6 Written explanations of Pernando BARRENA ARZA
European protection of cross-border and seasonal workers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis (B9-0172/2020)
He votado a favor de la propuesta de Resolución sobre la protección de las personas trabajadoras transfronterizas, ya que creo que tiene en consideración las realidades que viven las personas que viven y/o trabajan a un lado de la frontera. Debido a la COVID-19 y después de la decisión de los Estados miembros de cerrar las fronteras, ha tenido nefastas consecuencias para su movimiento y su desarrollo, tanto en el ámbito económico como en el ámbito cultural. Los Estados miembros, y en concreto el Estado español, no han tenido en cuenta las zonas transfronterizas y las eurorregiones a la hora de organizar la desescalada post-COVID-19.Asimismo, la propuesta de Resolución hace referencia expresa a que el Estado miembro donde trabaja la persona, aunque resida en otro Estado miembro, debe hacerse cargo de todos los derechos derivados de su actividad económica.
European Climate Law (A9-0162/2020 - Jytte Guteland)
He votado a favor de la Ley Europea del Clima, que entre otras cosas establece un objetivo de reducción de emisiones de carbono del 60 % (en comparación a 1990), y la neutralidad en carbono para 2050.Nos hubiese gustado que en esta Ley se incluyeran objetivos más ambiciosos de reducción de emisiones (al menos el 65 %), que permitiesen limitar el aumento de temperatura por debajo de 1,5ºC conforme al Acuerdo de París, y que se tuvieran en cuenta, entre otras cosas, las emisiones de metano, de óxido nitroso, las emisiones provenientes de UTCUTS, la relación con la nueva política agrícola común (PAC), el aumento de sumideros naturales de carbono y de soluciones basadas en la naturaleza, el principio de equidad, limitar más el lobby de combustibles fósiles... pero estas medidas más ambiciosas no han recibido el apoyo suficiente.Aun así, el resultado final de la Ley Europea del Clima es un punto de partida (aunque no suficiente), que establece objetivos claros y que llama a la Comisión Europea a proponer una hoja de ruta antes del 31 de mayo de 2023.
European Citizens' Initiative - Minority Safepack (B9-0403/2020, B9-0405/2020)
I voted in favour of the resolution regarding the Minority Safepack. I welcome this European citizen initiative, which is totally necessary for the protection and promotion of ‘minorised’ languages and cultures. I would like also to congratulate the promoters, since they have exceeded 1.2 million supports.As it is stressed in the resolution, the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger states that 186 languages of the EU Member States are in danger, and one of them is the Basque language.I strongly believe that any person belonging to a national or linguistic minority must have the right to education in a minority language. For this purpose, all competent administrations should invest in long-term educational strategies. Moreover, I defend the educational model based on linguistic immersion in the minorised languages, as a strategy for the survival and expansion of knowledge and its use.For all this, it is vitally important that all Member States implement and ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter of Regional or Minority Languages of the Council of Europe; it is also time for Basque to be an official language in European institutions.
Technical Support Instrument (A9-0173/2020 - Alexandra Geese, Othmar Karas, Dragoș Pîslaru)
I voted to abstain on the technical support instrument since the compromise agreement’s text has not significantly deteriorated compared to the Parliament’s reading as voted previously. I would like also to underline that it is necessary to give technical assistance to the different administrations to tackle the multiple consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and the projects proposed in relation to the ‘New Generation’ funds. Nevertheless, this instrument should not be used as an excuse to prescribe austerity policies through ‘country-specific recommendations’ and the use of the most harmful measures of the European Semester.
European Climate Law (Jytte Guteland - A9-0162/2020)
. ‒ I abstained because the outcome of the interinstitutional negotiation is very weak. Even if it sets climate neutrality by 2050, as well as a roadmap and obligations on Member States to adopt adaptation strategies, the outcome is very weak compared to what we endorsed in Parliament in October 2020, which was more ambitious than the Commission proposal thanks to our Group’s pressure. This agreement sets very low targets for 2030, which are insufficient to keep the temperature increase below 1.5ºC as set in the Paris Agreement.It sets a real reduction target of 52.8% for 2030, compared to the 60% achieved in Parliament’s mandate and the 70% that we have been pushing for from The Left.Overall, the emission reduction targets aren’t enough and the agreement is very weak taking into account that we are at a point of no return and that ambitious measures, binding goals and policies are needed. However, the outcome achieved is better than nothing, and time is running out; voting against it and sending it back to interinstitutional negotiations would mean delaying the Fit for 2030 package for more than a year, and this could have had an enormous impact on achieving the targets.
Breaches of EU law and of the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the Hungarian Parliament (B9-0412/2021, B9-0413/2021)