literacy, including through mandatory school trainings. Online platforms should also have to issue clear statements about the algorithms they use, while safeguarding free speech and privacy.
- EU rules needed against abusive lawsuits targeting critical voices
- Media freedom: EP warns of attempts to silence critics and undermine pluralism
- Daphne Caruana Galizia journalism prize goes to Pegasus Project
- Digital Services Act: agreement for a transparent and safe online environment
Data protection and cybersecurity
The Plenary wants to boost data protection and make it more citizen-oriented. To this end, the current rules should be more strictly enforced, for example by increasing the sanctions for violations and by creating stronger enforcement mechanisms. Other proposals aim to boost privacy by making sure that it is taken into account in the design process and as a default option, and wants to better protect children’s data, for example by creating a separate category of sensitive data. Also, the Plenary wants to better protect people and institutions from cyber-threats by reinforcing the EU agency for cybersecurity (ENISA), and by improving coordination between national cybersecurity authorities.
Key Parliament actions
- Digital Services Act: agreement for a transparent and safe online environment
- Legislative train: the e-Privacy regulation
- Essential infrastructure and resilience: EP committee approves position
- Cybersecurity: MEPs strengthen EU-wide requirements against threats
Anti-discrimination, equality and quality of life
The EU should develop transparent quality of life indicators including economic, social and rule of law criteria, aiming to raise social standards and a common EU socio-economic structure. Proposals also call for public investment in education, health, housing, physical infrastructures, care for the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as additional investment to guarantee appropriate work/life balance for citizens. Taxing large corporations, fighting access to tax havens and eliminating their existence in the EU to fund priority areas such as education and research is also proposed. The proposals also ask for EU-wide criteria on anti-discrimination in the labour market (and outside of it) and incentivizing (subsidies, temporary quotas) the hiring of people in vulnerable groups.
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