Activities of Soledad CABEZÓN RUIZ related to 2014/2254(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Situation of fundamental rights in the EU (2013-2014) (A8-0230/2015 - Laura Ferrara) ES
Situation of fundamental rights in the EU (2013-2014) (debate) ES
Amendments (29)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A a (new)
Recital -A a (new)
-Aa. having regard to Part Two of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for Non-discrimination and Citizenship of the Union and to the Charter of Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A b (new)
Recital -A b (new)
-Ab. having regard to the right of petition enshrined in Article 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and having regard to Rules 215 to 218 of its Rules of procedure,
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A c (new)
Recital -A c (new)
-Ac. having regard to Rule 53 of its Rules of Procedure,
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A d (new)
Recital -A d (new)
-Ad. having regard to its previous resolutions on the deliberations of the Committee on Petitions,
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A e (new)
Recital -A e (new)
-Ae. having regard to the Commission Report of 8 May 2013 entitled 'EU Citizenship Report 2013 – EU citizens: your rights, your future' (COM(2013)0269,
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A f (new)
Recital -A f (new)
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A g(new)
Recital -A g(new)
-Ag. having regard to the many petitions in the field of fundamental rights received from EU citizens and residents,
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas rights inherent to Union citizenship are incorporated in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; whereas the Treaty of Lisbon has strengthened the enforceability of fundamental rights with respect to the implementation of EU law by Member States at national level; whereas Article 51 of the Charter states that the Member States and the Commission must respect these rights; its entry into force with the Lisbon Treaty generated great expectations among EU citizens that a new age of enhanced rights had begun in Europe; whereas Article 51 of the Charter states that the Member States and the Commission must respect these rights observe the principles and promote the application thereof in accordance with their respective powers; whereas article 51 is regarded by the Commission as a limitation on its exercise as Guardian of the Treaties;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the Lisbon Treaty has strengthened the fundamental rights enforceability when EU law is being implemented at national level by the Member States;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas it is recognised that National authorities (judicial, law enforcement and administrations) are key actors in giving concrete effect to rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the effectiveness of specialised institutions such as National Human Rights Institutions or equality bodies is important to help citizens to better enforce their fundamental rights to the extent that Member States apply EU law;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas this situation has undermined the provisions of Article 35 of the Charter; whereas the increased energy poverty experienced by relevant parts of the population in some Member States has had also a huge impact on the overall health condition of the population, and in particular children;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the economic crisis and the general measures taken as a result thereof have also had an negative impact on universal access to quality education, the right to fair and decent work and the right to propertyin relation to Article 14 of the Charter, on the right to fair and decent work as recognised in Article 17, the right of health as recognised in Article 35 and the right to property as recognised in Article 31;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the right to vote and stand as a candidate in the municipal and European Parliament elections is recognised in Articles 39 and 40 of the Charter in the states of residence; whereas exercising the right of mobility should not hamper this right;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Article 21 of the Charter recognises the right to non-discrimination based on any grounds such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Deplores instances of discrimination against minorities, on the grounds that human dignity is inviolable; calls for the Anti-Discrimination Directive, which seeks to implement the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, to be unblocked in the Council; calls on the Council and the Commission to act effectively and responsibly to uphold the values of the Union in relation to Member States who fail to fully respect their Treaty obligations on such issues;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Commission to ensure as a matter of urgency that the Member States transpose and correctly apply Directive 2004/38/EC on the free movement of citizens, given the frequent recurrence of petitions on the subject of problems encountered, also by their spouses and children; notes the increase in petitions from several Member States on child custody disputes in a cross- border context in the framework of the Brussels IIa regulation, and also particularly against some Member States' authorities on the withdrawal of custody from parents having exercised the freedom of movement within the EU;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the role of the Commission as the guardian of the Treaties is not limited to ensuring that legislation is transposed by the Member States, but also extends to the full and correct application of laws, in particular with a view to protecting citizens’ fundamental rights; regrets the effective limitation in the scope of application of the Charter due to an excessively restrictive interpretation of its Articles 51, whereas this clause prevents the dealing with EU law enforcement; is of the opinion that such an approach ought to be revised to meet EU citizens' expectations in relation to their Fundamental Rights;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Points to the legal vacuum as regards citizens' access to legal redress when Member States have not, or have only belatedly, transposed EU legislation that concerns them directly;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Reminds the Commission of its institutional duty to analyse citizens' complaints in relation to possible violations of fundamental rights not only by the EU and by Member States in the application of EU law, but also in relation to situations of systematic failure in the protection of fundamental rights within the Member States;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Member States to adopt all necessary measures to ensure that the fundamental rights of universal access to health care and education are restored to every EU citizen; stresses the opinion that affordable access to energy for every household is fundamental in order to ensure a healthy population, and that targeted measures must be implemented to correct the increasing trend of energy poverty in a number of Member States;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the portability of social security benefits, pensions and health care, health care and recognition of professional qualifications and academic credits is important in ensuring the full accomplishment of fundamental rights and civil liberties, including on the basis of the achievement of worker mobility which has increased in recent years due to the economic crisis; but notes that many citizens still encounter problems in asserting these rights; expresses its concerns about the growing trend of quick expulsions of EU citizens from their residing countries as a result of the loss of their job and considers that this is contrary to the spirit of the freedom of mobility;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Expresses particular concern about the recent adoption in certain Member States of legislation that restricts the recognised Fundamental Right of freedom of expression and assembly; considers that such legislation undermining civil rights leads to a trend of democratic regress;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Requests the Commission to make a step forward in consolidating the right to good administration by turning the Code of Good Administrative Behaviour of the EU into a legally binding regulation;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Expresses its concerns, on the basis of hundreds of petitions received yearly, of the shortcomings in the actual implementation in Member States of the provisions, both in letter and spirit, of the EU environmental legislation, such as the Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment directives; asks the Commission to have greater oversight of the substance of such procedures, particularly when specific cases are subject to petitions;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Reiterates the importance of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), as a new citizens' right introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, which aims at increasing participatory democracy in the EU; Notes the importance of the ECI as a powerful tool to provide European citizens with a direct democratic right to contribute to the decision making process of the EU, which adds to the European citizens' right to submit petitions to the European Parliament (EP) and their right of appeal to the European Ombudsman;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Supports the programme of EU Judicial training for national judges which are key actors in enforcing citizens' rights; warns about the risk of undermining the right to effective legal remedy not being respected in cases when national court procedures are unacceptably delayed; expresses the view that in order to respect the principle of equality before the court and effective access to justice, socioeconomic barriers in its access such as excessive judicial fees and taxes should be tackled in each and every Member State;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the European Commission to strengthen the role of the European Citizens' Initiatives (ECIs) by adopting a citizens-friendly approach to tackle all deficiencies of this instrument in the upcoming revision of Regulation 211/20118 whilst at the same time improving information campaigns to citizens on the use of the ECI and its powers to influence the EU-policy making process;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Welcomes the European e-Justice portal which is operated by the European Commission and provides professionals and the public with information on justice systems and is a practical tool to improve access to justice, with a separate section on fundamental rights which aims at informing citizens where to turn in cases of violations of their fundamental rights;